The Crucible; Belonging and Identity. Pan's Labyrinth and the Company of Wolves as Related Texts
The Crucible Discussion Notes.
One’s belonging will always be entrenched in the ‘belonging’ established by another group; regardless of whether or not you wish to be a part of such a group. That is to say, even if it is your aim to find your sense of belonging totally outside of another group, the course of action required to achieve this belonging through not belonging will be influenced by the sense of belonging established by the group; in your wish to contrast that belonging. A less convoluted illustration of this concept is embodied in The Crucible’s John Proctor; who we all know as the play’s non-conformist character. Proctor’s identity (identity and belonging being intrinsically linked) is defined by his rejection of the goings-on of Salem. He doesn’t go to church, and nor does he consider that fact to be the business of anyone but himself –
“I never knew I must account to that man for I come to church or stay at home” (pg. 63, act 2)
– And he finds a sense of identity only in his perceived self-worth; the worth he perceives to be associated with his name –
“Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (pg.124, act 4).
However, Proctor’s self-worth, his identity, his belonging is drawn from a rejection of the values entrenched in the Salem community’s sense of belonging. By the decision to act contrastingly to a set of opposing values, Proctor is still allowing his identity to be dependent on the sense of belonging established by the group he abhors.
Similarly, Ofelia from Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno) finds her identity in the rejection of the ‘belonging’ established in her Stepfather’s (Vidal) military base in the mountains of Spain at the close of the civil war, 1944. Consider the following, lifted from an
One’s belonging will always be entrenched in the ‘belonging’ established by another group; regardless of whether or not you wish to be a part of such a group. That is to say, even if it is your aim to find your sense of belonging totally outside of another group, the course of action required to achieve this belonging through not belonging will be influenced by the sense of belonging established by the group; in your wish to contrast that belonging. A less convoluted illustration of this concept is embodied in The Crucible’s John Proctor; who we all know as the play’s non-conformist character. Proctor’s identity (identity and belonging being intrinsically linked) is defined by his rejection of the goings-on of Salem. He doesn’t go to church, and nor does he consider that fact to be the business of anyone but himself –
“I never knew I must account to that man for I come to church or stay at home” (pg. 63, act 2)
– And he finds a sense of identity only in his perceived self-worth; the worth he perceives to be associated with his name –
“Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (pg.124, act 4).
However, Proctor’s self-worth, his identity, his belonging is drawn from a rejection of the values entrenched in the Salem community’s sense of belonging. By the decision to act contrastingly to a set of opposing values, Proctor is still allowing his identity to be dependent on the sense of belonging established by the group he abhors.
Similarly, Ofelia from Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno) finds her identity in the rejection of the ‘belonging’ established in her Stepfather’s (Vidal) military base in the mountains of Spain at the close of the civil war, 1944. Consider the following, lifted from an