The Crucible: You are the Critic!

  Did you enjoy reading The Crucible? Did you enjoy studying The Crucible? Why/why not? What was your biggest takeaway from the play? Do you think it should be read in high schools? Should it be included in the American canon of literature (books that "everyone should read")? Explain in a paragraph. Remember, this is a review for your classmates (and me!) to read! Make it spicy and interesting! Use your own form of rhetoric. 

Comments

  1. I enjoyed reading the Crucible and found it very interesting. My biggest take away from this play is that mob mentality can be extremely destructive and ruin many lives. It is very insightful and should be taught in high schools. It should also be included in the american canon of literature because it reflects an important time in history and is a literary masterpiece on its own.

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    1. I like the idea that mob mentality is a big takeaway from The Crucible. Mob mentality plays a very important role in society because it can greatly change perspectives and influence many opinions. For example, mob mentality is used in protests. People protest because they see a giant crowd advocating and people feel like it is easier to follow them instead of opposing their ideologies.
      - Justin

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    2. I think mob mentally being your biggest takeaway is very interesting because it shows how different people were hooked into the book and mob mentally is a big part of the book as it affected ALL of Salem!

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    3. I agree!! This is a really good point that you made and I feel like we can also see this in our own society just like how we saw mob mentality take over in Salem!!

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    4. I agree that mob mentality can be destructive and can ruin lives because we can see it in the play where Abigail has her friends accuse Mary.

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    5. I agree I do feel like mob mentality can and has ruined many lives and a perfect example is this book.

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    6. I also agree, Mob mentality is a huge part in the book and is shown not only through this book, but as well why this was based off of, the era of McCarthyism is prime example as well of this

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  2. After spending around 6-8 weeks reading The Crucible and analyzing it, i would definitely say I enjoyed the book as well as study it because It has so many powerful themes including Fear as we see in Act 1.1, the importance of personal integrity seen through John Proctor, and societal pressures. These themes I would say make it highly relevant to our so called society, making the play more valuable for a reading of reflection and discussion. Although there are many takeaways my biggest one was Individual Integrity and standing up for the truth. For example when Giles Corey demonstrated the courage it takes to resit societal pressure and defend what he believed in, to take the consequence's as is. He proved that his actions was to priotize himself and not give names(For he would die either way), he choose to speak out against injustice even when they kept putting rocks on him.(What a legend) At the end of the day it is not if it should be taught in High Schools, It most definitely be taught because it is a piece of literature that is power that most students can understand history through the book weather reading it as is or in an allegory, but it should be taught as it has many historical significance.

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    1. I liked the idea of how The Crucible has many themes that are relatable to our modern world. Personal integrity is one critical theme because it can be seen in our everyday lives. People use their personal interests to drive their passions. In The Crucible, John Proctor's interests were looking out for his family and saving their reputation and that's what he achieved.

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    2. I liked the idea of how The Crucible has many themes that are relatable to our modern world. Personal integrity is one critical theme because it can be seen in our everyday lives. People use their personal interests to drive their passions. In The Crucible, John Proctor's interests were looking out for his family and saving their reputation and that's what he achieved.

      - Justin

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    3. Giles is 100% the coolest character in The Crucible, Jeremy, I agree!

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    4. I agree, the book has many themes such as guilt and irony.

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  3. The crucible was an amazing play. It was interesting to read with class mates. My biggest takeaway from the crucible was how fear can change a person in a good or a bad way. I also enjoyed learning about mob mentality especially that scene in Act 4 when abigail faked seeing the devil and the girls joined her really show how fear can change a person. I believe that this play should be taught in high school because it’s teaches historical context of the Salem of witch trials and it’s a great way of learning a character development

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    1. I agree with you. I believe the effect of fear is a big takeaway. we see how everyone is hiding something and they decide to let their fear control them. everyone decided to let fear be the reason they falter under pressure. When Giles died because of the rocks I saw that fear was a positive thing because his fear of not leaving the land to his son was used to die with honor and save the person that Giles was trying to save.

