HISTORICAL CONTEXT LITERATURE The Puritans The Salem Witch

HISTORICAL CONTEXT & LITERATURE The Puritans, The Salem Witch Trials, The Mc. Carthy Era & The Crucible

Essential Questions � � � � How is idealism in tension with pragmatism in American culture? How does American culture embrace and reject the individual who stands against the mainstream? What happens when freedom and responsibility are in direct conflict with one another? When people are tested, how do they reveal their true personality? Is it ever justified to break society's rules? Do a person’s actions define them? Can a person be a hero and a villain?

Freedom & Responsibility � Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry is own weight, this is a frightening prospect. Eleanor Roosevelt � Discuss the meaning of this quote.

Freedom vs Responsibility � When do you see these things in conflict? � Is it always easy to do the right thing? � Is it ever ok to break a law or rule?

On The Rainy River � � � Excerpt from Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried How do you think someone who is drafted to fight in a war that they did not believe in feel about Freedom and Responsibility? What conflicts would they feel?

Early America Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492 Native Americans encounter European Explorers Jamestown, VA is settled (Earliest American Colony -1607) Captain John Smith writes A True Relation. . . of Virginia Pilgrims land at Plymouth, Massachusetts (1620) William Bradford writes Of Plymouth Plantation in 1651 Anne Bradstreet's collection of poems is published (1650 s) Salem Witch Trials (1692) Great Awakening (series of religious revivals) sweeps through the colonies. - Jonathan Edwards Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741)

Plymouth Massachusetts

The Puritans human beings exist for the glory of God the bible is the sole expression of God's will Predestination - the believe that God has already decided who will achieve salvation and who will not The elect (or saints) cannot take that election for granted believed in original sin* & felt that they could accomplish good only through continual hard work & self discipline (Puritan ethic) *original sin refers to Adam & Eve http: //www. history. com/topics/puritanism

Pilgrims vs. Puritans PILGRIMS � � � critical of the church of England had given up hope of "purifying" the church from within so they decided to withdraw (earned name Separatists) sailed from England on the Mayflower in 1620 and settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts PURITANS � � � religious reformers who did not withdraw from the Church of England wanted to reform the church from within In America, they wanted to establish a community guided by all aspects of the Bible Theocracy Government: a state under the immediate guidance of God Religion affected every aspect of Puritan life

Puritanism in Decline… � � by 1700's Puritanism throughout New England was in decline more liberal Protestant congregations attracted more followers (more freedom) 1720 - The Great Awakening (series of religious revivals led by ministers Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield attracted many but did little to revive oldfashioned Puritanism which vanished by the time of the American Revolution

Lasting Impression Puritanism did make a lasting impression on American attitudes. It's ideals of hard work, frugality, self-improvement, and self -reliance are still regarded as basic American values.

Anne Bradstreet � � � Born in England Settled in America with the Puritans in Massachusetts with her husband eight children. There “she became one of the first poets to write English verse in the American colonies” (Poets. org)

About the Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 -1864) � � � � Born July 4 th in Salem, Massachusetts By the time he was born 5 generations of Hathornes had lived in Salem Hawthorne was aware of his family's status in the community though it was not always admirable. His great-grandfather John Hathorne was a judge in the Salem Witch Trials His great-great grandfather William was a Puritan leader who ordered that a woman receive a public whipping for being a Quaker and she nearly died. Scholars have concluded that Hawthorne felt the burden of his ancestry & assumed the guilt of his grandfathers. He is considered to be an anti-transcendentalist due to the dark nature of his stories and his perception of human nature.

The Crucible � � Play written by Arthur Miller The plot is about the Salem Witch Trials, but the story was also written as an allegory of the Mc. Carthy Era An allegory is a narrative that can be read on more than one level. Ex: Animal Farm is considered to be an allegory of the Russian Revolution

Arthur Miller � � considered one of the finest contemporary American playwrights chronicled the dilemma of common people pitted against powerful & unyielding social forces

Arthur Miller’s Background � � � born in New York City in 1915 The Depression forced his family to move from Manhattan to modest quarters in Brooklyn dropped out if high school & worked as a shipping clerk for an auto company (wrote about it in A Memory of Two Mondays) 1934 - persuaded the University of Michigan to accept him even though he did not finish high school 1947 his play All My Sons opened on Broadway established Miller as one of the country's most promising playwrights

Miller’s Works � � wrote Death of a Salesman the story of a tragic protagonist Willie Loman which won a Pulitzer Prize wrote The Crucible in 1953 which depicts the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 It was inspired by Miller's belief that the hysteria surrounding the witchcraft trials paralleled the contemporary climate of the Mc. Carthy Era Mc. Carthyism - Senator Joseph Mc. Carthy's obsession to uncover communist infiltration in American institutions

