Identity In The Crucible

The Struggle of Identity Who am I? That is a question every man has faced, one way or another, since the beginning of life. It is simply the question of identity, yet it never is that simple. When you ask a human population to answer this question, a majority of the people questioned will not have an answer. This shows the struggle to find your own identity. With this struggle comes another option. Instead of finding your identity within yourself, why couldn’t you look to and emulate others for your identity? It is a valid option, yet the consequences can be tremendously terrible. Playwright Arthur Miller elucidates the idea of the struggle of identity in his most famous play. Throughout the story, hundreds of identities are being questioned,
and many have to fight to their death in hopes of proving their own identity.
The story in The Crucible illuminates the struggle to find oneself and shows that life can be ultimately demolished if we follow the lead of others, rather than ourselves. Through the hundreds of accusations of witchcraft, any innocent townsman’s life and identity could have been questioned and threatened. The character most associated with a threatened identity was John Proctor, a local farmer. After cheating on his wife, Elizabeth, she decides not to spread the story, but keeps it as a domestic issue. She scolds John time after time, reiterating the pain he causes. John just doesn’t want the story of his affair to spread throughout the town because he is worried about his own reputation and identity. Abigail, the woman he had his affair with, tries to convince Proctor to elope with her and leave Elizabeth, but John refuses. At the same
time, Abigail says to Proctor confidentially, “We were dancin’ in the woods last night, and uncle leaped in on us. She took fright is all” (22). This line is important in the next act when Proctor realizes that Abigail’s accusations are a scam. He tells Elizabeth that Abigail had sworn that the dancing did not involve witchcraft, but he cannot prove this since him and Abigail were alone. Elizabeth loses her trust in Proctor and he demands her to stop judging him. This shows Proctor’s worry about his reputation in Salem, rather than saving his marriage with Elizabeth. As the story progresses, Proctor begins to focus on his own identity, and admits to having an affair with Elizabeth. Proctor finally says, “I have known her, sir. I have known her” (110). John ruins his reputation, yet he finally gains a sense of his own identity, rather than the identity brought to him by others. By this point, it is ultimately too late and Proctor faces the consequences that started with his lack of self-identity. The change in identity of Abigail Williams is large piece to the story as a whole.
In the beginning of play, she is simply Reverend Parris’ niece and seems to be good in his eyes. Soon after, we learn that her name is not kindly spoke of in the town. Abigail says, “My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar” (12). This quote shows the mindset of Abigail pretty early on in the story, elucidating her need for a good reputation. She looks to others to find her identity rather than just believing in herself. She is the most evil character, which directly correlates to her lust for a perfect reputation. As the story progresses, Abigail becomes the ringleader of the young afflicted women and is given power to destroy anyone she sought. She abused this power time and time again, with her main goal to rid Proctor of Elizabeth. John stated, “She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave” (110). This statement shows the true evil embedded in Abigail as a result of her lust for acceptance of other. In the end, as Abigail completely lost her identity and as her reputation becomes tarnished, she flees Salem for
good. Throughout The Crucible, Arthur Miller elucidates the struggle of self-identity and how lives get destroyed if you look to others for your identity, rather than inside yourself. The whole story revolves around identities, whether it was accusing others of a certain identity or trying to prove your own identity. Proctor fought to protect his identity, but was ultimately too late in his efforts to focus on himself rather than on the opinions of others. Abigail worsened in her worries about the thoughts of others and it led to the lost lives of many characters along with her fleeing of Salem. In the end, the most important thing to take away from reading The Crucible is that we must find our identities within ourselves to avoid corruption from others.