crucible critical lens

Crucible Critical Lens An anonymous source once stated, “When fighting the Dragon, be fearful of becoming the Dragon itself”. This quote means that one’s trepidation of becoming or saying things that one’s contrary to. This quote is true because often times contradiction and hysteria can occur which leads to a change in opinion. The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer equally prove this quote to be true through the use of literary elements or techniques. Characterization and conflict are used in the two works of literature to benefit to prove this quote accurate. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the quote is proven true by the use of characterization and conflict. The crucible takes place in Salem, a small town in colonial Massachusetts in the year 1692, during this time the Salem Witch Trials occurs and shows the reader accurately with minor discrepancies how and why the Salem Witch Trials occurred. The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. One example that proves this quote true is when Mary Warren states, “I’ll not hang with you! I love God, I love God.” Mary Warren states this when she has accused the girls of lying but can’t prove it, so the pressure by the church officials makes her lie and state that her father made her do the devils work, in which she did not agree to but had no choice. This demonstrates that the quote is true because she not only was fighting the girls which in this instance is the Dragon, but she became the Dragon by lying and telling the church court that the girls were not in fact lying but John Proctor, her father, was making her say these things. She became the Dragon by being what she was fighting against, by lying to the court and becoming one of the girls that accused others of witchcraft. This ultimately led to the death of John Proctor, and the eventual end to the Salem Witch