creative writing piece- amy irving

Another lonely night.
He’s out again, this time for the whole night. It just doesn’t make sense, he works late every night and tonight he can’t even come home to see his own wife.
What’s happening?
I pace around the room thinking, Always thinking, What’s he up to?
Where is he really?
Why does he lie?
What have I done wrong?

I think about all the things I could do. Why don’t I phone Jenna and ask if Sean is at the meeting, he works in the same department as David, so why wouldn’t he be there? I go over to the note my ‘darling husband’ left me and look at it for about the 10th time. I don’t know why I keep looking at it because every time I do I become more furious and frantic about what he is doing.

I’m not going to be home tonight darling, I have a late meeting at the Balmoral hotel, and I have decided to just stay there over night, so that I don’t wake you. Have a nice night.
Love David.
xx


THAT’S IT! I can no longer control my agitation anymore, I grab the phone and carelessly punch the numbers of Jenna’s house in… 0131 225 6840.
Ring Ring
Ring Ring
Ring Ring
Rii…
JENNA: Hello.
ME: Hi Jenna, it’s Sarah.
JENNA: Oh, hi Sarah. How are you?
ME: OK thanks, you?
JENNA: I’m great thanks.
ME: Good. I’m just phoning to ask if Sean is at the meeting at the Balmoral tonight, and if…
JENNA: What meeting? Sean hasn’t said anything about a meeting, he is in the house just now.
ME: Oh, erm, well. OK then. I must have my days mixed up sorry for bothering you Jenna.
JENNA: No bother Sarah, speak to you soon. Bye.
ME: Bye Jenna. Thanks again.

The room spins uncontrollably, my heart starts to race and my stomach flips. It’s happening isn’t it? He’s having an affair!

What have I done wrong?
I need to do something, but what? I wonder if he is really at the Balmoral. Should I go?
That’s it I’m going, I’m not going to let the bastard get away with this! I look around for my bag, but I don’t need anything, all I need is my confidence and self-assurance. I storm out the house and make my way to the Balmoral.
………………………………...................................................................................................................
I get to the Balmoral and demand to know the number of the room that my cheating bastard of a husband is in. After what felt like hours of debating with the receptionist she finally gave me the key and the number of the room he was shaggin’ in. I quickly ran to catch the lift before it closed and press the button. I fimble around with the key, getting more and more anxious and distressed about what I am going to walk in on.
-It might be nothing.
Oh god I hope so.
DING!!
Shit. I’m here. Fuck! I keep walking. Every step I take, I say to myself, keep walking, keep walking, keep walking, to take my mind off what I am just about to do. I look up sharply and…
426
That’s it. Should I knock?
-NO!
Should I just barge in?
-Yes, no. I don’t know.
Aw fuck it! I insert the key into the slot and with a push of confidence swing the door open, and there they are, just as I thought. In bed, covers over them, candles lit.
My heart breaks, I mean literally breaks. I don’t know what to do. I feel the anger build up inside of me. I don’t know what to do. I stand there motionless, until all my anger builds up and I scream.
WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?
I slam the door shut and look at the both of them, waiting for an answer, an excuse, anything. But I get nothing in reply. My ‘darling husband’ just looks at me disturbingly, I excuse the filthy look and ask again. WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? David quickly sits himself up and starts asking for my forgiveness giving me all these pitiable excuses that don’t mean anything to me. He cheated. We were married. I loved him. I thought he loved me too.
I ask him who he wants? Me, or this whore lying completely oblivious to what is happening around her under the covers with MY husband. He looks at me and looks down. He’s going to say it isn’t he? He doesn’t want me, he wants her.
DAVID: I’m sorry Sarah.
My whole life flashes in front of my eyes and my world comes tumbling down.
I glare at him. I don’t know what to do, what to say. I shamefully turn around and walk out the hotel room, I drag myself along to the lift and as soon as the door opens I collapse into it. What am I going to do? As soon as the lift hit’s the bottom I drag myself towards the door to go home.
When I walk in the house I run up to the bedroom and get all his stuff and chuck it out the window, in the bin, every possible place I can think of, until I realise that this isn’t going to do anything. It’s not going to get him back. He’s not going to feel as distraught as I do. I need to get him back somehow. I walk out of the room in a daze wondering what to do, I go to make my way down the stairs, but miss.
I can feel the blood surrounding me, but I can’t feel anything, no pain, where can I be bleeding from? I try and move but I have no energy, I can’t move myself. The only thing I can feel is this soaring pain inside my heart. He succeeded, he won, I’m dead. The bastard killed me.

