Louise Rosenblatt said that literature provides “experiences that it wouldnot be either possible or wise to introduce into our lives” and thus enlarges our”Knowledge of the world” and “ability to understand and sympathize with others. ” ThisQuote by Louise Rosenblatt applies to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Arthur Miller’s TheCrucible shows characterization through the experiences of John Proctor.
The first experience of John Proctor assists the reader in understanding him in his disagreements with Reverend Parris early in Act One. He says to the reverend, “can you speak one minute without we land in Hell Again? I am sick of Hell!” He also says to Abby, ” I come to see what mischief your Uncle’s brewing’ now. ” It’s impossible for a reader to have a big argument like this with their reverend. John Proctor goes beyond the faith of society and challenges the reverends religious beliefs. John Proctor’s experience shows characterization by his reverends obsession with hell. Another experience of John Proctor occurs in the beginning of Act Two.
John Proctor goes through a big argument with his wife Elizabeth Proctor, as she starts to be suspicious with him about sexual relations, she thinks he had with Abigail Williams. Elizabeth says, “John, you are not open with me. ” John replies with, “I’ll plead my honesty no more Elizabeth. ” In the proceeding words spoken between the two, it showed how John had lied about the affair.
It would be impossible to experience what John Proctor did, unless the reader was married. This experience shows the vulnerable side of John Proctor towards temptation, because he lies to his wife. The reader sympathizes with her and feels upset towards the way John Proctor handle’s his loss of love for his wife. The third and last experience of John Proctor occurs at the end of the play when he is executed for not confessing to the charges brought against him. John Proctor says, “I mean to deny nothing!” Danforth wanted an official confession and he didn’t get it, so Proctor was executed.
In these times, John Proctor could not have been executed because he would have been protected from having to incriminate himself by the law. This shows that John Proctor has strong will and character as solid as oak. John Proctor shows characterization by experiences in Arthur Miller’s The crucible. They do however, enable us to understand and sympathize with others.
To Conclude experiences such as a sexual affair, a cheap death penalty, and a crazy Reverend is some that it would be impossible for a reader to do, especially if they were not married, were not arrested and, and didn’t not have a reverend that was crazy. Though I do understand that the situation is reversed for John Proctor.Bibliography:
