John Proctor: Losing Faith at the Expense of Preserving Another

John Proctor: Losing Faith At the Expense of Preserving Another

A person is shaped by his or her experiences, and can ultimately become better or worse because of it. When people face crucibles, or severe tests or trials, they learn from the experience and tend not to make the same mistake twice. This holds true for John Proctor, one of the few voices of reason in Arthur Miller's The Crucible, a play depicting the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Proctor's character evolves as a result of his experience in this crucible, and learns that he cannot argue reason against a mob so fixated on confirming their biases.

As the play begins, John Proctor is introduced in such a way that the reader may think of him as an evil character. "He is a sinner, a sinner not only against the moral fashion of the time, but against his own vision of decent conduct" (Miller 18). At this point the reader knows nothing more about him other than the fact that he lives five miles from the center of Salem and that he rarely comes to Sabbath services. This, coupled with the opinions of other characters, provides sufficient evidence that the character may in fact be evil. In addition, we learn that Proctor had an affair with Abigail, having cheated on his wife, Elizabeth, and only confirming the reader's suspicion.

However, as the play progresses and the major conflict is introduced, the argument that Proctor is "evil" becomes less valid and he is even seen as a ray of hope for Salem. John knows that he cannot change what happened between him and Abigail, so he tries his best to make amends for it with Elizabeth. "No more! I should have roared you down when first you told me your suspicion. But I wilted, and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed! Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that day. But you're not, you're not, and let you remember it! Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not" (Miller 53). Proctor confesses and truly feels sorry for what he has done, evident by his word choice and speech in general which indicates authentic sorrow and regret. He pleads with Elizabeth to see the good in him, and in doing so he also pleads with the reader. From this point forward, the reader considers Proctor's word genuine, and he is seen as the symbol of hope for Salem. Abigail has already played the judges for fools, making them believe that she and other girls were engaging in witchcraft. Proctor knows she is faking, yet cannot prove it, which is why he recruits Mary Warren to testify that she and the girls were faking the entire time.

Unfortunately, Mary is unable to convince Judge Danforth that the girls