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    2. I agree with you in the sense that fear can change one either positively or negatively. I love how well you wrote this reply and how REAL it is. This play captures how fear can change you in MULTIPLE ways.

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    3. I agree that fear can change people in a good or bad way as we can see it in the book where the fear of witches causes mob mentality which causes innocent people to get arrested.

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    4. Alina Torres
      I agree with you, fear can change someone in a good way or bad just like Proctor. Proctor changed in a good way after the affair with Abigail because he ended up confessing to save his Wife.

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    5. I agree with Jahaiara this play was very interesting and its focus on mob mentality helped us see the affects of not sticking up for what you believe in

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    6. I agree with you that fear does play a big part in how somebody may change in to or act. Like how Proctor at the end of the story decided to change for the better.

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  4. I definitely enjoyed reading the Crucible because it shows tremendous change throughout the play. Studying the Crucible was also fun because we got to understand the depth of the character and really dive deep into the characters’ motivations. The biggest takeaway from the Crucible is probably how fear and political power can influence society. The group of young teenage girls demonstrated fear which the entire town believed them. Also it shows how corrupt courts can be dangerous in dealing with the fate of a town. The Crucible should be read in high schools everywhere because it teaches critically literary devices like allegory and characterization that is important for everyone to know.
    - Justin

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  5. I really enjoyed reading The Crucible. I found it super entertaining because of the drama involved. The mix between puritan lifestyle and the controversy of the puritans not following that lifestyle made the play so much more interesting. I do think it should be read in high schools. It is much more suitable for high school students to read the crucible than any other story that is usually found in the high school curriculum. I think the drama of the play makes it more engaging for the younger generation. I don't find it that great of a book that everyone should read it, but it was fun to read.

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    1. I really enjoyed reading The Crucible. I found it super entertaining because of the drama involved. The mix between puritan lifestyle and the controversy of the puritans not following that lifestyle made the play so much more interesting. I do think it should be read in high schools. It is much more suitable for high school students to read the crucible than any other story that is usually found in the high school curriculum. I think the drama of the play makes it more engaging for the younger generation. I don't find it that great of a book that everyone should read it, but it was fun to read.
      - Ahnika

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    2. I also think the Puritans not following the Puritan lifestyle made this play super interesting, this whole book was so ironic that I wouldn't be surprised if the Crucible is included as an example of irony in the dictionary.

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  6. I enjoyed reading and studying The Crucible because it allowed me to learn more about people's faith and the ways people will go to save themselves because of religion.My biggest take away was about how the court was not really smart on hading the case of Witchcarft. I do think high schools should read it because more people can learn about how different lifestyles were back then.I don't think it should be in the American canon of literature because this book is based in America which will make America look even worser then it already is,snice America is known for having slaves based race now it could also be know that they killed "witches" based on lies without evident.

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    1. Alina Torres
      I agree with you, The crucible made me realize that many people are religious in a sense where they would never lie, like Elizabeth since she stays true to her God.

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  7. I did not enjoy reading The Crucible. It made me annoyed. But I do enjoy studying it because it was very interesting to learn how Miller conveyed each character and see how they all developed as the play went on. i also enjoyed seeing it as a allegory for Mccarthyism, it really showed that you can compare anything to everything. This play showed me how much guilt, lies and jealously could impact someones decision so hard. This should be taught in schools because it has great examples of really thinking outside the box to see how the characters each did their scenes.

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    1. I agree with you because reading about all the plots with Abigail also annoyed me but it also made me more interested in the book. I liked all the depth the book had because of all the messages and themes it showed to many different people. It can also be connected to communism which seemed confusing but truly showed the author's ability to convey all his messages.

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    2. I feel you Hannah at times it did become sightly agitating the language, the characters, the miscommunication, the violence, the grudges, etc. But studying it did make up for it as it was more enjoyable than reading it. Finding out the book is an allegory for Mccarthyism was very cool!

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    3. ^Brittanii's comment

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    4. I agree with what you said on how lies and jealously can impact someones decision, we see it throughout the book multiple times!

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    5. I agree with you on the kind of annoyed part, because although it was a good book with a lot of plot and story with it, the slang that they used was a very big reason why I found it annoying to read.

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    6. I agree, the dialect of the book was irritating, but the story was amazing, especially considering that the story is based on a real world event. I do agree that the story should be used to teach students, but only if the teacher is actively helping the students understand the book, as I can easily see kids having issues understanding the story with the uses of its dialect and slang.

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  8. I kind of did enjoy reading The Crucible. At first when we started reading it I thought it was just about the Salem Witch Trials, but as we continued we broke down the play we discovered that it had some similarity to real life events such as the Red Scare and McCarthyism. Where people who confessed to be part of the Communist Party and gave names where forgiven, and same thing for The Crucible, people who confessed to have done Witchcraft were asked to give names and they were forgiven. And as we learned that the book is an allegory, but I couldn't be able to find the story that was hidden in the play.

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    1. I agree, I thought this was just gonna be a boring book on one topic but I enjoyed how the author tied in the actual story line and made the reader think of theocracy's and communism , like McCarthyism. The book is just a step to open your mind up to new possibilities.

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    2. Same thoughts, never thought the play was going to turn out to be an allegory about the Red Scare and McCarthyism.

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  9. I enjoyed reading The Crucible. I liked that it had elements to keep it interesting but was also good to analyze. I think that when we broke down the play, the way Ms. Dishner taught it made it more enjoyable. I believe this book should be taught to everyone in all high schools because it has so many elements you can break down and learn from it. It also has many themes we took away from it that can be applied to other parts of life. My biggest takeaway was the impact of influence on people. Abigail had a huge influence on the people around her and just like in today's time, little people take time to actually prove whether or not they are lying.

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    1. I see your point Winifer the literary elements contained in The Crucibles is fun to decipher especially how Ms Dishner does it. I like your takeaway people are so easily influenced and wether you are right or wrong if you victimize yourself suddenly only you are in the right. But I continue to stand by my girl Abigail!
      - Brittanii

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    2. I agree!!! You make really good points and I feel like Ms Dishner broke it down really well for us to understand and I feel like I wouldnt have taken away as much as I did it it werent for her!! Abigail had a HUGE influence on the people around her and took loads of innocent lives #justiceforjohnproctor

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    3. I agree with what you said about the elements being broken down because I feel like if we were to have read this in our own time, we wouldn’t have understood or enjoyed this like we did

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    4. I agree, I peeped the Abigail reference and I see her influence on Mary Warren, and it reminds me of how power can make people attend to your side to avoid being the path of your wrath.

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  10. To be frank, The Crucibles wasn't my most favorable book read in class this year. I do admit it had a lot of entertaining drama and spice that hooked the reader but I overall I didn't feel it was something to reflect on. I personally didn't feel as if there was an actual purpose but just story telling. On the contrary, I really enjoyed studying it. The background information especially was very intriguing and the connections between both were surprising. My takeaway from the play is grudges bottle up, awaiting for a moment to be used against someone. I honestly don't know if it should be taught in high school it's not something one can walk away from and feel it has educated them or made them learn a valuable lesson that could be carried throughout life. The crucibles is one of the top American literatures and I feel that it's time to carry on. There are better books out there with more important messages than The Crucibles one being BTWM. Our Junior year is dedicated to learning about the American Dream, what does The Crucible teach us about the American Dream? - Brittanii

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    1. Well, that is ONE of our essential questions :) our other questions are "what are the unifying themes of American literature, "What is the role of the outsider in America"? and "What forces shape the individual?" :) I hope you like Gatsby!

