The Crucible Act II - Character True Color Swag

The whole "true colors" thing to me is kind of annoying. Because I feel a blog is a great way to vent my true feelings, I believe before I go into a very far fetched analysis of important characters and their true colors, I should briefly state my opinion. Although the true colors quiz is merely a game, like that of one's horoscope, I believe it labels a person to a degree in which the individual ends of scrutinizing themselves, or thinking too much of the matter. Completely my opinion, I know. And now for the main event.

When I read The Crucible and began searching for clues to what color John Proctor may be, I had a hard time looking, until I read about him selling out Abigail as a "whore" and basically confesses his affair with the young woman. I believe Proctor is gold. A gold person tends to represent value and strength. For the Proctor to publicly admit his wrongdoing, and ruin his reputation in the town, is something very admirable that I believe deserves gold credit.

I think Abigail is one of the most simple characters so far in The Crucible. She is very easy to understand (could it be, another example of Puritan writing...). From the beginning, I was able to grasp that Abigail is a very carefree kind of character. She acts mostly like a child, very energetic and sort of immature. Sorry to all of you orange's out there, but I think Abigail's character represents orange. I also believe she represents somewhat of a blue character too, though. Mainly because of her simplicity throughout the story.

Mary Warren is the Proctor's servant. She came off to me as being a very strong gold character because of her dedication to not back down and stick up for what she says. Despite the fact that she was basically bossed around all of the time because of her social status, she made the best of her situation by having a very headstrong personality. In one example, Mary states that she is going to court everyday despite what her master tells her. I think this is very brave on her part. For one, Proctor could have really been angry and punish Mary. Who knows what the outcome could have been, but even still Mary sticks up for her beliefs and does not let people walk over her. I think this strongly represents a gold personality.

Finally, I think a very obvious color for Reverend John Hale is green with a hint of gold. He acts like he knows it all when it comes to witchcraft and he wants to be somewhat of a hero when he rids the devil from Salem. Green people are those people who do all the research and have to be right in their mind, while the gold people are more strong and in my opinion, cocky, people. I believe Hale represents these characteristics very efficiently because of his dedication (especially in the beginning of the story) to aid in the supposed witchcraft suspicion.

Overall, each color was well represented throughout what I have read so far in the story. Although I do not have time to blog about every character, I believe each one plays a vital role in the story's overall personality diversity.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.

Journal # 5 - Discispline

In the twenty-first century, parents use a variety of contemporary techniques to discipline their children. Back in the day, like the 1970's, parents legitimately grounded their kids. This included locking children up in their room and not hanging out with friends. That was a severe punishment for kids back then. In order to be with friends, kids had to actually be with them. Kids would spend hours outside playing, whereas now, they spend time on their computer, texting, and watching television. In today's society, kids can talk to their friends all over the country without even seeing their face. Texting and social networks have become key components in the lives of children and teens across the world. It would make sense now that parents are taking away technological devices because those are how people connect with one another. I think it is fair that things like cell phones are being taken away. If a parent sent their kid to their room, it would be more of an incentive to be bad because in almost every child's room nowadays there are computers, cell phones, gaming devices, and televisions. There would be no point to do a typical punishment of the 1970's in today's society because it would not be efficient at all. Sometimes cell phones and gaming systems need to be taken away anyway just to bring kids back to the realm of reality. It would give them a chance to go play outside, do homework, or even spend time with their family without having a cell phone glued to their face. In my opinion, I actually find it hard to discipline kids today because it is so easy for them to find something (most of the time technological) to entertain themselves. I think it will become even more difficult in the future, but who knows what will happen. Overall, things have definitely changed when it comes to how parents raise their kids. Society is changing rapidly, so it will only be a matter of time before we as a generation decide how we will change up traditional discipline and make it fit our current lifestyle.