[OH NOOOOO. ITS NOT EVEN WORKING PROPERLY, THE LAYOUT HAS CHANGED. GUTTED! WILL TRY AND GET IT TO YOU ANOTHER WAY SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT IS REALLY LIKE]

AMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Monologue- Sher Khan

My foolish subjects, why do you blame me for being a tyrant? What sin have I committed which was not in the best interests of the residents of this mighty jungle?

Yes, I have tried many times to kill the human cub known as Mowgli for many years. I admit it ... I hate humans. Filthy creatures. Always cutting down trees. Polluting the rivers. Killing us, the most noblest of animals for… Food!
I was killing humans to protect you all from them. Mowgli is, and always will be a human. It was necessary to eradicate all traces of them from the forest. He was no friend of the jungle, he coveted my place as king. He was a spy for his people, had he not fled from the jungle, he would have led his people to us. To kill us. So that they may rule the jungle.

Being the king, I hunted him down and was about to end his petty existence, but I gave him mercy and told him he had ten second to run. I upheld my promise and went after him but the traitors known and Baloo and Bhagera however thwarted me. I however valiantly defeated them and pursued the cub.

Once I found him I challenged him to a fair fight but instead the coward threw dirt in my eyes, temporarily blinding me. He ran as fast as he could but I still persevered and followed, but alas fate had it that the cub would find fire. Although I could have fought and been burned to death I chose to retreat and save myself so I may lead the jungle yet again.

As rightful king.

{{{Gursevak singh}}}

Specialist study.

Anita and Me is a semi-autobiographical novel written by British-Asian author Meera Syal. It follows the early life of the protagonist of the novel, Meena. Meena is a nine-year-old girl torn between the ethnic culture of her Punjabi parents and that of the white British sixties. The relationship between Meena and Anita changes and reflects the changes in Meena as she denies her heritage and then finally accepts who she really is. This essay will show how Syal effectively conveys the theme of friendship and through the use of characterisation and narrative structure.

The novel is told from the point of view of Meena, and is in her own words.
As a result, the events told by Meena are unreliable but as we see everything through Meena eyes we understand her better and we have a better knowledge of her feelings. The fact she is the narrator makes us take her side and prejudge characters from what we are told from Meena’s point of view.

The first time we meet Anita she is at the local shop and stops to talks to Meena. Anita tells Meena - who is looking at a navy poster - that the officer on the poster is in fact her father. This is a blatant lie, but Meena’s naivety leads her to believe anything Anita says. Meena can’t believe that Anita, the girl that she has admired for such a long time has actually talked to her: It had been the first time Anita had ever talked to me and I wondered what I had done to deserve It. This shows the extent of Meena’s idolisation of Anita, as she feels that she has to have done something wonderful to deserve Anita talking to her.

As Anita and Meena’s relationship progresses, Meena is just a tag-a-long to Anita’s group, the wenches brigade: ‘I was happy to follow her a respectable few paces behind knowing I was privileged to be in her company’, showing that she isn’t really a part of the group as she is behind the others. This further adds to the fact that Meena idolises her. Meena tries to conform to Anita’s views: ‘I wanted fish fingers and chips like Anita’, instead of Indian food, this shows that Meena rejects her own culture in favour of Anita’s as she giving up Indian food in favour of English food.

In time Anita and Meena become firm friends and Anita even has dinner at Meena’s house, this is a big step in their friendship, as Meena has never ‘eaten Indian food in the presence of a white person before’, This shows that Meena trusts Anita enough to share her culture with her . This shows the relationship between Anita and Meena growing stronger; Meena is including Anita in the Asian parts of her life. However she begins to realize what Anita is really like when the Wenches brigade turns against another girl: ‘I had seen how in an instant, those you called friends could suddenly become tormenters, sniffing out a weakness or a difference, turning their own fear of ostracism into a weapon with which they could beat the victim away’. Meena realises that she will also be ostracised because of her ethnicity. This shows us that Meena realizes the social power Anita has.

