You are the Critic!
Did you enjoy reading The Crucible? Did you enjoy studying The Crucible? Why/why not? What was your biggest takeaway from the play? Do you think it should be read in high schools? Should it be included in the American canon of literature (books that "everyone should read")? Explain.
I enjoyed studying the Crucible because it provides an important lesson through history, which I believe is vital for many readers. I felt a strong connection to several of the characters, such as Elizabeth, who turned extremely distant when she felt betrayed by John. That is something I can relate to because when I feel betrayed, I become upset for a long period. The idea that many of the individuals had motive and reasons for doing what they did was the most important lesson for me. I also noticed that many people in Salem were concerned about their image. I believe it should be required reading in high schools because there are numerous methods to read and evaluate it, including allegory and play. A lot of parts of history also correlates to the Crucible and this helps us analyze and go into depth about the Author's message.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you said you felt a connection with some characters from the play. I can certainly relate to how some of them were being treated and how they felt.
DeleteI agree, the crucible had taught me to form connections with the time being and with our surroundings. Additionally, the play did revolve around one's representation and image, which is a factor that is still carried out throughout now.
DeleteI agree that The Crucible correlates with a lot parts of history, which makes it important to read and very educational.
DeleteI agree, i can also develop a connection with some of the characters because of the way they are portrayed.
DeleteI agree with you that there are different methods to understand and interpret The Crucible. As you stated these interpretations will assist you in better understanding exactly what message the author is trying to give.
DeleteI agree that I can connect to the character's of The Crucible. More specifically, I can connect to Abigail and the girls. When I was middle school, I was more of a follower, especially in elementary school. I liked to participate in mob mentality, since I wasn't the odd one out, even though I had different opinions than that of my classmates. -Anastasia
DeleteI agree about it providing a history lesson to all who have read it. I feel as if more people should understand what the Puritan Society was like by reading this book.
DeleteThroughout this unit I have found reading the crucible to be entertaining due to how elaborate each act was. The actions that were ongoing throughout this witch hunt reminded me of how our society is filled with corrupt lies, in which we all point a finger at one another to excuse the realism that lies within. One of the characters that stood out to me the most within this play was John Proctor, due to how descriptive his perspective was and how simple it was for him to face such horrid situations due to his guilt and actions. While reading the crucible all characters were shown to have development, being both negative and positive which gave a realistic perception of the play, since none were truly perfect. Recently it had come to my attention on how this play connects with the era in which it was written in, such as the red scare, allowing me to understand the controversy it upholds and its importance within our modern age. Students should be able to read this play and form connections of their own to open their minds to new ideas and share a glance on all sides of the spectrum. Furthermore, this literature piece should be an American canon to enlighten people of all ages what occurred within the olden period and how it can connect to us now, since we still have an imbalanced system of powers with little to no progression.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and how the play depicted John Proctor and how he was able to et through many things that happened to him and one way or another still came out on top.
DeleteI enjoyed reading The Crucible. In certain parts of the play I really liked the panic going on in the scenes and watching those parts be acted out was really good. I just didn't like the ending much. I wish John was the only one who got hanged in the last scene since he's the one who really started everything. Studying it was really interesting for me since this is something that actually happened in history. It just blows my mind still that people thought there were witches and how many people got hurt because of this. My biggest takeaway from this is that people will go to certain lengths just to keep their reputation and image clean and I do see that portrayed in the media sometimes. I think it should be read in high school because it's something big that happened in our country years ago that led us to where we are today (a democracy). It was written in a way that allows you to really see the characters too and understand them. It also just uses a lot of literary devices which can be useful in the future or future english classes. The Crucible should be included in the American canon of literature because its a good reading about something that happened in our country.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the emotion conveyed through each scene caused me to become eager of what was to occur in the next act. Moreover, the idea of it forming who we are today is extremely important as it highlights any progress made (if many) which led us to the position we are in now.
DeleteI agree I liked to watch the parts play out too. Also, the way people believed that witches were real is insane to me as well, if you’re not supposed to believe in something why would it even be a thought.