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  11. I did enjoy reading and studying the Crucible. I feel like the plot was nice and the shocking at the end is a good touch to it. Moreover, the fact that it was related to the Red Scare was really interesting. And I liked how we took the time to learn about the event it was based on to get a more understanding on the intention of the book. My biggest takeaway from this book would be how everything can just be a false pretense for the sake of power and how bad everything can be in such a short time. Which is also the reason why I believe everyone should be able to read this because it gives insight on a real life event while also teaching us a lesson. The plot, the intention, the characters, and everything that makes up this book should be read by everyone. - Brandon

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    1. I like and agree with your takeaway, I feel like that is a major point in the book in which many people picked up on and can also agree with.

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    2. You made an excellent point with The Crucible. The conclusion is quite unexpected, and is very interesting on how it relates to the Red Scare, which is what Arthur Miller wanted us to know. Hiding certain events in history through secret code messages. I also believe that the book is a valuable resource for understanding mob mentality and social pressure. We see this through Abigail, John, and Elizabeth. This overall fulfills the understanding of Salem witch trials facilitates understanding the author Miller's point of view regarding a more contemporary matter.

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  12. I enjoyed reading and studying The Crucible because it was interesting to learn a bit about the Puritans and their strict social codes. My biggest takeaway from the play was how the person being accused of witchcraft was basically guilty until proven innocent during these trials. I wonder if anyone was able to be proven to be innocent during these trials because in the play, people were able to save themselves by “confessing” and accusing more people. This book should be read in high schools because of the different themes that pop up throughout the book and how the setting and era had a large impact on the plot of the story. This book should also be included in the American canon of literature because of how it is an allegory to McCarthyism, a period of time in the 1940-50s that impacted citizens all across the United States in a similar way to the Salam witch trials despite these two events being centuries apart.

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    1. I do agree with your question about if anyone was able to be proven innocent in real life because while reading the book I did wonder if it was similar to the real life situation. Since maybe in the real life trials it might have been different.

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    2. I agree that learning about the strict social codes of the Puritans were interesting as it explored a concept that we usually wont think about and otherwise maybe would've never really learned. And your takeaway of guilty until proven innocent made me think it's ironic that before you were guilty until proven innocent but now you're innocent until proven guilty.

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  13. Reading The Crucible was not really enjoying to me because it was extremely frustrating how they would behave, and it often seemed as if they lacked any common sense. However studying the play was enjoyable because every character had their own motivations and were not one dimensional. My biggest take away would be the pandemonium that can be caused by someone seemingly so powerless, as Abigail instigated the entire thing by accusing Tituba in the very beginning of the play. I do believe it should be read in high schools as well as being included in the American canon of literature because it is relevant to the history of America.

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    1. I agree with you about the behavior of some of the characters in the play. The yellow bird scene was very frustrating, but I guess that's what happens when an entire town supposedly believes in witchcraft.

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    2. I do agree with how frustrating it would be to see how all the characters would act at certain points. I think the most frustrating point in the book for me was when Elizabeth lied because if she would have told the truth like she always does the trails would have been over.

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    3. I agree with you! I do think the characters were a little dumb. Like why would you believe teenage girls instead of adults. I also do think it should be read because each character has their own unique touch to it

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    4. I agree with you! I do think the characters were a little dumb. Like why would you believe teenage girls instead of adults. I also do think it should be read because each character has their own unique touch to it -Brandon

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  14. I did enjoy reading The Crucible because I thought it was interesting how the play served as an allegory for McCarthyism and the Red Scare, and how the time period and setting that it took place during impacted the way all the characters behaved and interacted with each other. I also enjoyed studying The Crucible, because I got to learn more about McCarthyism and the Red Scare and how that inspired the author to write the play which was interesting to me as well. My biggest takeaway from the play is how sometimes fear can be used to manipulate and control individuals within a society. I think that The Crucible should be read in high schools because the events in the play can be compared to real-world situations and in a way it encourages you to reflect on your own values. For these reasons I also think it is a book that everyone should read.