The final realization of Anita’s true personality occurs when a family friend is paki-bashed by Anita’s boyfriend. Meena overhears Anita laughing about a racist incident, which her boyfriend instigated. Meena finally begins to alienate herself from Anita, and she ends their friendship soon after: ‘I don’t give a toss what your sister does, Tracy. You can tell her that from me’. This shows us that Meena has matured and has finally learned to stand up for her self, and feel more comfortable in her identity.

This essay looked at the themes of friendship and identity, his has been shown using characterisation and narrative structure.

{{{ Gursevak singh's essay. }}}

spec study

“Things fall apart”, written by Chinua Achebe, set in Nigeria in the 1960s is a three dimensional story. It is built around Okonkwo who later commits suicide. This study will examine the downfall of Okonkwo to deduce from it whether he is responsible of his tragedy or it is simply a matter of fate used by the writer.
Okonkwo is a man physically strong and a member of the Igbo tribe. He had won fame as the greatest wrestler since his earlier age in the villages surrounding Umuofia and he is also well known throughout the clan because of his wealth.”Okonkwo’s fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan”: this shows how he has risen from nothing to a powerful ,wealthy and proud man.
His life is pretty much directed by his culture and his religion(his ancestors beliefs).
Although Okonkwo is seen as a great and determined man he has his weaknesses. He never shows his feelings and this is due to the Igbo culture that says that any man being too sentimental is a weak man in other words a “woman” which is “Agbala” in Igbo. And being that hard on himself by not showing his real feeling is a sign of weakness. This weakness is the fear to be called a woman. He also tends to follow word by word his culture and wants to be a model by ruling his family with an iron fist:” No matter how prosperous a man was if he was not able to rule his women and his children ,he was not really a man”: this a word of Okonkwo referring to his father who was a debtor. He owed everyone in the village and never pay attention to his child future.” he neither inherited a barn nor a title nor even a young wife”. Okonkwo,based on the bad reputation his father has in all clan does not want to resemble him. This is why he is harsh with his family and himself. His downfall is due to his extreme harshness and starts when his gun explodes during the funeral of one of the great man of the clan .He is called Ezeudi. During the funeral of Ezeudi his gun didn’t just explode but killed a young boy. Okonkwo’s nightmare starts since then as he has to leave the village for seven years.
He has to start all over again on his mother land. That was not as dreadful as seeing his clan being taken over by missionaries when he gets back after his seven years in exile. He could see himself not considered as a great man of the clan because of the arrival of the missionaries.:” nobody organised a feast to welcome him”. Another thing that increases his anger is that Nwoye,his son, integrated the missionaries and was no longer observing the laws of their ancestors. Okonkwo can also be sometimes ill-tempered and act without thinking carefully. He can not control his anger: “answer me!!” roared Okonkwo,”before I kill you! “.That was the way he reacts when he finds out that his son was going to church. Seeing his clan splitting apart by the new laws of the white men he was grieved .A revenge has then risen from his side as he is a proud and well attached to his ancestors’ beliefs. He wanted Umuofia to go for war but as a matter of coincidence five messengers have joined in the meeting. There was where Okonkwo attacked the head messenger and killed him. There again he has been without help from Umofia because they left the other messengers escape. In result he was not sure anymore of why he did so:” why did he do it?”, he heard voices asking him. This again shows how quickly he gets enraged. After that acting and having seen that no hope was left for him ,he hung himself. This is because he didn’t want to be killed under the law of the white men. As a proud man and a conservative person he saved his pride to please his ancestors.
To sum up, the status, strength and belief of Okonkwo all together lack an element which is how to control his anger. Also his exaggerated pretence of not being a” woman” makes him a bit mad. Since he believes that a man can manipulate his own destiny, he is the subject of his downfall.

that message was from amy, silly me forgot to put my name.
but i'm sure you knew it was from me miss. haha.
xx

birthday

happy birthday and merry belated christmas miss. hope you enjoyed yourself on both events :)
have a good new year and see you sooon. bet you can't wait.

The Crucible - Characters

Reverend Samuel Parris


Parris’s guiding principle is self-interest, but he is too ineffective to achieve his purpose.
His vanity, resentment, and constant complaints against his parishioners betray a weak character.
He is servile towards social superiors (e.g. Danforth) but brutal to anyone unable to retaliate, such as Tituba.
In the opening scene we are shocked by his lack of fatherly feeling. He is far more concerns about the effects of Betty’s illness on herself.