DeleteI agree, watching the drama unravel was pretty entertaining. I also agree how people are willing to do almost anything just for their image. It makes me think about how selfish some can be.
DeleteI agree with your statement on seeing people in the media going certain lengths to keep their image clean. Many people uphold a story for the sole purpose of making themselves feel better about their foul actions. That’s always been an issue in society, blaming someone else is better than blaming themselves.
DeleteI agree that John should have been the only one hanged. Not only because I feel that he's the one who really started everything but I feel that his hanging/ confession was to give him a clean slate, in a way. So I feel it kind of defeated the purpose of that by hanging others.
DeleteI enjoyed reading certain parts of the play The Crucible. I liked how the drama kept the play going and made it more interesting to read. I also liked the plot twist at the end even though it was upsetting for play that John died. I didn’t like how Abigail and the girls didn’t face punishments or repercussions. The girls basically got away with everything. Abigail’s character is what I disliked the most, she started mostly everything, lied and blamed a lot of innocent people. She took advantage of the power she was given. The people of Salem were so gullible and believed everything that was a lie instead of believing the truth. I think everyone’s need for power and to be in control is what was their downfalls.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s good for educating high school students, especially when it’s being connected to McCarthyism. My biggest takeaway is when you have enough power, people will believe anything you say. It doesn’t have to go in the American Canon but it’s pretty interesting.
DeleteI agree with you and your dislike towards the fact that none of the girls suffered consequences for the massacre of may innocent people. Including Parris and Mr. Putnam
DeleteI was upset too when John Proctor died but if you think about it, he died for a good cause. His death is the reason the trials were put to an end. So the ending wasn’t completely bad. The girls did anger me because they were able to escape and caused so many deaths to people who were purely innocent. It was very unjustly and people constantly lied to get out of death. Living in Salem must have been horrible and constant worry every day to think that you can get hanged the same day you were accused.
DeleteI agree with you because it's not fair how Abigail wasn't held accountable for her lies and because of that many innocent people died. I also hate how the people didn't even question her and they just went along with her word.
DeleteI definitely agree with the drama part because it made the book a whole lot more interesting. It indicated that the same conflicts happened to the Puritans and how they dealt with their own issues. We can compare to how the puritans defeated their conflicts and how we today overcome ours.
DeleteI enjoyed reading The Crucible for the most part. My favorite part is the ending of the book. You read the book and at the beginning you see that everyone genrerally only cares for themselves and no one else. Towards the end we realize that this wasn't the case for everyone even if it was for the majority of the people in power. We have Corey who died not saying a word so that all his land would go to his sons. We also have Rebecca Nurse who refused to lie and accuse someone who was completely innocent. My biggest takeaway is how power can hurt you without you even realizing it just because you don't want to let it go, through this you also hurt others. For example, Danforth he knew that it was all a sham towards the end however he refused to admit his mistake and tell people that he was tricked by kids. This caused too many people to rebel after the death of John and Rebecca Nurse. I think this book should be taught in high school because it allows the reader to analyze the text and how we still see many of those things happening in society even if it is in a more modern way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your reasoning for why this play should be taught in high school. It's educational and it really is something that we still see to this day.
DeleteI enjoyed reading The Crucible because the drama was very amusing to me. I also learned a lot of lessons from it such as how people are willing to backstab you for their own benefit. My biggest takeaway from this book is that the action of one person can effect the action of hundreds of others; mob mentality. One accusation led to hundreds of others which resulted in the Salem Witch Trials. I think this book should be read in high schools because it displays many important messages that can be crucial to teenage life. An example is to not follow in others footsteps. It should also be included in the American canon of literature because it shows the perspective of each character. The emotions, feelings and actions of each character is conveyed clearly. Overall, everyone should read this book for educational and entertainment purposes.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Reading this book teaches you many new things about the world and the life around us.
DeleteI agree with you because the book showed how easily people can betray each other when faced with hysteria. It was also crazy to see how the lies of one person started everything and resulted in the tragic deaths of many.