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  15. I really liked reading the crucible as it was enjoyable and showed different aspects of a society known as "good". My biggest takeaway from the play was how it showcased fear and how people were affected by it differently. I believe this is a good book to teach to high-schoolers as they tend to let fear and even people get the best of them and this play might be seen as an eye-opener to them and to teach them how to react to different things.

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    1. I agree that it can be an eye opener for the students as it grants a perspective that may not be as commonly seen anymore

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  16. I enjoyed reading The Crucible because I feel like the story was really well written and there were really good plot twists. I enjoyed studying The Crucible a lot because i felt like re could really connect this back to present day as well as events that have occured in the past such as the red scare.I think it should be read in all highschools because it has a lot of themes in it that we can takeaway from and apply to our own lives such as mob mentality and this in turn can better shape us as individuals and society.

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    1. Yes I agree with you the crucible had so many plot twist and I also agree that the crucible connects to the red scare .

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    2. Jahaira comment ^^

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  17. I enjoyed reading the crucible. Although it was frustrating at times, I believe it was a well written story and an informative allegory. My biggest takeaway from the play was the dangers of mob mentality and how lies can manifest into something devastating. I believe that it should be read in a high school class because it is packed with knowledge of both morality and history of McCarthysim and would give a fresh perspective of corruption to the students.

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    1. I agree with you when the biggest takeaway was mob mentality especially that scene in act 4 when it was the girls and Abigail vs Mary W . Yes I also agree reading the crucible was frustrating but interesting

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    2. I agree with it being frustrating at times, for me it was when Elizabeth first lied and it was in front of the court. I also agree with your biggest takeaway, when Abigail starts to lie it shows how the girls continue it due to fear.

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    3. OMG! When Elizabeth lied, I almost stopped reading because the whole case would have been over since they just had to prove a motive Abigail would have to accuse Elizabeth. But, no Elizabeth had to go trying to save her husband after being so dry and cold the whole book, now wanting to be all romantical sacrificing herself for him. 🤦🤦

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    4. I agree that it was very well written. I think that Arthur Miller was able to write about his own experience with McCarthyism and make it into an into a very interesting story for people to learn from.

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    5. It annoyed me a lot when Mary Warren was starting to atone for all the people she falsely accused, just to turn on John because the mob of Abigail and the other girls was overwhelming her, knowing every one of those girls are pretending to be possessed and also knowing John hasn't committed witchcraft.

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  18. I somewhat enjoyed The Crucible, I found it very interesting since it was a play and we were able to learn about the Salem Witch Trials. I enjoyed how the book got my attention in the first page which usually doesn’t happen until the next 15/20 pages. My biggest takeaway from the book has to be about the lies and how the Puritans kept it going. No matter what they kept lying to get what they want, even if that meant hurting one another. I believe everyone should read it since it includes a good plot twist, characters and we are able to learn from their mistakes. It is also an important historical moment for us to learn about since it includes the witch trials and McCarthyism.

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  19. Yes I have enjoyed reading the Crucible because it got me thinking about how the human race and got me thinking of how times were back in early America. I enjoyed studying the Crucible because its like the game among us trying to find out the imposter. I also enjoyed reading the crucible because it also helped me figure out how the Puritans were back then and why people are not in the religion anymore. Yes, I do believe people should read this in Highschool because it gets people thinking of what's going to happen next. It should be an American classic because it reaches you many lessons. It is also important to understand this book because society was similar to the McCarthy era and how everything can get out of hand really fast.

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  20. Alina Torres
    Yes i enjoyed reading The Crucible and think it should be read in high school. The reason is because it’s a great way to reflect on how people do things just to get away with something or how people lie to get there way. The Crucible talks about witchcraft, that leads into lies and shows how lies can affect someone life. This book should be in included in American canon of literature since it has life lessons.

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  21. I enjoyed reading and studying The Crucible.The story was entertaining and I learned many new things like how the puritans lived in early New England.My biggest takeaway was how we learned the comparisons between the Salem Witch trials a very real thing that happened to The Red Scare.People in high school should learn about this book because things happening in this book happen in everyday life.