His inability to take firm decisions has led him to summon a witch-hunter, while trying to damp down rumours of witchcraft that would damage his own reputation. When the blame is safely diverted to Tituba, Mr. Parris becomes an enthusiastic witch-hunter.
His behaviour during the trial scenes is as self-centred as we would expect. Parris fears the victims will turn against him if they are set free, and sweats with anxiety whenever the judge seems impressed by their defence. His anxious interruptions provoke a crushing rebuke from Danforth.
Parris gets his comeuppance when his niece realises that the tide of public opinion has turned against the witch hunt, and makes a run for it with the contents of his strongbox. When his enemies are condemned to die, he pleads for a postponement – because he fears he may be assassinated, not because of concern for his victims.



John Proctor


John Proctor is the central character of the play, the protagonist.
He appears as one of the villagers drawn to Parris’s house by the rumours of Betty’s strange illness. His entry comes directly after Betty’s cry to Abigail: “you drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife!”
Almost until the end of the play a sense of guilt and shame holds John back from taking positive action at the right moment.

In his scene with Abigail, we learn the reasons for his guilt, and why he lies to himself as well as to abigail and his wife. “I have hardly stepped off this farm this seven-month”.
In the scene around Betty’s bed, John emerges as a down-to-earth man who speaks his mind and is not afraid to confront those in authority, especially when they abuse their position.
We may disapprove of his threatening of Mary and Abigail with the whip, but this must be seen in the context of his time.
His seated replies to Parris are not always to be taken at face value (“why, then I must find it and join it”). They show an honest disgust at Parris’s materialistic outlook and betrayal of his calling.


John is a practical farmer, struggling to win a living for his family, but still finds time to take a sensuous delight in his surroundings: “I never see such a load of flowers on the earth”.
The difficulties with his marriage might appear insuperable; but finally they appear as surface damage to what has been a deep and lasting union.
John’s anguished reaction to his wife’s arrest is the first move towards breaking through the restraints imposed by guilt. In the escalating horror of the witch-hunt, he becomes a reluctant hero. In striving to expose its fraud, he comes to acknowledge his responsibility to society and thereafter finds his true self.
Miller has sometimes been criticised for giving his hero a modern mind. This is surely a misreading of history. By 1692, there was dissent at all levels of colonial society. The number of recorded whippings, reprimands and public humiliations prove that many people did not accept the Puritan ethic. John Proctor in Miller’s play is a link between our own times and the values of seventeenth-century.


Abigail Williams


Miller gives us two facts about Abigail: she is “Strikingly beautiful” and has an “endless capacity for dissembling”.
Abigail is one of a band of Salem girls, most of whom are orphans. Their childhood has been joyless, subject to strict Puritan discipline.
Although adolescent, these girls are addressed as “child”, a wilful suppression of their developing sexuality. They suffer the drudgery of adult labour without adult freedom. They cannot work off their energies in the outdoor pursuits of their brothers, not express their frustrations. Their rebellion takes the form of expeditions into the danger zone of the forest. The thrill of arousing adult anxiety if they are found out is probably part of the excitement.

Before The Crucible begins, John Proctor has drawn Abigail into the adult world by seducing her. “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart!” she cries, when John rejects her. His repentance is sincere enough, even if it does not stretch to what he has done to his 17 year old servant.
Elizabeth sees her adulterous husband as a “good man…only somewhat bewildered” while Abigail is a “whore”.

As well as being the driving force of the play, Abigail’s desire for John is a symbol for the anarchic, irrational side of life that the Puritans tried so hard to repress. Thwarted love makes her ruthless. She has already “drunk a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife”.
By blaming Tituba for the adventure in the forest Abigail discovers a more dangerous aspect to the ascendancy she holds over her friends.
When she begins to name the witches, Betty picks up her lead without instruction. Backed up by her hysterical followers, Abigail controls the adults who have previously controlled her. Her ability to turn events to her own advantage increases with practice.

Her refusal to accept John’s rejection combines fatally with the rising social panic. The accusations eventually bring down her real target, Elizabeth Proctor. Once embarked on this course, Abigail cannot draw back, even when the man she wants is condemned to die.
In the end all she can do is to leave town in a hurry. With a last bold gesture she ensures a comfortable future by emptying her uncle’s strong box.

Abigail has courage, intelligence and a magnetic personality, but employs these gifts only in destructive ways. She exerts a totally malign influence on the terrified villagers. Most of them do not realise that the only witch in their midst is Abigail Williams.

