We realize our dilemma goes deeper than shortage of time; it is basically a problem of priorities. We confess, We have left undone those things that ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. Charles E. Hummel. In a time of national dilemma what better way then a good book about over coming a dilemma. “The Crucible” By Arthur Miller does just that you could almost center the word dilemma around Arthurs’ character John Proctor. Only Miller could show how dilemmas reveal much about some persons personality or how it affects the lives of all.
The Salem witch trail well there’s a dilemma and for Proctor as soon as he got over a dilemma wham bam another one is thrown into to his face. How do you describe John? Well he’s a simple man, stay out of his business and he’ll stay out of yours. As soon as the girls of Salem get busted of “witchcraft” John faces the first of many new events that would show John as more then anyone would have thought. When Abigail tells Proctor what really was going on in the woods that night, “We were dancin’ in the woods last night, and my uncle leaped in on us.
She took fright, is all. ” the right thing for everyone would be for him to tell them all the truth about what happened. If it wasn’t for the fact that John himself was no angel: Stopped going to church, and the big thing that makes everything that much more complicated is that Abigail and John who is a married man have had tender moments. Now how can he rat her out without busting himself in an act that would kill his wife’s heart and muddy his name. So he does what any man would do, nothing, nothing at all just goes home and leaves it to the towns people.
Well so far Mr. Proctor doesn’t sound much like a guy I like too out with but this story is only just begun. Not soon after John goes home to his wife, pushing the whole thing out of his mind. Was this the right thing to do for him or for the town or really for anyone involved in this stupid lie this was a dilemma only he could make right and everyone is involved in it is affected in a different way but most their very lives relied upon the truth Proctor knew. So he continues on with his little life next this anyone knows half of the town is a witch and warlock.
Then it’s like oh maybe I should go in and try to help fix things. Only once John gets to town does he fully understand what’s going on and then it’s become a power struggle and it’s become his work against the new powers in town a. k. a. Abigail who is all of a sudden the queen bee around the town people fall at her feet so what is the words of one man going to do against this new high power was there a point in even trying. Well get the other girls the ones who fallow her and talk to them get her that way, without the people she has no power.
Goody Proctor, how could she be accused of witchcraft sick she has been for all of the winter and bam they call her a witch this will never do once again John must go through a dilemma what to do about his lovely wife, can he save her without condemning himself. Each time a new dilemma presents itself John must adapt and over come it and each time this is done something new is proven about his character and the others around him. I think that the biggest dilemma that john faces throughout this novel is whether or not to save his wife by sealing his own future or lack there of.
It’s amazing how much one person will do for the one they love. Even though John was willing to confess to what happened with Abigail to save his wife, now this shows you what John is truly like not only is he trying to save his wifes life but he no longer cares about his own life or name as long as she is safe. Granted that she was safe anyway but he still comes out with the truth about his affair with Abigail and then in return Elizabeth tries to protect John by denying that affair condemned John to hang for being a witch.
Only how messed up this world is. Next thing poor John knows is he a victim of the very thing he was trying to stop and the only way he can get out of it is to choose between living a lie or dying for the truth wow now that’s a true dilemma “To live is a dangerous undertaking but to die would be the greatest adventure. ” By Stephan Grobowsky. This one little white lie has turned the world of Salem upside down and shook out a lot of bad people was John one of them by not doing anything about the problem when he had the chance?
I think that by doing nothing john caused the whole thing, this wouldn’t have happened if he just told the people what he knew. Now look at where doing nothing got him. He’s going to die over nothing or was the right thing to do was to sign his soul away with a lie. In the end of it all he stood proud and never once looked back at what went wrong only knew that he stood for the truth and justice in the world the dilemmas in the story took Proctor on a roller coaster of ups, down and spins you loved him hated him or loved to hate him one thing you’ve got to say is that he showed his true colors.
Not only did he do it he did it with style. Dilemmas without them the world would be too easy and everyone would be happy and content and what kinda of world would that be. Our dilemma is that we hate change but love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better. Sydney J. Harris
