How does miller present social status in The crucible?
Throughout the crucible social status is shown as the most important thing to any man or women in the town of Salem, people of the town would go to great lengths to maintain a high status which would technically give them more control over the town. This can work towards someone’s advantage or disadvantage. Due to Salem being such a small and confined town having a higher status can mean a lot and can even pull you out of trouble.
At the time The crucible was set if you were not white you would instantly be placed lower than anyone who was white and this would lead to you being shunned by the fellow residents. This is clearly shown in the opening act of The crucible by Abigail when she is being questioned by reverend hale and says “I never called him! Tituba, Tituba...” and by saying this blames Tituba (the black servant/slave) of conjuring with the dead. As Abigail is being questioned she blames Tituba as it is the easy way out. She knows that because Tituba is black people will believe her word against Tituba. Tituba is also aware of this assumption and habit that people have of blaming black people and miller tells us in the first stage directions “her slavery sense has warned her that, as always, trouble in this house eventually lands on her back”.
The crucible was set in a time where it was a patriarchal society meaning men were higher than women however there is one exception who is respected by the men in the town because of her high status and that woman is Mrs. Rebecca. Being a women at the time and being respected by the men in the town just shows how high her status is an example of this is shown when Putnam and Proctor are having an argument and Mrs. Rebecca joins in and the stage directions say “he defers to her” which shows he respects her. This shows us that even within a patriarchal society your social status can overcome the system.
Mr Parris is the minister of the town and holds a high status with the town’s people and when rumours start
At the time The crucible was set if you were not white you would instantly be placed lower than anyone who was white and this would lead to you being shunned by the fellow residents. This is clearly shown in the opening act of The crucible by Abigail when she is being questioned by reverend hale and says “I never called him! Tituba, Tituba...” and by saying this blames Tituba (the black servant/slave) of conjuring with the dead. As Abigail is being questioned she blames Tituba as it is the easy way out. She knows that because Tituba is black people will believe her word against Tituba. Tituba is also aware of this assumption and habit that people have of blaming black people and miller tells us in the first stage directions “her slavery sense has warned her that, as always, trouble in this house eventually lands on her back”.
The crucible was set in a time where it was a patriarchal society meaning men were higher than women however there is one exception who is respected by the men in the town because of her high status and that woman is Mrs. Rebecca. Being a women at the time and being respected by the men in the town just shows how high her status is an example of this is shown when Putnam and Proctor are having an argument and Mrs. Rebecca joins in and the stage directions say “he defers to her” which shows he respects her. This shows us that even within a patriarchal society your social status can overcome the system.
Mr Parris is the minister of the town and holds a high status with the town’s people and when rumours start