DeleteI completely agree with you. Those who stayed with their truths, all had motives. I didn’t realize it until you pointed it out. They had different reasons for why they didn’t give in to all the lies. If these characters did, the witch trials would have probably lasted longer. They all sacrificed something and helped put an end to it all.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed both reading and studying The Crucible. I wouldn’t expect for a book to be both entertaining and historic. The Crucible helps you better understand McCarthyism without you just thinking of it as a history lesson. For people that do decide to read it, I would recommend reading it by itself first and then reading it again as an allegory. The Crucible should be in the American canon of literature because it gives people an insight on history and how it repeats itself. It might even help them gain a better understanding of issues occurring today.
ReplyDeleteI agree. This book puts a whole new perspective on the way we understand different religions. This book also provides many lessons that we can learn.
DeleteI agree because every school should study the Crucible, to ensure we don't repeat history. Reading a book like the Crucible, teaches us that we should not believe and go with the flow, we shouldn't get stuck in what everyone is going with. We should see for ourselves if something is true or not with proof. - Briana Dubon
DeleteI enjoyed reading the Crucible. Studying it, not so much. I say this probably because there were all of moments and important aspects to remember that I just couldn't. The biggest takeaway from the play to me was the huge affects mob mentality can have one person and that a single accusation can turn the story an entire 180. I think it should be read in high school and should be a book that "everyone should read". The book is an overall page turner and the historical context/information it provides makes it a good use for educational purposes. The uses of literary devices that are spread throughout the book also makes the reading experience better.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this story should be read in other high schools for similar reasoning that the context and message it provides is beneficial for an education. I also agree that there was a lot of information and background to this play.
DeleteI really enjoyed reading the crucible. The amount of drama and conflict that there was had me very entertained. I also liked how people in the class read it out loud because I was able to better focus on the book. I also enjoyed studying it because the Crucible was an allegory comparing the Salem’s Witch Trials to McCarthyism. Miller was able to show the strong similarities between the two. It showed how In both of these events, people were accused and convicted. However, there was no evidence to prove someone’s innocence. Therefore, repercussions were inevitable. My biggest takeaway from the play was how easily people can get caught up into a mob mentality and how easily people can betray one another. The fact that everyone believed Abigail and went along with her word proved how easily people were gullible to even question her. Also it shows how easily people can point fingers without seeking justice or truth to what people say. Yes it should be read in high schools because we can compare it to the red scare and we can examine each character's motives. Lastly, I think the crucible should also be in the American canon because it is an excellent example of how history repeats itself.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with how easily people get caught up with mob mentality and how quick people are to point fingers; whether its from peer pressure or they're just that gullible, it blows my mind on how relatable it is in comparison to society today.
DeleteI agree with Chelsea on the fact that The Crucible showed us how much weight words can carry and how easily it is for humans to betray one another. Sometimes, we don't really realize how much of an effect we do have on other's around us. Apart from my own takeaways, I do think these are very important lessons to learn, especially for high schoolers since we tend to look to each other for conformation and participate in mob mentality.
DeleteThe above comment was from me, Anastasia
DeleteI agree that it was useful to study how the Salem Witch Trials are connected to McCarthyism. In addition, it could also be connected to other moments in history like during the Nazi's control. I also realize how it's true that mob mentality is very potent. It wasn't the biggest takeaway for me, but I agree that it was very important.