The Crucible - Act 1

So far in the reading, The Crucible has been about a supposed witchcraft practice in the town of Salem. The people of Salem are very religious. All of the top officials are religious leaders, and most of the citizens hold a high regard to the church. This demonstrates a Puritan lifestyle because society in Salem was extremely centered on God. The Crucible highly reflects Puritan writing for a number of reasons. First off, like all of the other literature we have read so far in English regarding Puritan writing, God is always the main focal point of the Puritans. In a somewhat ironic and different way, The Crucible portrays God as being the center of people’s lives in Salem, but also demonstrates how to devil plays a significant role in certain “witchcraft” worshipping lives. In the opening scene of the story, Parris is praying at the bedside of his ten-year old daughter’s bed. Witchcraft is seen as something very degrading and sinful to the people of Salem. They believe anyone who participates in such nonsense is a worshipper of the devil. This is a good example of the Puritan writing of the time period, because in society today, witchcraft is actually a very popular topic. Back then, anything that had to do with the devil was considered terrible and extreme. Today, more and more people are beginning to follow witchcraft ideas, along with other nonfiction beliefs like wizardry. It has become very accepted nowadays for someone to be accepting of the devil, whereas back then, it was nothing but nonsense. This is an important part of the story’s Puritan writing because it demonstrates how society has significantly changed over the years. Another example of the Puritan writing style portrayed in The Crucible is the fact that it is stressed how bad it is that the church is no longer as popular as it was before the girls of Salem involved themselves in witchcraft. People were so caught up in the idea that girls in Salem were practicing witchcraft that their attention was hardly focused on church at all. In Act I, the girls decide they will not tell anyone what they did in the woods (drinking blood), but only tell the adults that they danced and that Tituba tried to solve the mystery of Ruth’s babies. The girls do not want to tell anyone what actually happened. I think that Betty eventually caves from guilt which then results in Parris finding out the true confession from the girls. I believe they decided not to tell the whole story in the beginning of what happened out of fear. Because Salem’s society was so firmly based on religion, they were more than likely scared of what the adults, and more importantly, God, would do to them in return. Puritan writing is very simple and straightforward. In The Crucible, no extensive symbolism or metaphors are used to entice readers. Because the story is set up as a play, it is easy for readers to understand what is going on between the girls and the citizens of Salem.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.

Journal #4

I remember when I drove to New York City last June for vacation. It took about sixteen hours to get there because I rode on a tour bus. The trip itself was not as bad as I think I had expected it to be. The most annoying part about it was the sleeping situation. We stopped a few times the whole way there, but other than that we slept on the bus. There were other people going on the trip since it was a tour of New York. I swear, there was like fifty old people. I unfortunately had to sit in front of really annoying old people that would not let me put my seat back to seat comfortably. I remember stopping to get dinner and it felt so good to stretch my legs and walk around. It was interesting to see the new places we drove to. Each new area we came upon was new and different in so many ways. I began to see places I never before had set foot on. I think it is cool to see how different one city can be from another. The best part of the trip itself was finding a way to entertain myself for sixteen hours straight. I could only think about one thing, and that was what the Big Apple would be like. I could not wait to experience walking down Time Square and watching Broadway plays. Even though I was extremely bored most of the way there, it was well worth the trip when we actually got to New York City. That trip was by far the best of my life. It was really depressing on the last day we were there knowing that I had to make the trip back to Illinois again on a hot and boring tour bus. The trip back was even longer than the trip there because I honestly did not want to go home. Overall, New York City was the best trip I have ever went on in my life.

William Bradford- Of Plymouth Plantation

William Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation” is a very good example of Puritan writing style. It is short and simple, yet gives detail in a straightforward kind of way the experiences the Pilgrims had coming to America on the Mayflower. Bradford speaks of a “very profane young man” who basically tells the Puritans he wishes the worst upon them. The young man is told to be “cursing them daily with grievous execrations, and did not let to tell them that he hoped to help cast half of them overboard before they came to their journey’s end, and to make merry with what they had,”. Despite the fact that this young man is talking about wanting to throw the Pilgrims overboard, none of them react in a harsh way. This kind of mindset was extremely popular among the Puritans. They believed in staying calm and collected in difficult situations because they believed God would ultimately protect them and knew what was best for each individual. William Bradford says that God takes care of the profane man by giving him a disease which ultimately kills him, and ironically he was the first to be thrown overboard. Bradford’s writing style reflects greatly typical Puritan writing of the time period. To the Puritans, they believed God would be with them no matter what and protect them even in the darkest of times. Bradford and the other Puritans did not need to do anything about the harsh comments from the young man, because in the end they believed that God had a plan to get rid of the man in His own way. Bradford says in the end of the journal, “for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him,” Even though disease ran rampant during times of travel, especially by boat back then, the Pilgrims believed God had given the man a disease that took his life. This kind of outlook on life was very common for Bradford and Pilgrims alike. Bradford does not include any illustrious symbolism in his journal. He says that he would like to record events through his writing in “a plain style, with single regard unto the simple truth of all things (page 14).” Like most Puritan writing, Bradford’s account was very short and simple. This happened, God saved them, and in the end everything was okay. Nothing needed to be elaborated because the Puritans had an answer for everything, and that goes back to God being their ultimate protector.

