Character Analysis in The Crucible and Year of Wonders PDF

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Who are the Heroes of The Crucible and Year of Wonders Year 12 English...

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CHARACTER ANALYSIS: Who are the Heroes of The Crucible and Year of Wonders? Abigail:  

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"And what shall I say to them? That my daughter and my niece I discovered dancing like heathen in the forest?" --Parris (18-19) " No, I love God; I go your way no more. I love God, I bless God. [sobbing she rushes to Abigail] Abby, Abby, I'll never hurt you no more! [They all watch, as Abigail, out of her infinite charity, reaches out and draws the sobbing Mary to her, and then looks up to Danforth" --Mary (104) Abigail's first reference concerns the reputation of Parris being ruined due to her actions, indicating she holds responsibility to how others view her, as well as how the villagers perceive Parris, as a minister. The last reference to Abigail is by Mary Warren, who seems to be under the control of Abigail, thus demonstrating the authority Abigail has built upon herself and emphasising her ability to manipulate situations to be in her favour.

Proctor:  "Gah! I'd almost forgot how strong you are, John Proctor!" --Abigail (28)  "He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!" --Elizabeth (116)  The first time Proctor is mentioned is when he is conversing with Abigail, who immediately references their affair once it is just the two of them, to display his flaw and to position him as being an individual that readers can relate to because he isn't perfect.  The last line of the play is said by Elizabeth, who refers to her husband choice to die, as a redemption for the way he has described himself throughout the novel - as "no good man".  Proctor is presented as being a man of "goodness", with one flaw of having an affair. Other than his affair, Proctor doesn't seem to have any other faults. Elizabeth:  "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 not work for such a woman!" --Abigail (20)  "You are a - marvel, Elizabeth." --Proctor (117)  The first reference to Elizabeth is from Abigail who expresses her hatred towards Elizabeth, to which Miller agrees to an extent, blaming Elizabeth's cold nature for the cause of her marriage's breakdown.  The last reference to Elizabeth mane by Proctor is a statement of how strong Elizabeth is, despite having gone through hardships for the past few months Anna:    

"You cannot read, Anna." --Mompellion (4) The first time Anna is mentioned in the novel, is when Mompellion assumes Anna is not educated. "and so here I am Anna Frith no longer, but…mother of Jamie" --Anna (303) Anna's last reference is by herself, indicating her growth from the beginning, through the troubled times on Eyam, to become an independent woman.

Mompellion:  "His hand is on the Bible, but he never opens it" --Anna (3)  The first reference to Mompellion is at the beginning of the novel where Anna looks back at the past, and Mompellion's reference is like a foreshadowing of the events that come later in the text.  "I turned away from him and mounted unassisted, preferring an ungraceful scramble to the touch of his hand…He lifted his [hand] in return" --Anna (294)

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The last reference to Mompellion is also made by Anna, who clearly establishes the way she has distanced herself from him, therefore, shifting her view, and thus the reader's view, because she in the narrator, of Mompellion, from being someone of admiration, too someone unkind and uncaring in the way he treated his own wife.

Elinor:     

"Mrs Mompellion taught me." --Anna (4) This quote indicates Elinor's selflessness to teach Anna how to read, while also displaying Elinor's knowledge - it shows that she has been brought up in an educated household. "For I was not Elinor, after all, but Anna." --Anna (299) Anna shows that she respects Elinor and looks up to the life she lived, however, from that moment, she decides to live her own life without attempting to replicate or live like Elinor Mrs Mompellion is presented by the narrator, Anna, as a selfless woman who both capable and has much knowledge in which she wishes to learn. It is only evident through the remarks made by Aphra, (page 248) that readers are able to grasp that Elinor is not viewed by the villagers in the same way that Anna looks up to her.

Proctor is the hero in The Crucible  He doesn't propel the action, he stops the action  Everybody else is caught up in the hysteria of the girls, in their own fear  Proctor resists the crisis, so does Giles (oppressed) and Goody Nurse (can't sign the confession - mortal sin - propelled by faith)  Proctor is propelled by community obligation - he is public in his behaviour - his defiance is public rather than private  For Miller, you must be a public hero "I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud."  Goody Nurse can't be the hero - she is a "saint" ---> "She is one foot in Heaven now; naught may hurt her more"  Giles Corey can't be the hero --> He didn't confess and he didn’t deny "He would not answer aye and nay to his indictment" --> He didn't publicly denounce the accusation - never said I'm not guilty (internal battle) --> what he is standing up for isn't goodness  Proctor dies a public martyr to his cause --> Public action propelled by the morality of the state rather than his faith -> democratic hero rather than a religious one  To be a hero you must be propelled by the concern for society rather than your faith (IN SALEM)  You can die to uphold the value of you state - MILLER COMPARISON:  Self-sacrifice  Elinor: dies while looking like a Christ-figure and she dies while serving others instead of herself  Mompellion: helps the sick/weak but is hypocritic --> it compromises his heroism  Elinor and Proctor have sexual indiscretion in the past  Proctor and Mompellion has some sort of sexual flaw --> this doesn’t compromise their heroism (Elizabeth forgives him - "he have his goodness now"  Miller deliberately puts the affirmations of John's character in the mouth of his wife to counter any suggestion of the past - his sexual flaw should form any of our judgement through  The start of the novel starts with Mompellion sitting in his bedroom - given up  Page 293 "You, Anna, have recalled to me what my duties are."

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Because of the way the story is structed, Mompellion needs Anna to remind him how to be heroic Anna takes the horse - there is a sense that she is like a hero riding into the distance propelled forwards She leaves Eyam because the Bradfords are going to come to kill the baby -- evidence of the mother's sexual indiscretion In a selfless act, she rides with Anteros into the new world Mompellion has reward of virtue Elinor has virtue of atonement - saves a series of people for killing her child Anna learns - the world is wider than what she knew before Anna's faith is like the "faded threads of a banner" at the end -- unsure of what it is Proctor - page 125: there is enough goodness in him, "not enough to weave a banner with……." Both heroes end with a banner of faith - it isn't unproblematic --> Awareness of frailty and of doubt in an integral part to their heroism Brooks values knowledge even if it comes with pain The crucible at the end of the play, John comes to understand that his frailties are -- he still had goodness in him and can be used to expand the goodness of the community -- used to save the community. Anna saves herself Anna lives, John dies...