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  22. I enjoyed reading collectively as a group on a short book like The Crucible, as it definitely influenced me to participate more with divided roles giving the reading a more interactive and realistic feeling. I enjoyed studying The Crucible as I gravitated more to the term Mob-Mentality as the book really displays the power of it, especially in a fucked up government like that ( Theocracy ). My biggest takeaway is the injustice that still takes place today and it was even as big as a factor as corruption is now today. I feel as if it's been this long there's always gonna be some type of corruption within government and it's ultimately inevitable. The book compared to 2024 evidently accentuates my point. I do think the book should be read no bias , it teaches lessons, but not only just gives you basic information on history and how big religion was back then, even today. I don't think it should be involved in the canon as I really don't know much but this isn't' a book ill read on my free time, its more compelling as a movie. I think it's a good book to read, but it's not essential because things has changed compare to before Christ and 2024. - rene

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    1. You are such a king and I love everything you had to say about this book. Good job king.

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  23. I personally enjoyed reading The Crucible even though it seemed boring at first. The biggest take away that I get from this book is that our fear of something can eventually turn us exactly into what we fear. We see this for example in Hales case, he came to Salem because he like the rest of the town feared the devil and was trying to eliminate him. But he realized to late that he and the town had become the devil themselves as they were killing innocent people. I think this book should be read in schools as it’s an interesting story in which we can see many themes develop in the play.

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    1. I agree, and i like how you tied Hale coming into the town just for him to come to the true realization on what Salem really was.

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    2. I love your explanation of how Hale turned into what he feared. I think that is a great lesson that people should take with them after reading this book

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  24. I really enjoyed studying the crucible, reading it not so much. I think that as a reader we go into books with expectations of what the ending will be and get disappointed when it’s not exactly as we imagined. I went into the crucible believing we would get a satisfying ending and ended up angry when that hope was ruined right before the town could’ve been saved. My biggest takeaway from the play is how quickly lies can spread. All of Salem went crazy because of lies and people that blindly believed them. I think that I could’ve gone my whole life without reading the Crucible and wouldn’t have missed out on a lot. But reading it has given me a new perspective and understanding of both the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism which as a history buff I’m glad I got to learn more about.

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    1. I agree with how the Crucible doesn't have a proper satisfying ending. Personally, I wanted to see the rebellion that was being teased of forming to go against the court. I do not think John Proctor did not necessarily have to die to save the town, I believe if they had a rebellion that took over the court, it could have saved John Proctor and a new future to the town.

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  25. I have mixed feelings for the play The Crucible. On one hand, it is a brilliant comparison from the past historical events to the present although it's not fully accurate due to changes for dramatic effects. On the contrary, the play feels bland as the play is based on the Salem Witch Trials; an event that hangs people who are suspected for witchcraft without any real evidence. Basing it off of Witch Trials, the whole play is just going to be centered around accusing and lying, making it repetitive and dull. Although the trials appeared boring, I learned a lot from it. The key takeaways I got from the play is to never hide something important as it could lead to a tragic ending, shown by the character John Proctor. The way I see it, the play is generally about historical events which fits high school, it allows the students to make connections to what they had learned in history classes while keeping them engaged. As for the American canon of literature, the book should only stay if the majority of the readers likes history and would like to dig deeper into past events.

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    1. I disagree, I feel based around the Salem Witch Trail is fine and people dying makes it me feel excitement.

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    2. I disagree, the play isn't bland and in my opinion there isn't a dull moment in the book.