Mary Warren


The same age as Abigail (17), Mary is the most fully developed character among the band of girls. She is “subservient, naïve, lonely”, and when we first meet her she is in a panic about their escapade in the forest.
She is a target for bullying, yet for such a timid person, she is surprisingly pert to her master, perhaps because she knows his secret.

Mary’s behaviour varies greatly during the play. At the beginning of Act 2, Elizabeth tells John that she has been unable to stop Mary leaving the house: “She raises up her chin like the daughter of a prince and says to me, ‘I must go to Salem…I am an official of the court!’”. The attention of Judge Danforth and other officials has inflated Mary’s ego, but her sense of self-importance is fragile.

When she enters she is depressed and exhausted. She weeps for the sentence passed on Goody Osburn. Her conscience protests, but she is too overawed to question the judges’ version of events. This inner conflict makes her seek comfort in a childish pursuit – doll-making. The “poppet” she sews in court has fatal consequences for the Proctors.
When her master orders her to bed, Mary becomes petulant and tries to assert her rights; but by the end of the act she is sobbing in terror at the thought of standing up to Abigail: “I cannot, I cannot”. Despite her best efforts, this is exactly what happens in Act 3.

Mary stands for all those people who recognise injustice but are too weak to resist it. Through her, Miller also shows how and why the girls managed to believe in the victims’ guilt.

Elizabeth Proctor


Early in the play Abigail describes Elizabeth as “a bitter woman, a lying, cold, snivelling woman…a gossiping liar”. We soon learn the true reasons for her opinion, and when Elizabeth appears in Act 2, it becomes obvious that Abigail has grossly distorted the truth.
Elizabeth has a more complex personality than her quiet, somewhat repressed manner suggests. John’s infidelity has hurt both her pride and her religious convictions. She cannot bring herself to give her husband the warmth he craves, and she suspects, quite rightly, that he still finds Abigail attractive. She undervalues John’s efforts to make amends.

Elizabeth is both gentle and practical. Despite her pity for the “poor rabbit”, she kills and cooks it for John’s super. She tries to save Mary a whipping; after her arrest, she fives orders for the household and tries to conceal her fear, concerned more for the children than herself. She is the first to understand Abigail’s intentions, and braves her husband’s anger to urge him into action. Unfortunately, it is already too late.
During her three months in prison, Elizabeth looks into her heart and realises that her own coldness has provoked John’s adultery: “I never knew how I should say my love. I kept a cold house!”. Going against all her beliefs she lies to save her husband’s reputation, unaware that he has already made his adultery public.

Elizabeth’s real strength shines through in the last Act. She resists all pressure from John himself, from court officials, and her own longing to save him from the gallows. She insists that her husband must decide for himself: and makes no comment on his first false choice. She gives way to grief only when he has torn up his confession.


Danforth


Danforth, the senior judge, is “a grave man in his sixties, of some humour and sophistication”. His reasonable manner only reinforces the horror of his actions in Salem. Only once does he lose control of himself, when at the end of the trial scene he becomes caught up in the hysteria created by Abigail.
At the beginning of Act 4, Danforth hears from a distraught Mr. Parris that Abigail has fled from Salem with the contents of his strngbox. “He walks in thought, deeply worried”. Is Danforth worried that Abigail is a fraud, and the whole series of trials has been based on a false assumption? No, he is anxious that the news may get around and persuade others to think so.

To the very end of the play, Danforth remains convinced that he is in the right. “While I speak God’s law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering”. Like Mr. Hale before his change of heart, he seems to believe that the witchcraft hysteria and its results are in themselves a sign that the Devil is at work in Salem.
Through Danforth, Miller demonstrates what happens when the state assumes absolute moral authority to direct the lives and beliefs of its citizens. The results are terrifying. Danforth “knows” that his mission is to purge the village. This overrides legal quibbles about evidence or court proceedings. He is unable to understand that even if God’s law in infallible, its interpreters are not.

