The Tipping Point Analysis
To understand the mentality and actions of the girls portrayed in the Salem Witch Trials, we must first make connections between The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, the play based on the trials, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, and the HUAC hearing in the mid 1950’s. Historians have had trouble figuring out what caused the mass hysteria of witch hunts to happen, but most agree on the fact that the girls felt powerful being able to call anyone a witch and get away with it. Similar events transpired during the mid 20th century where a man named Joseph McCarthy started the notion of communist and communist sympathisers were currently in the United States and trying to take over. This phenomenon is known as mass hysteria and is a major focus point in Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point. In The Crucible, you see over and over again the same group of girls pointing at people, calling them witches without any evidence, and getting
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away with it. Abby Williams is at the center of the entire play, accusing people, and virtually controlling the entire town along with it. At one point she even accuses John Proctor’s wife because she didn’t like her, “Hale: No-no, I come of my own, without the court’s authority. Hear me. I know not if you are aware, but your wife’s name is- mentioned in the court.” I believe that at the time of mass hysteria, people will believe anything even if it isn’t true. Gladwell explains that when people are in a group, they will most likely make different decisions than if they are alone. He calls this Herd Mentality as, “Once we’re part of a group, we’re all susceptible to peer pressure and social norms and any number of other kinds of influence…” (Gladwell 171). The Power of Context can be used to explain the actions of the girls. For instance at one point in the movie, Abigail was trapped and was about to be exposed to drinking chicken blood, then all of a sudden she accused Tituba of making her do it. Once Tituba confessed to who was with her when she saw the Devil, Abigail started to freak out and call out names of who was a witch and convinced the other girls to do the same as her. All of a sudden dozens of people were being called witches and some of the accusers did not even know why they were doing it in the first place. The same thing happens in the 1950 hearing where a small group of prominent people started accusing others of being Communists. When McCarthy and the court started accusing innocent people, the problem escalated to the point of total chaos. I came to the conclusion that mass hysteria gives a small number of people way too much power. Gladwell explains the 80/20 principle which states that 20 percent of a certain group do 80 percent of the actions.
The principle can be applied to virtually anything, with Gladwell saying “20% of beer drinkers drink 80% of all beer” (Gladwell 19). We can bring the same principle into The Crucible and we can imply that about 20% of the town were accusers (the girls and some adults) and 80% were accused or able to be accused. The Law of Few can also be applied to both the trials and the hearings. The Law says, “the answer is that one of these exceptional people found out about the trend, and through social connections and energy and enthusiasm and personality spread the word about…” (Gladwell 22). There is definitely enough energy and enthusiasm to go around in The Crucible, where every time somebody is accused, the girls act crazy, start fainting, and hyperventilating. This facade convinced enough people to get the support of high ranking officials on their side, which in turn convinced more people that there were truly witches in
Salem. In conclusion, through the works of Gladwell, we can identify that mass hysteria/herd mentality, the 80/20 principle, and the Law of Few all explain the confusing actions of both the girls in the Salem witch trials, and the HUAC hearings.
away with it. Abby Williams is at the center of the entire play, accusing people, and virtually controlling the entire town along with it. At one point she even accuses John Proctor’s wife because she didn’t like her, “Hale: No-no, I come of my own, without the court’s authority. Hear me. I know not if you are aware, but your wife’s name is- mentioned in the court.” I believe that at the time of mass hysteria, people will believe anything even if it isn’t true. Gladwell explains that when people are in a group, they will most likely make different decisions than if they are alone. He calls this Herd Mentality as, “Once we’re part of a group, we’re all susceptible to peer pressure and social norms and any number of other kinds of influence…” (Gladwell 171). The Power of Context can be used to explain the actions of the girls. For instance at one point in the movie, Abigail was trapped and was about to be exposed to drinking chicken blood, then all of a sudden she accused Tituba of making her do it. Once Tituba confessed to who was with her when she saw the Devil, Abigail started to freak out and call out names of who was a witch and convinced the other girls to do the same as her. All of a sudden dozens of people were being called witches and some of the accusers did not even know why they were doing it in the first place. The same thing happens in the 1950 hearing where a small group of prominent people started accusing others of being Communists. When McCarthy and the court started accusing innocent people, the problem escalated to the point of total chaos. I came to the conclusion that mass hysteria gives a small number of people way too much power. Gladwell explains the 80/20 principle which states that 20 percent of a certain group do 80 percent of the actions.
The principle can be applied to virtually anything, with Gladwell saying “20% of beer drinkers drink 80% of all beer” (Gladwell 19). We can bring the same principle into The Crucible and we can imply that about 20% of the town were accusers (the girls and some adults) and 80% were accused or able to be accused. The Law of Few can also be applied to both the trials and the hearings. The Law says, “the answer is that one of these exceptional people found out about the trend, and through social connections and energy and enthusiasm and personality spread the word about…” (Gladwell 22). There is definitely enough energy and enthusiasm to go around in The Crucible, where every time somebody is accused, the girls act crazy, start fainting, and hyperventilating. This facade convinced enough people to get the support of high ranking officials on their side, which in turn convinced more people that there were truly witches in
Salem. In conclusion, through the works of Gladwell, we can identify that mass hysteria/herd mentality, the 80/20 principle, and the Law of Few all explain the confusing actions of both the girls in the Salem witch trials, and the HUAC hearings.