Reputation In The Crucible

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Pages: 3

In the time of the Puritan beliefs being well-alive in Massachusetts, reputation and image was something that deeply affected the lives of everyone. A bad reputation could lead to being an outcast, public shame, and in some cases, could even be punishable by whipping or death. The book, The Crucible, this idea of the need to uphold your view in the public eye led to widespread fear in the whole town of Salem. Although there were many ways for this defamation to happen, being accused of witchcraft was the worst. After the girls of the town were found dancing in the woods, they realized that if anyone had found out what they were really doing, they would be whipped, punished, and hated forever. The main leader and culprit of the source of the …show more content…
Before Tituba admits to her supposed communication with the devil, Abigail is questioned by Reverend Parris. Her answers, however, don’t exactly match up with what actually happened. For example, after being asked what was in the pot that was cooking, she replies with, “Why, it were beans- and lentils, I think, and-”, (Miller 42). But when the Reverend tells that he saw something jump in, she changes her answer and says a frog hopped in by itself. Although she was just caught in a lie, she uses witchcraft to cover for herself and cause paranoia in the hearts of the residents of Salem. Since Abigail doesn’t wish to get in trouble, she intimidates the other girls involved in the dancing in order to get them to follow her plan. When Mary Warren wants to tell the town what they did, Abigail immediately shuts her down. “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.” (Miller 20). Using this threat to stab Mary and Betty, (another one of the girls who were involved in the dancing), she plants fear in them so they do not tell and get Abigail in