This throw light on his behaviour in Act 3, where he displays both ruthlessness and courtesy. Judge Danforth and the defendants are following different agendas. John and Giles suppose their fate depends on presenting credible evidence. Danforth has a higher good in mind. He must carry out God’s will in Salem. To this end he manipulates court procedure and openly exploits the weaknesses of those on trial. He uses Elizabeth’s pregnancy in his efforts to dissuade John from charging the girls with fraud, and he remains silent while Hathorne bullies Mary Warren. For the same reason, he will not postpone the hangings. Danforth will not permit any crack in God’s fortress.
The overall result is that lies are taken as truth, and common sense ignored, for example, his wilful blindness to the widespread fear his court has aroused in the village, and his refusal to believe that Elizabeth has lied to spare her husband’s reputation. In these incidents Miller drives home the danger of allowing the state to take over the functions of private conscience.


Reverand Hale


The minister from Beverly is perhaps the most pitiable character in the play. Although John Proctor’s road to self knowledge ends at the gallows, he dies with a renewed sense of his own worth and reconciled to his wife. In Reverend Hale’s case, self-knowledge brings a weight of guilt that must haunt him for the rest of his life.
John Hale is a sincere and kindly man. His failing is to believe without question that those who rule by the laws of God cannot make mistakes, and that all evil is external, not in people’s minds.

By the end of the play, he has realised that the powerful can be imperfect. A rather conceited intellectual, and inclined to “smile at the ignorance of the yeomanry”, he is eager to use his “painfully acquired armoury of symptoms, catchwords, and diagnostic procedures”, that without meaning to, he unleashes the Salem witch-hunt.
Hale examines Tituba with conscientious attention to detail; he even treats her kindly. It is plain that her fear prompts her to “confess” and that Parris and Putnam are taking callous advantage, but Hale is too blinded to notice. By Act 2, the witch-hunt he has authorised is out of control.

When he interviews the Proctors, he firmly suppresses his emerging doubts. He convinces himself that the arrest of Rebecca Nurse indicates “some secret blasphemy that stinks to heaven”, and not a miscarriage of justice.
Rev. Hale’s doubts grow as the trials proceed. In Act 3, he becomes increasingly alarms and tries to put a case for the defence. Danforth ignores his attempts. When Elizabeth is removed, Hale brakes into open opposition: “ I may shut my conscience to it no more – private vengeance is working through this testimony”. After John Proctor’s arrest he denounces the proceedings and walks out.

Tortured by remorse, Hale returns to Salem, and tries to persuade the condemned prisoners to avoid hanging by making a false confession. “Cleave to no faith when faith brings blood” he warns Elizabeth, begging her to make her husband confess. She rejects Hale’s plea as “the Devil’s argument”. The minister’s last desperate appeal proves that he has lost sight of everything but his own sense of guilt.

Theme of Truth in The Crucible-

THEME OF TRUTH Wohooo!

Act 1:
We are firstly introduced to a community that believes that if they commit a sin, they must confess to be saved. This is shown in the first act, “so inclined to express publicly his guilt and sins, under the cover of accusations against victims” in Miller’s introduction, but he gives us an example of this, “Martha laid herself down on his chest and ‘nearly suffocated him’. Of course it was her spirit only, but his satisfaction at confessing himself” this shows how Miller believes that the people’s perception of confessing or even telling the truth was used not for its purpose, but for personal gain, in this case it would be to ensure that the accuser was saved and in the light of God.

This episode is repeated in the play although this time for the audience to witness, but appears in another kind of situation. It begins when Betty is incredibly afraid to get in trouble and pretends to be unconscious to avoiding having the confrontation with her father reverend Parris, of what truly happened that night. Abigail the niece of reverend Parris is blamed for Betty’s condition. The community automatically jump to the conclusion of witch craft being involved and accuse the girls of being part of it. Abigail then realises what would happen to her if people would think she was a witch and tries to deny it,”I never called him! Tituba, Tituba…” this then leads to Abigail bending the truth to shift the blame, “she sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer” this is Abigail ‘telling the truth’ and this also shows a perfect example of her manipulative character. She is a key character as she is the one who triggers the call for a witch hunt. Abigail confesses to Proctor “We were dancing in the woods last night, and my uncle leaped in on us,” which tells us that there was no witchery involved, to prove that the witch hunt is made from lies.

Truth is also unravelled in this act. Parris asks Abigail why she was dismissed from Goody Proctors service, Abigail replies that, “she hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying cold snivelling, woman, and I will work for such a woman”. This is a lie as later on we discover that Goody Proctor had dismissed Abigail for the affair she was having with her husband. We realise this when Proctor goes to visit Parris’s house, Abigail says to him when they are alone “I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near!” This is a key scene in act 1 as it shows the feelings they have for each other are still there, but most importantly this is when Abigail confesses to Proctor that they were only ‘dancing’ and this is used later to provide evidence that the girls are lying about there being witch craft.

