The Crucible
(20th Century Fox, 1996, 115 Minutes)
Review by William Buskist, Auburn University
Film Relevance and Connection to the Text
This film is about obsession and conviction in the face of public humiliation and death. The movie taps deeply into the human emotions of love, jealously, greed, and fear. The plot and the disposition of the film's main characters may be best viewed in light of the information provided by the following chapters in the text: Chapters 3 (The Self in Culture), 4 (Attitudes), 5 (Attributions), 6 (Persuasion), 7 (Conformity and Obedience), 8 (Liking and Loving), 9 (Prejudice), and 10 (Aggression).
As an added bonus for class discussion, instructors may wish to have their students read a summary of the communist "witch hunts" led by Senator Joe McCarthy during the 1950s. Students may attribute the events in "The Crucible" to the ignorance of the 17th century. However, using the McCarthy example to demonstrate to students that similar events take place in modern America is often an eye-opening experience for them.
Summary/Synopsis
The setting for this movie is Salem, Massachusetts, as it might have been in 1692. A local preacher catches a group of young girls conducting a pagan ritual to hasten the amorous advances of the town's young men. Abigail, the most outgoing and imaginative of the girls, is accused of witchcraft. She confesses, but only after implicating many of the other girls. Soon, the finger-pointing is out of control, and many of the local townspeople are also on trial. Those who claimed their innocence were hung; those who would not "name names" were arrested and punished; and those who (falsely) confessed their guilt were released, only to suffer public humiliation. The movie ends with the hanging of John Proctor, a married man with whom Abigail has had an affair. John could have avoided his fate and lived out his life with his pregnant wife, Elizabeth, and their two sons, simply by signing a confession. But his conscience gets the better of him, and he cannot falsely admit to his alleged crime. Ironically, it was Abigail who implicated Elizabeth, hoping that Elizabeth would be hung so that Abigail could have John for herself.
Discussion Questions
- Compare and contrast the self-concept held by the two main characters, Abigail, the young woman accused of witchcraft, and John Proctor. Through what actions of these characters are the differences in their self-concepts most apparent?
- Over the course of the movie, we see a change in attitude held by Reverend Hale, the preacher first brought into Salem to study the "witches." Describe the nature of this change and the events that precipitated it.
- What motivations prompted the various characters to implicate others for alleged sorcery? For example, compare the following characters: Abigail, the reverend, and the lead judge.
- Describe how the threat of punishment or death functions as an instrument of persuasion. How were such persuasive methods used to force the young girls to falsely confess to seeing the devil?
- What factors led the townspeople to be so willing to participate in the witch hunt and to follow the dictates of the stern lead judge? That is, describe the events that led to their obedience to authority.
- Compare the kind of love that Abigail had for John Proctor with the kind of love that John Proctor had for his wife and children. What characteristics of love did Elizabeth show for her husband when, after he refused to falsely confess to his alleged crime, she said, "He has his goodness now, God forbid that I take it from him"?
- In what ways does the witch hunt portrayed in this film illustrate the principles of prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping?
- Compare and contrast the different ways in which the film illustrates jealously, greed, and fear as catalysts (motivations) for aggression.
Student Assignment Suggestions
- Ask students to write a brief essay that illustrates an example of how a witch hunt might occur in modern society. Ask students to draw comparisons between the setting and nature of the witch hunt in the movie with the setting and nature of the witch hunts described in their essays.
- To help students better understand the basic principles of persuasion, ask students to "rewrite" the role of Reverend Hale in the movie in such a way that he convinces the judges to absolve John Proctor of his accusations. What might he have done or said to save John Proctor's life?
- Ask students to explore the emotions depicted in the movie by writing an essay that describes scenes they found the most compelling in terms of how they reacted to the characters and events.
- Ask students to break into small groups and discuss how John Proctor's sense of self, or self-concept, might have changed had he relented and falsely confessed of being in collusion with Satan. In what ways might his disposition and outward behavior have changed as a result?
- Ask your students to speculate about what principles of social cognition might serve as the basis for mob fervor or ill-founded public opinion. In addition, ask your students to discuss the appropriateness of using principles of social cognition to explain group behavior.
- The heart of the movie rests with the idea that the mere accusation of a misdeed can destroy an individual's life. Ask students to speculate about how one might reasonably defend oneself from such false accusations, and how to cope with the consequences of such accusations.
|