DeleteI enjoyed reading and studying the Crucible. It was interesting to have an idea (although dramatized) of how life was during the time, and the Witch Trials itself. My biggest takeaway from the play was how a person's words can really do so much. By this meaning, the whole idea of how easy it was to accuse someone just by them making a verbal claim with no real evidence. Also mob mentality, Abigail easily convincing the girls to follow her lead and all the power they had by making accusations so easily. I think it should be read in high schools but taught as a allegory, providing other examples and seeing people will interpret it/ things. The Crucible should be included in the American canon of literature to show another example of how history repeats itself.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree because words have such an impact on many. One person saying something about someone can change someones perspective, very powerful. This also shows that self talk is powerful since what you say to yourself is strong. I also agree that this book should be read in every school. - Briana Dubon
DeleteThis book was definitely dramatic. But i also think it’s something that could happen again ( i’m not sure if it’s to this extent ). I agree that reading this book in school could teach kids about just how much history repeats itself
DeleteI enjoyed both reading and studying The Crucible. Apart from the connections to McCarthyism(our not so distant past)and part of the history of our country, I realized that people back then had similar attitudes as we do today. Just like the Puritans, we value our reputation and some people will stop at nothing to get power and their desires into their own hands. I think this book should be read in high school because we can read it both an allegory and as a play, which I think is unique compared to the other works or literature students usually read. I do think The Crucible is something that everyone should read , because the book allows us to discover connections to both ourselves and society as a whole. Further, The Crucible might provide insight as to how and why things are the way they are today, and how Puritan beliefs affected us a modern day community. - Anastasia R.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading The Crucible because it was on a topic I had always found interesting: The Salem Witch Trials. The play had memorable characters like John Proctor and Giles. Some parts felt slower, but the precipice of the play was interesting to read. I partially enjoyed studying The Crucible because it is crucial to understand the themes and purpose of the play. The Crucible is more than just a story about falsely accused witches. My biggest takeaway from the play is that you should never back down because of fear. I think this story should be read in high schools so that other students are left with that message and because it has an interesting plot. I think it should be included in the American canon of literature along with the other classic stories. It is a play in more modern times that has a message that can be seen at many points of history.
ReplyDelete-David
I agree that the play did have memorable characters. Their actions were important to what would happen next and there was a lot of character development. I agree that the themes were crucial because they showed important takeaways and foreshadowing of the story.
DeleteI half enjoyed reading the crucible. It was extremely frustrating at times which made it kind of hard to fully enjoy. It’s realistic ( i guess ) but to me it seemed like the problems could’ve been easily solved and there was just problem after problem just for the sake of adding more drama and angst. All of the characters decisions were understandable and fully valid but i still hated it to no end and i found myself dreading having to read it because i knew something stupid and completely unnecessary would happen. I still appreciate this book for its raw honesty in depicting people as imperfect and full of flaws. It angered me but i think that was the point of the book to some extent. Would still recommend
ReplyDeleteI agree that the book did frustrate me at times and at the same time showed each characters honestly which made it realistic. The problem could have been solved in many ways which did add more drama and suspense.
DeleteI enjoyed reading the crucible because it was a very interesting and complex story. The characters all had their own conflicts that twisted every event of the plot. Studying the crucible was a good experience because I learned about an event in history that has impacted present day. There were many motifs that stood out to me such as reputation, mob mentality and more. One big takeaway from the play was there will usually be corruption in big groups of people and following others is not always the right way. Being a follower and not a leader in the book was almost impossible because of mob mentality but if there are more leaders in society people won't be afraid to stand up for what is right. I think it should be read in high schools because the themes and motifs portrayed are really strong and can be applied to the real world today. I believe it could be included in the American canon of literature because it is a very interesting play with dark moments as well and I think the more people that read it will be encouraged to study books more in depth if they desire.
ReplyDeletei agree with you that the story was very complex and had a lot of layers. I also think that was one of the biggest takeaways from the book as it was one of the main points.
DeleteI did enjoy reading The Crucible because it was an intense book that had me wanting to know more. This book talked about hysteria, mob mentality and fear. I never realized how strong the feeling of fear was, how it led to accusations, protection of image, and to more problems. In the book, fear caused many problems to arise, instead of coming together as a community. My biggest takeaway from the play was to never believe other people, to look at proof and see for myself. In the book, many would follow others and tell others what they were told. I love how we reads a book that actually took place in history in Salem, MA which isn't too far from us. I think it should be read in high schools because we need to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself. We also have to know not to follow others lead, which is mob mentality. Especially as teenagers we go with the flow. An example is when we are outside of school and someone says the cops are coming, everyone starts running and shouting without even looking to see if there actually is a cop coming. It should be included in the American canon of literature (books that "everyone should read") to teach us about history and how gullible people are. - Briana Dubon
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