Reverend Hale is another key character when discussing the theme of truth. Hale acts very confidently which provokes the village believe everything without hesitation as if what he is saying is fact.

Conflict- Dave, Gursevak,Lindsey, Miriam and Stephanie

Conflict

Conflict is a key point 2 the cruciblewhen people such as judge danforth hold strong beliefs conflict is inevitalbethe revenge of the which trials steems from conflict between the villagers which is unsettledalso there is an internal conflict within john proctor as he feels guilt for what he did 2 his wife and the douts his own judgementridled though out the play is the tention between the characters which end for some in a drastic death.

Act 1.
In the first act there is conflict between Abigail and John Proctor. Although it isn't as obvious at points it is a very deep underlying conflict between the two. Both of them have had a connection at some point and there is very mixed feelings between the two. The conflict is there because of the affair in which they had. For John it was for lust but for Abi it was love.
Quotes like ;(Abigail: I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near!) Shows us that the affair did happen.
John however denies it, this part of act one is the most straight forward bit to identfy the conflict between the two.

Proctor: We never touched, Abby

Abigail:Aye, but we did.

Proctor: Aye but we did not .

This shows that John Proctor is ashamed of what happened between them and will not even admit it happened , even to Abigail.
Arthur Miller uses stage directions to make an effect on how awkward the company of these two people being together. He uses directions like; "setting her firmly out of his path" and "grasping his hand before he can release her".
Shows us again that Abigail doesn't want John to not want her and he is doing what he can to resist the young girl.

Act2.
There is conflict between elizabeth and John, it is already apparent that John has Slept with Abigail. The seperation between the two continues.

Arthur Miller uses directions to tell us that 'a sense of their seperation arises', this shows us that they are still in conflict with each other.

Elizabeth: (She doesn't want
This again shows us that their is still underlying theme of conflict.

Their are various times in the second act in 'The crucible' that show John Proctor's stage directions with the theme of conflict. Like ;'his anger is rising' and 'with a violent undertone', are just a couple to show the feeling of conflict in this marriage.

Proctor:(laughing bitterly);Oh,Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer!
This is an important quote as it sums up his feeling towards Elizabeth, he is in conflict not only with Elizabeth but with abigail too.He's also in conflict with himself for what has happened to his mariage.

Conflict- Parris

Parris always goes on about his enemies and what they think about him, but we are never actually told who his enemies are and if they even exist. This could show that he has had conflict or even expects conflict to arise. Parris says things like;'It must come out - My enemies will bring it out'.and 'I cannot blink what i saw, Abigail,for my enemy will not blink it'.

In act3 , Proctor comes into the court ,Parros says'Beware this man. Your Excellency, this man is mischief'. After this he goes on to try and get Proctor in trouble from Danforth. 'Such a Christian that will not come to church but once in a month' and 'Do you rebel the gospel, Mr Proctor?', these quotes show that there is now conflict between these two men. As act 3 progresses Proctor starts getting hiw ways and Danforth starts listening to him, Parris reacts angrly to this and says 'He's come to overthrow the court, Your Honout!'. The stage directions 'Parris nervously moves over and reads over Danforth's shoulder ' show us he is quite a paranoid man.
In Act 4 Parris eventualy shows sympathy for Proctor and begs him to confess to save his life. At this point it seems the conflict has gone.


p.s Miriams attachment wouldn't open on my computer so it is missing, sorry Ms Moore will put it on as soon as we can. - Steph

Theme - Religion

This presentation is based on the main theme of the 'Crucible', Religion. We have decided to cover many of the different parts of religious activity that is portrayed throughout the play. We are going to show how religion is conveyed through the languauge of the characters, their forenames and the set of the play.
The play lets us know that in 1692 Salem was run by a theocracy, which basically means that the community of Salem was run by the church, so they were exceptionally religious, well they had to be.