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  26. Yes, I really enjoyed reading the Crucible and studying the crucible due to how the Salem Witch Trials are used as an allegory for the Red Scare and shows us how fear of the unknown can make us create biases, which can be taken advantage of. I like how the Crucible uses the Salem Witch Trials example since it shows it can happen across time and in places like the Puritan towns where they are “sinless” and many follow very strict religious rules. The play shows how easily morality can be undermined and the truth bent in response to outside influences. Characters give in to deception, accusations, and self-preservation, demonstrating the complex elements of human nature. I think this play should be read within highschools since the play demonstrates the complexities of human nature and how things can be manipulated; it can help students to break these complexities down and be able to connect ideas within the book. Reading the play alongside studying the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism can help students understand these historical events, develop critical thinking skills, and draw connections between the past and present. I believe it should be included in the canon of American literature since the play explores timeless themes of mass hysteria, individual integrity vs. societal pressure, and the dangers of blind faith. These appeal to readers of all ages and cultural backgrounds, making it applicable outside of its historical setting.

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    1. I agree with you when you wrote about the characters in the play giving in to deception, accusations and self-preservation and also on how the play can help with understanding the historical events it is based off of.

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    2. I like how you say the themes in the play are universal. It's not just about history, but how it's also about morality and human nature, and it can happen anywhere. Where Arthur connects it back to the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism, which is very important in history. I loved how you said that the play teaches us critical thinking and not just how; It's not just a story; on how it helps students think about history and how it relates to today. I also loved the themes you mentioned such as hysteria which is seen throughout and seen in todays world today.

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  27. I think that The Crucible was a great book, it showed us how life was like during this time, and it showed us how different the cultures were at that time. But not only did it show us how life was like over 400 years ago, but it also showed us the similarities to not even a hundred years ago. McCarthyism was still a growing concern with the American public, and this feeling of superstition was not only shown during the Pilgrim Age, but also during the middle of ther 20th century, over the idea of Communism being like witchcraft in this case. I like how Miller used the connections with what has happening at that time and how it related to the witch trials, and I agree with Miller, it is very similar. In the end the effects were that people suffered, people accused, and suffered for no reason, which is why I like this book, the endings arent all good, they have some sadness to it.

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    1. I agree with how the ending of the book was kind of sad because of how the ending felt kind of empty because these people who were innocent of the crimes they were accused of, would still die in the end even after John Proctor's attempt to turn the trial around.

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  28. Yes I enjoyed reading the crucible because it had a intresting storyline and because of the characters refecting the time period with they're actions and wording. I enjoyed studying the crucible because of the time period it was based in. The topic of witched craft in early American life was intresting to read and learn about. My biggest take away is how lies and secrets effect people. Not only that but about the effects of mob mentality that can be tied into our present day society. It should be read in high school because i feel like students can learn and take away something from the book when reading it. It should be included in American Canon because it reflects real life.

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    1. I like what you wrote for the biggest takeaway and also agree that it was an interesting storyline.

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  29. I would say that yes I did enjoy reading the crucible because I feel like it was a good story based on a crazy time in human history. My biggest takeaway from the book is that having too much pride will lead to your downfall because that is what happened to John Proctor. I do think it should be read in high schools because it is just a good book overall and it has a hidden meaning(Mccarthyism). I think this is a book everyone should read because it is a classic period.

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    1. I agree how you connected the importance of the idea of McCarthyism with the idea of the crucible.

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    2. I like how your biggest takeaway from the book is pride leading to your own downfall since this applies to a lot of people in society, especially the upper/wealthy class.

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    3. I agree with your takeaway, John was so worried about ruining his reputation in the beginning and held onto his guilt for so long and by the time he revealed his crime to everyone, it was too late, too much damage had been done, and Abigail had gained too much power.

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  30. I personally didn't really enjoy reading the play as the way they talked made it confusing at times to understand what they were trying to say, also since there was so many people it made it kind of hard to keep track of who was who. However even though I found the book to be a pain to read, I actually really enjoyed the story, I love how the book was actually educating me on a real event that took place in history, while making it very entertaining. in addition I love how the book showed me all of the spectrum of human nature, from selfishness with Abigail and the girls, to selflessness with Giles Corey and some what John Proctor.