Although very short and sweet, “Of Plymouth Plantation” is a very interesting example of a Puritan writing style during Colonial Times. William Bradford simple tells what happens not too in depth but at the same time very informative. Writing styles such as this were popular during the time period because of the wave of Puritan colonization popping up all throughout society, so it was easy to understand and highly relatable. It will forever be considered a classic example of Puritan writing because of its illustrious meaning and overall Colonial significance.

Bradford, William. "Of Plymouth Plantation" Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Co, 2009. 14-15. Print.

Journal # 3 - Hostage

Considering I have yet to be held hostage (and have high hopes of never being held hostage), I do not have a good idea of what it is like. I can only imagine from watching countless episodes of CSI and Law and Order what kind of traumatic ordeal it would be like. Seeing innocent people being held against their own will is absolutely appalling in my opinion. I know for sure I would be scared out of my mind. I would also feel anxious because I would have no clue what would happen to me. Questions would be racing through my head whether I would be saved or not. I think I would cope with the situation by attempting to stay calm, although I feel as if those efforts would go unsuccessful. For some reason the only thing popping in my head right now regarding an attempt to stay calm would be to count as far as I could. It sounds silly but hopefully it would keep my mind off of things. I would also have to cope with my new surroundings where ever that may be. Here my CSI skills come into place. I would try to become as familiar with the environment as much I could, in case police needed my help in solving the crime. It seems really easy to talk about what I would do in a situation like being held hostage, but I think my though-out ideas only look good in black and white. I highly doubt I would stay as calm as I would like to be. I do not want to ever go through something as agonizing as being held hostage. It is something that would never leave me mentally. I cannot stop picturing in my head Rowlandson's story. The poor mother was held hostage by the Native Americans and had to go through very unfortunate circumstances. I do not want to ever experience something like that in my lifetime.

Mary Rowlandson and Anne Bradstreet

After reading works from both Mary Rowlandson and Anne Bradstreet, I was highly impressed with the amount of wit and creativity each piece of literature expressed. Rowlandson talks of her experiences as being a hostage of the Native Americans. Bradstreet puts into a simple, yet captivating poem a burning house full of burning things that ultimately all belonged to God. Although each author uses a variety of sentence techniques and writing styles, each has similar writing qualities reflecting that of Puritan writing, that based on God and the Bible.

When Mr. Langley began to discuss his presentation of the Puritans in class, the first thing that came to my mind was, "Okay, how can I relate this Puritan stuff to the things I will be reading from my textbook for homework?" At first I was a little hesitant because I had yet to actually read my assignment. After listening to Rowlandson's story and hearing Bradstreet's poem, I immediately was able to pick out the Puritan style of writing.

Puritan writing was very simple and plain for its time (PowerPoint Presentation). A lot the literature of the time period was based on God and Biblical teachings (PowerPoint Presentation). In Rowlandson's story, she mentions God time and time again. "...but God was with me in a wonderful manner, carrying me along, and bearing up my spirit, that it did not quite fail (Rowlandson 83)." In this quote, the main character is basically giving all of the glory to God, despite her unfortunate situation with the Native Americans. It highly demonstrates Puritan writing qualities in that it is highly centered on God and the works He does in outer and inner life.

As I previously mentioned, Puritan writing was drastically focused on God. Everything involved in the Puritans every day lives had a hint of the Holy Spirit in it. In Anne Bradshaw's poem, the main character says, "And that when I could no longer look, I blest His name that gave and took, that laid my goods now in the dust. Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just. It was His own, it was not mine, far be it that I should repine (Bradstreet, 91)." Even though this individuals house and belongings were burning down, she still praised God and said that all of her things belonged to Him because she knew she had a house in Heaven. He was only taking back what rightfully belonged to Him in the beginning. Puritan writing, if I have not already stated, is very Godly.

Overall, each piece of literature had its own unique style of Puritan writing, but was very similar in a way. In Rowlandson's case, she spoke of the main character's rough time with the Native American's and all of the sufferings she had to endure. Despite her situation, she gave all of the glory to God and did not focus on the bad things in life, but rather the good. In Bradstreet's poem, like Rowlandson's story, the main character suffers through something tragic, in her case, her home burns down. This does not keep her from praising the Lord, and even states that God is only taking back with belongs to Him. I find it interesting how Puritan writing was so simple but represented something bigger, like God. I was very intrigued by each piece of work and learned a lot regarding Puritan writing.

*I would like to cite Mr. Langley's very well prepared presentation of Puritan writing.

Bradstreet, Anne. "Upon the Burning of Our House." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Co, 2009. 91. Print.


Rowlandson, Mary. "The Narrative of the Captivity and the Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson." Glencoe Literature. Ed Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Co, 2009. 82. Print.