The language that is used in the crucible has it's origins in religion.
The people os Salem think they are the chosen ones, but this creates paranoia between them all. This society is one which is rural and deeply religious. The irony of the witch trials is that the fight against sinfullness in Salem will become more sinful and malicious than any of the actual events that occur.
The forenames of the characters, and others mentioned are taken from the bible, as was the practise in christian communities, eg, John, Elizabeth, Mary and Ezekial.
Some of the language that is used in the 'Crucible' mostly comes from religion: "Aye, sir. I pray for her."

This theme is also maintained by the setting of the play. At the very beginning of the play in Act 1 the house of Reverend Parris is described as a very obscure and narrow place. This darkness and narrowness have a connotation of Evil. It is indeed a contrast with the religion they are supposed to be applying to their lives. Furthermore, this obscure place of the shepherd reveals the kind of person he is, he is also driving off the community. This is an example of Proctor ploughing on Sundays and having not baptised his third child. However, at the end of each season there is a harvest, on which almost the whole community lives on. A good harvest, in the bible, symbolises hard-work and also a holy labour. Reverend Parris isn't the only form of misconduct in Salem, it is also due to everyone elses behaviour. The setting of Act 1 shows us Proctor's house, that although seems peaceful, (like it should, according to their religion) is not in reality. This example gives the impression that this is what is happening in every household in Salem. To finnish with this is another fact going against the religion which is the rate of unfair decisions and hangings at the court.

Amy, Anika, Mwamba, Sera and Lyndon.

Hype and Hysteria By Ross, Smaira, Jess and Gemma

To hype is to publicise or promote, especially by extravagant, inflated, or misleading claims

People who are "hysterical" often lose self-control due to overwhelming fear

The term also occurs in the phrase mass hysteria to describe mass public near-panic reactions.


Hype and Hysteria is a big theme in Arthur Millers play, ‘The Crucible’. It first becomes apparent when Abigail Williams accuses the innocent of witchcraft, which during this time was a crime punishable by death. Abigail Williams first starts accusing members of Salems community in order to take focus off her own crimes, and accuses Elizabeth Proctor so she can take her place as John’s wife.


Before the accusations began, Salem was a very close knit community, and the witch trials gave the people a chance to speak out against others for the first time.


This was used by people to settle long grudges by accusing them of witch craft.

Elizabeth Proctor was accused by Abigail for the simple reason that she wanted to take her place as John Proctors wife.

John Proctor was also accused because once he told Abigail that he loved his wife and nothing was ever going to happen with them, Abigail became angry and wanted her revenge she then accused Proctor of sending his spirit out on all of the girls.

Goody Nurse was also accused of witch craft, and killing their babies, by the Putnams. Rebecca Nurse was hung because she did not admit to the crime that she did not commit.

Martha Corey was first related to witch craft when her own husband confessed to her reading books.


Hype and hysteria is one of the most important themes of the play as it builds up throughout the play and causes every character to change and go against each other, just to save themselves from death.

Theme of Community!

The Crucible
Community


In this play, the people of the town were always aware of everyone else’s business. No secrets were kept in the community. So, when people started to talk about witchcraft and accusing others of it, everyone knew very quickly.
Everyone and everything belonged to God or the Devil.

These villagers believed in witches and the infallibility of the bible.
Anyone, in the community that doubted any evidence given against an accused person, would be questioning God’s will.
The tensions caused in the community because of the witch trials, led to a confrontations between characters.

Key Characters
Although all characters are linked to the community, Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale are the key ones.

Reverend Parris
Although Parris is meant to be the leader of the town, he changes through the duration of the play. He separates himself from the town and his own family, resulting in the breakdown
of the entire community. He also divides the community by claiming that he doesn’t get enough money and demanding possessions, such as the house that he lives in. This starts arguments between the characters
He shows more concern over his own reputation than his own daughter’s welfare at the beginning. His concerns over his reputation develop throughout the play.

Stage Description
The smallness of the room in Parris’ house symbolises the narrow-mindedness of the community.

Reverend Hale
Hale arrives in the town to question people, as an expert on witchcraft. He investigates who goes to church and who works on Sundays, to see who should be under the suspicion of witchcraft
At first he is arrogant, but his confidence erodes when he realises that the girls may be lying in the court. He finds himself caught up in the hysteria of the community.

McCarthyism
The McCarthy hearings were when people were put under suspicion of being a communist because they were involved in Anti-American activities.
The play has a strong link with the McCarthy hearings of the late 50’s and early 60’s in America. The witch trials symbolise McCarthyism and the community represents the American society of that period.