What Are The Similarities Between The Crucible And The Scarlet Letter

I have read the The Crucible, The Scarlet letter, and Of Mice and Men. In two of these stories, The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter, society was very much alike. They were based on a Puritan background. The Puritans had laws to live by. In the story Of Mice and Men, society showed racism and also that people took the law into their own hands.

In the Crucible, people died because they were accused of witchcraft. They were accused because people thought they were bewitches. People thought the girls were bewitched because Rev.Parris saw the girls in the woods dancing around a fire. A chicken head was cut off and Abigail drinks the blood of the chicken. Society in the Crucible was that the Puritans believed everyone should share the same values and beliefs. So, if anyone

that went against what Puritans believed, they could be accused of witchcraft. They were so fearful of witchcraft and the “old man” the Devil.

In The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne had a baby without a husband.

So in that society Hester Prynne is punished. In society’s minds, she committed adultery. Hester punishment was to stand in front of all the people in town for three hours. People could yell at Hester and she had to stand and accept their verbal abuse. When Hester stood on the platform, that was showing her sin of adultery. The Puritans looked down on Hester. Rev. Hale committed adultery and no one knew this besides Hester. Rev. Hale was bothered because he was keeping the secret of Hester committing adultery with him. Rev. Hale was getting really sick because of this, and he was whipping himself for self punishment. He knew in his position that society would not accept his sin.

In the story of Mice and Men, It seemed like society lived by their own rules. They didn’t accept colored people very well. Racism was shown when Crooks was not allowed to be in the bunkhouse. There was a lot of poverty as George and Lennie moved from one town to another to have a job. People took the law into their own hands. The consequence of committing a crime was people would go after the criminal and decide their

fate.

In today's society people are not shot for committing a crime. People would call the cops and they would come after you. The cop would not shoot you unless you shot at the cops. When the cops found you they would arrest you and you would be put in jail. In the crucible their society was different. If you got accused of witchcraft you would be hung. In the scarlet letter their society was different because you had to live by the Puritan beliefs. if you were not a puritan, people would look down on you and you would not be liked. In our society today you can believe whatever you want and not get in trouble with the law. We can go to church or not. This society just has to live by the laws that the government has made.