Belonging Crucible Miller and Amish

The nature of mankind can arguably be described as one’s wish to develop a sense of acceptance or connection to something or someone. This desire to be accepted can be described as one’s wish to ‘belong’. Belonging describes the state in which someone finally reaches an affinity, whether it may be physical, emotional or otherwise with an entity, that may be a community, place or ideal. The importance of being accepted to belong can be observed in the playwright ‘The crucible’ by Arthur Miller. In the play the hysteria that arises from accusations of witchcraft creates a chaotic situation in which the status of one’s self determines their acceptance in the community of Salem. Similarly, in the documentary ‘The devil’s playground’, different personalities struggle to secure themselves a sense of acceptance between the conflicting English and Amish world. The song ‘prisoner of society’ by the Living End also shows acceptance as a foundation of belonging in the way it narrates the inner voice of youth who are evidently not accepted by public.
In ‘The Crucible’ the accusations of involvement in witchcraft, evidently are made to compromise and ultimately destroy the status a number of individuals. With a overwhelming number of Salem members unjustly accused, including Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail Williams satisfies not only her vengeful grudge against Elizabeth, but is brought into a deeper sense of acceptance in the Salem community. Abigail’s manipulative nature is the driving force behind attaining such acceptance as she consistently makes false outcries to distance Elizabeth from the community and charade herself as the one who is suffering and misunderstood. This symbolic representation of using accusations to gain acceptance can be observed when Abigail pleads to John Proctor saying “She(Elizabeth) is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, snivelling woman, and you bend to her!”. Proctor shaking her, responds “Do you look for