Similarities Between The Crucible And Animal Farm

Many novels contain a character who is placed in a situation that changes their development. The best or worst of their personality can emerge, as well as their attitude towards those around them. Crucibles can be individual tests and are noticeable in most literary pieces. Commiting a sin or allowing yourself to have all the power in a community, can cause a crucible in your life, or in a fellow individual’s life. In The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, and Animal Farm , the protagonists experience a situation that alters their perspective of themselves and others.
Hester Prynne, from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, the Scarlet Letter, faces a crucible. She commits adultery with Reverend Dimmesdale and becomes pregnant with a daughter, Pearl. She is isolated from the community and the general public except for when she must stand upon the scaffold for three hours as part of her punishment for her sin. She must also wear a scarlet letter “A” for adultery on her breast. The town looks at her differently because of her sin but Hester stays true to her personality. Hester fairs her life by honoring her punishment and her mistakes, as well as taking care of Pearl and teaching her to be kind.

In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, John Proctor makes the unfortunate mistake of committing adultery with Abigail Williams.

Abigail accuses innocent people of witchcraft, including John’s wife, Elizabeth. She does this so her and John would be together and Elizabeth wouldn’t be in his life, even after John told Abigail he does not love her. He faces this crucible throughout the play and changes his demeanor towards Abigail. John becomes infuriated and he wants to expose Abigail for making false accusations of witchcraft, although it might include his confession of adultery. John eventually confesses his sin of adultery but refuses for it to be made public and posted on the church door, resulting in his

demise.
In Animal Farm, by George Orwell, Old Major, a pig, describes his dream about all the animals living in peace on the farm without human control. After his death, three pigs, Napoleon, Squealer, and Snowball, create the seven principles of Animalism. The animals on the farms’ crucible was having to face the overpowering reign of one specific pig, Napoleon, after the death of Farmer Jones, the human running the farm. Napoleon “miseducates” the puppies in ordering them to attack Snowball because he doesn’t like his idea. The animals are struggling with the new practices of Animalism that’s slowly encouraging human behavior among them. Boxer is the only one who disapproves of the new “human way”. He soon dies and Napoleon miscommunicates Boxer’s last words to the animals. He says Boxer was supportive of the new practice among the farm, which was not true. By the end of the novel, the pigs have dominated the farm and have separated themselves in power from the other animals. Their animal origin is unrecognizable to the other animals, especially because they are walking on two legs. By the novel’s end, the crucible confronted by the group resulted in the overall submissiveness of the other farm animals.
Crucibles and other unexpected situations can result in a person reevaluating life choices, and their emotions about other people. Each individual expresses their trials in different ways. Some express through silence and acceptance, others speak out against false accusations. Crucibles are important in plot lines because they influence the essential development of a character and allows characters to overcome difficult situations.