Whenever truth and legitimacy are tossed aside and reciprocated with partisan persecution, it is the duty of any citizen who can preclude such a predicament to fulfill their natural obligation to their compatriot. In The Crucible, a witch-hunt is literally transpiring. John Proctor and eventually Reverend Hale are two key individuals who condemned the injustice that men like Danforth proliferated. Reckless accusations proclaimed by young girls are accepted as truth, in a town controlled by anxiety and concern. In doing so the townspeople allow fear to procure control of their intuition, and even though they may speculate on the validity of the claims, they do not unreservedly speak out against them. Unfortunately, as a result of their silence many of their friends and neighbors are mercilessly executed.
During the rampant McCarthyism that captivated communist-fearing citizens in the 1950 s a similar condition existed, however, it was restrained before it led to physical injury. As a Christian society, the Puritans in The Crucible should have instilled upon their youth and themselves the holy writ that prohibits the giving of false testimony. Out of reverence and veneration to their peers everyone should strive for the betterment of the community and thus, prevent such ‘witch-hunts’ as described in The Crucible. Of course, and individual could always stay silent and allow their acquaintances to suffer and endure hardship, but this would be contradictory to the human principle to constantly assist and improve humanity. A successful community (or nation) will succeed if its inhabitants are attentive to their actions and maintain a system of checks and balances, not only in their government but in social behavior. It will always remain the responsibility of the individual to ensure that that the majority does not become preoccupied and lose sense of the ‘big picture.’ By proclaiming and bringing notice of the wrongs of society to the public it will enable the system of balance to stop the mob rule.
The Essay on The Crucible 21
... excessive pride exists when an individual consists of stubbornness and selfishness. The Crucible was written to invite individuals to enter what it ... accuse a townsman of witchcraft in order to get an individuals land. He had a witness to support his accusation, ... and integrity or one may die heartless and dishonest.The Crucible applied pressure to the different character situations and allowed ...
Never should the unsubstantiated denunciation of a minority (few) be allowed to produce harm upon innocent others. Therefore it is the responsibility of the individual to alert the community in case of such evil.