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  31. Personally I like the book really good, even if everyone dies. The book has interesting plot where there is lots of build up to the end of the book. The character development and characterization of the character's in the book makes everything the more interesting. Connecting it to McCarthyism is interesting idea and finding the connection between the 2 timelines shows a deeper meaning of this book. This book overall I would give it a 4/5 if there is a star rating. The play should be read in high school because of the deeper meaning towards the Idea of McCarthyism and letting students to dig deeper to these 2 ideas McCarthyism and Witchery. Good book overall.

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    1. I do also believe the deeper meanings towards McCarthyism is a really interesting thing the book does. I would actually give it a 4/5 like you did because of the interesting plot - Brandon

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    2. I agree with you because it does have an interesting plot. As well as how characterization plays a very big part in the book showing how the characters truly are.

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    3. I liked the idea of McCarthyism and the mention of the red scare and the Salem witch trials in the book

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  32. I would say that I did enjoy the play because it was interesting to see all the twist and turns it would take. In the beginning of the play I didn't think that all the lies would led to the death of many innocent people. I think the biggest take away from the play was that everyone no matter how much of a good person they are they will do anything to protect themselves above anyone else. This is because you saw how one by one everyone started to blame each other about witchcraft no matter if the were friends, husband and wife, or even family. I do think that the play should be taught in High School because if gives you a deeper meaning on McCarthyism.

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  33. The Crucible was an enjoyable book for me because it's based off real life events during the Salem Witch trials and it gives us an idea of what life in a Theocracy was like for the Puritans. My biggest takeaway from this play was that some people will go to extreme lengths to maintain their reputation. This book should definitely be read in high school because the hysteria in this book is similar to the hysteria during the Cold War when the policies of McCarthyism were in effect.

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    1. I agree with how you describe and mention theocracy and bring it up to describe the people of the Salem witch trials.

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  34. Yes, i enjoyed reading the play The Crucible because it had an interesting storyline. The biggest takeaway from the play is that life isn’t fair and bad things could still happen wether you’re a good or bad person. Yes, it should be read in high schools because its has already been read in thousands of high schools and it already has its recognition. It should included in the American canon of literature because it’s a renowned book and has been read in schools for many generations. - Hans

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  35. I personally didn't enjoy reading the book of the Crucible, I would rather enjoy seeing the play instead. This is because the plot is interesting and is seen better through visual. However I do think this should be read in high school because it teaches you a lot of the Salem Witch Trials. My biggest takeaway of the Crucible would be to always be careful whether if something may be love or lust because it can get confused..which is what occurred leading to the plot of The Crucible. I think it should be included in the American canon of literature because it can be seen as a classic play to many.

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  36. The Crucible, which in my opinion was an amazing read that presented both the variances in cultures at the time and the way of life during this period. This should be taught in high school. The American’s worries over McCarthyism continued to increase, and superstition over the idea that Communism in this instance was similar to witchcraft was evident not only during the Pilgrim Age but also in the mid-1900s. I enjoy the way Miller made the links between the witch trials and what was going on at the time.-Khalil

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  37. I enjoyed the crucible because it was dramatic and had suspense and it gave all of its characters their own personality. My biggest takeaway is to never keep silent because it could eventually come back to hurt you. I think it should be read in high school since it could give students a desire to read because it's an entertaining book. I think it should be included in an American canon of literature because of it's popularity and connection to the red scare.

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  38. I enjoyed the crucible. I liked the author's creative play of putting the salem witch trials. I'd say my biggest takeaway was how it ended even with the bad outcomes for the town and characters, but characters like Elizabeth had new opportunity. I think it should be read in high schools as it teaches students about how a society can go to hell with one kind of outlook on a subject or topic, etc. I think it should be included in the American canon of literature. My first reason is how it gives background to actual people during the Salem witch trials and the trial themselves. Also, it gives historical background to the red scare thanks to the author (Arthur Miller). Having these historical events related to the book gives students more info about America and it's history and gives understanding about society. Also, it's a fun book to read in class.

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