I'm starting The Crucible by Arthur Miller for my AP english class summer reading. I've gone through it so far by listing characters as they come and writing their traits down. If you've read this, are there any suggestions you have or 'things to know' about this book to really understand so i can easily construct projects on it once i've completed it and so i don't miss anything? (significant symbolism, outstanding points, etc...)

help meeee

i read the book in grade 8, then i watched the movie.

the movie helped my project a lot! i would suggest renting it

yeah when i read the book for my english exam we watched the film too!

I read The Crucible this year for my english 10 honors class (orginally we were supposed to read Macbeth... buy they changed it)

here:

Major Themes

* Human cruelty in the name of righteousness
* The Individual and the community
* Justice versus retribution and revenge
* Godliness versus worldliness
* Ignorance versus wisdom
* Order versus Individual Freedom
Symbolism

* White

-Used for the term for good. Usually used to describe reputation.

* Black
-Term used for evil.

* Horse/ Animal Reference
-Something bad/menial.

* The Witch Trials and McCarthyism
-Symbolic of the paranoia about communism that pervaded America in the 1950s.

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Now this is for act one:


General impression of room
A bare room
Unexposed

Parris (40 yrs)
A widower with no interest of Children
Believed that children should be seen but not heard
He believed his way and his way only.
He is concerned of his image
Wants to hold back from witchcraft because it would ruin image
Originally given 6 bucks a year for firewood.
Greed insists he gets 66 bucks plus free wood.
Has a house that ministry gives
He demands the deed for the house
He’s a Jerk and he’s greedy

Beliefs
Vain enjoyment is bad.
No theater
No novels
With the exception of alcoholic beverages.
Hard work equals good.

The two men in Patrol (author’s tone is mockery)
Snitch on people not attending Church
Minding people’s business is normal

Other
Danger equals Native Americans
They mind people’s business to secure themselves
They don’t like Indians because they couldn’t convert them
Forest is not godly
The author is making fun in Intro because the didn’t learn

Symbolism of Witch Craft
The opportunity to vent frustration on others
Vengeance on people
Publicly admit to guilt and be forgiven
(Can be used as an excuse)

Conflicts- Problems
Allowed the whole witch craft thing to arise
The tradition and rules don’t work
The Putnam and the Nurses are fighting over Ministry
Putman and Parris are on one side.

Storyline
Starts with incident in the woods
Drinking of Blood
Running around naked
Two comatose people (betty and Ruth)
People start to believe they’ve been touched by the Devil
People are called over to Parris’s house to discuss events.
Betty is afraid of her Father (Parris).
She pretends to be in a coma to avoid confrontation.
Mrs. Nurse is nervous because she’s accused of witchery
Reverend Hale equals the exorcist
John Proctor and Abigail had an affair
He does not want her anymore
Demands she forgets about affair
Rebecca and Mrs. Putnam are NOT friends
Mrs. Putnam is convinced Rebecca is a witch.
All of Mrs. Putnam’s children died except for Ruth.
Mrs. Putnam Sent Ruth to Tituba

Witch Craft
Used to target things people don’t like in society

Good and Evil
The concept is complicated
It’s easier to have just Good and Evil
(Simple terms of Good and Evil)
But in society there are grays

Mr. Hale
Sees himself as a progressive
Feels he is doing the right thing to keep godliness
Instead he creates mass hysteria
He forgives Mrs. Putnam because of her pain
Believes in simple terms of Good and Evil

John Proctor
Doesn’t agree with town function or hell fire

Abigail
Controlling
Hysterical

Thank you all so much! I've got about 10 more pages to go now, but this helps so much.

I will use it, indubitibly.