Miller’s Personal Life & Other Works � � � 1956 - he married Marilyn Monroe. He did little writing during his 5 year marriage but wrote the screenplay for Misfits which starred Monroe. Other plays by Miller are Vichy, The Prince, The Creation of the World and Other Business, The Archbishop's Ceiling, and The American Clock

Homework Tonight � � � Read the articles on the Salem Witch Trials and Mc. Carthyism As you read, underline or highlight important details Annotate each section by summarizing in the margins important facts – the idea is you could read your notes to understand what you read later

Salem Witch Trials � � � � 1692 the colony of Massachusetts was plagued by a witchcraft hysteria resulted in the death of at least 20 and the jailing of at least 150 others While it is considered to be one of the most tragic events in American history, it is only a small part of a much larger witchcraft hysteria which swept through Europe during the 16 th & 17 th centuries Historians estimate that between 1 - 9 million alleged witches were hanged or burned to death in Europe during this time There were no prior mass accusations in Massachusetts before 1692 Stressful nature of Puritan life contributed to the outbreak Many colonist considered hardships to be the work of the devil and were eager to strike back at evil forces

Salem Witch Trials � � � � originated in the small village of Salem (now Danvers, Massachusetts) most people in Salem were poor, uneducated, & superstitious Quick to blame witchcraft when the minister's daughter and niece & several other girls became afflicted with a strange illness that caused them to have seizures and lapse into unconsciousness Reverend Samuel Parris questioned his daughter & niece and they accused the minister's slave, Tituba and 2 other women. Three women were taken into custody & Tituba was coerced into confirming the girls' accusations Other girls began naming people and dozens were jailed The Salem Witch Trials began when the governor appointed several of the colony's leading citizens to a court to try those accused.

Setting � � Tells the reader when and where a story takes place This also includes the locale of the story, the weather, the time of day, & the time period (past, present, or future) Purpose of setting: � Provides background � Provides a place for characters to live & act � Helps make the story real and believable

Two Things To Keep in Mind � Many experts agree that Miller used the names of real 17 th century people, but he took many liberties in ascribing motivations to them � Miller was motivated to write The Crucible in the 1950's in order to criticize the activities of Senator Joseph Mc. Carthy and the movement to find and prosecute suspected communists as if he were carrying out a witch trial.

The Crucible Act 1 Overture � � Read and Annotate (highlight/underline and take notes in the margin) Pay attention to: - setting - characters - people of Salem - Puritan beliefs - clues that relate Miller’s purpose for writing

Act I Characters � � � � Tituba Mary Warren Parris Betty Abigail Susanna Mrs. Putnam Mercy Hale Proctor Rebecca Nurse Giles Cory

Conflicts in Act 1? � � � � � Proctor and Rev. Parris Abigail and Proctor Rebecca Nurse and Putnam families Hale, Parris, & the girls and Tituba Parris and the town Abigail and Mary Mrs. Putnam and Goody Osborne Proctor and himself Proctor and Putnam People of Salem vs Rev Parris

Characterization � means a writer reveals a characters' personality � Methods of Characterization: Direct Characterization - traits are directly stated by author Indirect Characterization - we indirectly learn about characters through their appearance, thoughts and feelings, things they say, what others say about them, and their actions � �

Characterization � � unlike a short story or novel, a playwright cannot usually reveal character traits directly (Direct characterization) Everything the reader learns about a character is through their actions and comments However, in the published version of The Crucible, Miller includes historical background and commentary on events and actions of characters. If you saw a performance of the play, you would not get that additional information.

Act II Characters: Elizabeth Proctor Mary Warren Hale Giles Francis Based on the events of Act I, what do you think is going to happen next in Salem? HW: Act II Journal Questions

Act III � � � � � Judge Hathorne Martha Corey Mary Warren Giles Corey Danforth Herrick Rev. Parris Francis Nurse Susanna Walcott Rev. Hale Proctor Elizabeth Cheever Putnam Abigail Mercy Lewis

Extended Response Test � � You will need to answer one question in each of the following categories: allegory, theme, and character Each response is worth 15 points You will need to use your book to provide textual evidence for each of your responses You may use post its to mark certain parts of the book beforehand

English 11 Exam � � Part 1 – Multiple choice (mix of definitions and identification of literary device used) – 18 -21 points Part 2 – Short Answer (you will choose from different readings from this semester to answer the questions) – 9 -12 points Part 3 – Read, Annotate, and Analysis of Argument (3 extended response questions) – 20 points Part 4 – Impromptu essay (SAT style prompt) – 50 points

“The Minister’s Black Veil” � � � Like The Crucible, it is set in Puritan New England. Parable: brief story that teaches a moral lesson and has human characters (compared to a fable that teaches a moral lesson but as characters that are usually animals) Allegory – symbolic meaning