English Advanced - The Crucible speech

[IsabellaGoodwin]

Hi!! Would love some feedback of any sort on my common module speech please. My prescribed text is The Crucible and my related text is Of Mice and Men. THANK YOU!

How does The Crucible and a related text of your choosing depict the range and complexity of human experiences??
“Life, woman, life is God's most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it.” These words emphatically stated by Hale in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, illuminates the complexity of human experience and the importance of valuing every human life. Similarly, John Steinbeck in his novella Of Mice and Men explores the complicated emotions of his characters who act in predictable and contradictory ways when under pressure. As humans, we face positive and negative experiences that influence our emotions, thoughts and behaviours; particularly the complexity of guilt and fear which can cripple individuals and cause the collapse of communities.

Guilt and remorse have the capacity to influence our emotions and dictate behaviors, particularly when controlled by powerful, oppressive authorities. In the Crucible, John Proctor lives with the remorse of adultery that is morally reprehensible and against the law of the theocratic society. His inconsistent behaviours were both an anomaly for the values of a puritan society and a paradox against his own values. The stage directions “As though a secret arrow had pained his heart” are a metaphor for the remorse Proctor felt after ironically failing to recite the one commandment he had broken. The secret arrow is a symbol of inconsistencies in Proctor’s violated moral code that he couldn’t bear to breach again.

Moreover, Abigail uses a manipulation of guilt to seize power. Surface behaviours and emotions portray Abigail falsely confessing her guilt under the guise of gaining status in patriarchal Puritan Salem.  However, juxtaposition is presented in Abigail’s speech which creates a paradox through the use of dramatic irony. ‘I want the light of God…I danced for the devil”. The audience gains insight into Abigail’s true motivations and the inconsistency in her behaviours. These align with that of a conniving hypocrite and not the shameful sinner, begging for forgiveness, that she portrays herself as. Her malicious accusations and false claims of individual guilt manifest her as a devil character who constructs the mass hysteria and fear that Salem collectively experiences. “I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you”, this metaphor depicts Abigail threatening violent revenge against those who disobey her. By revealing deceitfulness; paradoxical to her acclaimed allegiance with God, Miller depicts her developing character and inconsistent motives; challenging the audiences assumptions of expected behaviours within the society of Salem.

Candy, from Of Mice and Men further illustrates the impact of guilt on the range and complexity of the human experience. He represents guilt in it’s pure and just form after he allows himself to fall victim to age prejudice. “I ought to of shot that dog myself” I shouldn’t ought to have let no stranger shoot my dog” Steinbeck’s repetition emphasises Candy’s individual guilt that the reader can empathise with, contrasting to the disrespect developed for Abigail. It brings with it a sense of futility, foreshadowing that George and Lennie’s collective aspiration of achieving the American Dream is going to fail. As humans, we experience a range of guilty emotions when we question the worth of humiliating others for our own rise.

The complexity of the human experience is explored through the range of motivations that lead us to fear the unknown and the power of authority. Miller depicts the complexity of this emotion through Mary Warren who is described in the stage directions as “a subservient, naïve, lonely girl”. She seeks the approval of other’s especially the Proctor’s but her fear of Abigail’s power is much greater. Her behaviour, being a consequence of fear, is paradoxical to her true motivations. Through characterisation, Miller reveals Mary’s good intentions; “We’ve got to tell. Witchery’s a hanging error. We must tell the truth” that are then contradicted by her failure to confess to Proctor. “I cannot, I cannot” she repeats to Proctor in psychological agony. The collective fear and paranoia of the devil and witchcraft in Salem, parallels to the fear of communists that was encouraged during the McCarthyism period. Miller states that is was time where “there was no way to gather a position to this lunacy without being incriminated”.  Similar to Mary, people’s behaviours were inconsistent as they were willing to betray their beliefs and loved one’s to gain personal safety and security.

Similar to Salem, Of Mice and Men is set in an American community under pressure that idealizes friendships and fears disconnection. George and Lennie’s symbiotic relationship is an anomaly to the collective suffering of rural labourers who live a solitary and lonely existence. “I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you” Here colloquial language reveals the love that Lennie is capable of despite being uneducated and intellectually challenged. George is constantly frustrated with Lennie and often expresses a desire to ditch him. Paradoxically, he fears losing their friendship even though there are many times that it is not in his best interest. Mary Warren feared the downfall of her relationship with Abigail resulting in death and the degradation of her reputation while George fears the dissolution of his singular relationship leading his life to be like every other American’s at the time; worthless and meaningless. Through Mary and George, the composers reveal that fear is an inevitable part of life for oppressed people.

Both Miller and Steinbeck challenge the wider world to interpret their depiction of the gift of life; a package bundled with guilt and fear that once unwrapped reveals a range of universally complex human experiences.