Sunday, December 7, 2014

What are some ideas from The Crucible that I could use for the prompt, Conflict is necessary for change to occur?

In my mind, the most direct example of this would be to
examine John Proctor's character.  Simply put, Proctor does not become a better human
being without the conflict.  It is the political and moral conflict that grips Proctor
that enables him to become a better person, enabling change to happen.  Proctor is seen
at the start of the drama as someone who is willing to allow the Status Quo to
continue.  It is only through the trial where he becomes convinced that change is
needed.  Here is the first moment where Proctor undergoes a political reclamation.  From
an outsider who never really felt that he had a stake in the system, the conflicts in
the trial reveal someone who recognizes the political imperatives present and the need
to initiate change.  When Proctor undergoes a personal change, it is indeed to find a
"shred of goodness."  This is a very powerful line and an important concept.  The
relationship between Elizabeth and Proctor is one that only undergoes its change through
conflict.  If the conflict of the witch trials and of Abigail had not entered their
lives, Proctor would not have been able to summon the courage to stand up for himself
and she would not have had the chance to see him with his "goodness."  It seemed that
Proctor had been in search of this throughout the drama, only to find it at the end. 
This indicates that conflict is needed for such change to
happen.

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