Names In The Crucible

Names are very important wherever you go. Anyone who has ever lived has been named for a reason with a meaning to their name. People are give names for whatever situations in their life, pertaining to their religious beliefs, or other motives. Names usually explain the character of a person in that person’s lifetime. Names also told people what occupation the person had or their social class. In the Crucible by Arthur Miller, the protagonist, John Proctor is at his wits end because he has lost everything except his name. John says, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given

you my soul; leave me my name!” John knows that the last thing he has is his name, if that name is tarnished, he is nothing. I believe that my name as well as everyone’s name is very important because it is a symbol of who you are.

The name, Emmanuel, comes from the Hebrew language and can also be spelled Immanuel.

In one of the Abrahamic religions, Judaism, God promised a savior or leader who save the nation of Israel from their problems. It does not apply only to their physical problems, but their situations that started from their minds and their hearts. The name Emmanuel means “God with us” in Hebrew. This promised leader was supposed to come through the family of David, one of Israel’s kings. The savior was referred to as the Messiah by the Jews and to this day, the Jewish people still wait for the promised Messiah. According to Christianity, Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah of Israel and the Son of God. However, Jesus Christ did not fit the criteria for the Messiah according to Judaism. Islam on the other hand, sees Jesus Christ as a good man, but only as a prophet informing people about their spiritual mistakes. Ever since the death of Jesus Christ, their has been an ongoing debate on whether he is God as he claimed or just a normal man. But his name went along with his character. Jesus was known for impacting people’s lives and helping everyone around him. Many people do see him as God’s Son and believe in his teachings. For years, people have named their children this name because of the meaning behind

it.

My parents have been Christians for decades and know the meaning behind the name Emmanuel.

Before I was born, my mother was not able to get pregnant. Being a devout Christian, she kept her faith in God, hoping she would be able to have a child one day. After four years of waiting, she finally got pregnant. My mother had already made of her mind to name me Emmanuel because she wanted her child to be a constant reminder of her faith in God. However, my father wanted to name me George because that name was based off her name Georgina. My mother and father argued over the name, but my mother kept bringing up their beliefs with made my dad reconsider his decision. If if I was a girl, my mother would have named me Emmanuella because she was already committed to her idea. Ever since then, my name is still a reminder of my parents religious beliefs as well as my

character.
In the Crucible, John Proctor was accused of witchcraft during the trials in Salem. At this point, he had lost everything except his name. The name Proctor was put on someone who worked as a steward or managed certain things. People who had this usually worked in difficult labor like farming which was what John was doing in his life. John Proctor was known as a respectable man in the community. Proctor also build the church in Salem which gave him some respect from the town. In spite of his efforts to be treated better than a farmer, he found himself in a dilemma that could take away his life. In this quote he says,“Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” John signed a confession that would save his life but ruin his life forever, but he realizes that by making his confession public, his children and other people would align his name with someone who lied to save his life even though his friends are dead. Proctor sees that everything that he has done in his life will be forgotten because of this confession. He makes himself a sacrifice so those after him will not make the same mistakes he did. John would rather die and clear his name than live with regret for the rest of his life and still face problems in the community. John’s name was so important because with his name he possessed with dignity and if he agreed to that confession, he would have lost all of his dignity and self-respect.

People all over the world have been named for a certain reason and usually become an example of their name through their character and the way they are. From John Proctor’s statement, I learned that a name is so important because it represents who you are to yourself and to others. Regardless of the reason why your name was picked, your name stays with you forever and is the one thing you will never forget about.