Motif
Tracking: The Crucible – Animal Imagery
Summary:
This motif has been
used throughout Miller’s play, The Crucible, for several reasons. Behaving like
an animal is considered to be a form of breaking social convention and
rebellion against society as animals are crude and primitive. Miller often
associates animalism with Proctor’s sin and Abigail referred to herself as being ‘wild’ possibly suggesting that
she does not follow the rules that everyone else does. This may in turn suggest
the possible reading of how women like Abigail who are free, are dangerous and
wild that must be tamed and owned by a man in order for them to become
civilized and valued in society.
However, as the
play progresses, animalism becomes increasingly used as a symbol of freedom and
passion. The only times when animals
are civilized and controlled are when they are trapped by humans and forced to
conform to the Puritan ideals of
Miller also uses animal imagery to represent the Devil making use of
the sinister connotations of animals as aggressive and cruel to represent the Salemites fears of what the devil is like. However, the
fact that animals are free also further suggests that the Devil himself is freer
than God because the Devil has no rules, while God must stick to his moral
principles of what is right and wrong.
Quotations &
Analysis:
|
Page |
Quotation |
Analysis |
|
19 |
ABIGAIL: It were sport, uncle! PARRIS [pointing at BETTY]: You
call this sport? [She lowers her eyes. He pleads.] Abigail, if you
know something that may help the doctor, for God’s sake tell it to me. [She
is silent.] I saw Tituba waving her arms over
the fire when I came on you. Why was she doing that? And I heard a screeching
and gibberish coming from her mouth. She were
swaying like a dumb beast over that fire! ABIGAIL: She always sings her |
Tituba is described
like a “dumb beast”, demonstrating how slaves were treated during this time
period. Tituba’s rituals are foreign to the rest of
Additionally,
“dumb” signifies her inability to speak freely as she is repressed, being a
mere slave. Equally the word ‘gibberish’ is used to describe her native
language because the people in town do not recognize it, and believe it is
inferior to their own superior race and culture. Finally, witchcraft
was thought to be a primitive behaviour, something close to nature and this
fear of beasts and nature reflects the settlers’ fears of the unknown wilds
of |
|
26 |
ABIGAIL [with alarm, as she cautiously
approaches BETTY]: What ails you, Betty? Your mama’s dead and buried. BETTY: I’ll fly to Mama. Let me fly!
[She raises her arms as though to fly, and streaks for the window, get one
leg out.] |
Betty’s desire to
fly is a symbol of the girls’ desire for freedom. Betty takes advantage of
the hysteria to become a bird because animals in general are allowed to do
uncivilized things, things that would normally be unacceptable for her to do
in |
|
26 |
BETTY: You drank blood, Abby! You
didn’t tell him that! ABIGAIL: Betty, you never say that
again! You will never – BETTY: You did, you did! You drank a
charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor! ABIGAIL [smashes her across the face]:
Shut it! Now shut it! |
This image of
Abigail drinking blood illustrates her desperation to be with Proctor. But it
also suggests a sense of animal aggression she is ,
quite literally “blood thirsty” which foreshadows the later attempts she
makes on |
|
29 |
ABIGAIL: I know how you clutched my
back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! Or
did I dream that? It’s she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw
your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now! |
The image of
Proctor sweating “like a stallion” indicates the lust and passionate
relationship between them, but also suggests its short term nature,
insinuating that it was purely physical as animals, unlike humans, are not
associated with monogamous, loving relationships. The stallion’s
main purpose is to mate and reproduce. This activity emphasizes the lack of
love in this ‘job’ which reinforces the ideas that the relationship with
Abigail was purely physical. Additionally, the
sexual behaviour of animals is viewed as a crude and primitive interaction
which contrasts with humans, where romance is supposed to exist within the
relationship. This heavily emphasises the degrading nature of Proctor’s sin,
he is disgusted with himself that he could have succumbed to so base a desire.
|
|
29 |
PROCTOR: Abby,
that’s a wild thing to say ABIGAIL: A wild thing may say wild
things. But not so wild, I think. I have seen you since she put me out; I
have seen you nights. |
Abigail is given
an animalistic characteristic to exemplify her rebellious character and her
freedom, as animals are not bound by the laws of society, to do and feel more
than most Salemites would. It also suggests
that women who are not controlled by men are considered to be ‘wild’ and thus
need to be tamed in order to become acceptable. This further suggests that
women are inferior and helpless against men as they are the ones who can
control women like a wild animal. The term wild
also portrays Abigail as a villainous character, as she is willing to kill to
gain what she wants, something that she accepts herself as she calls herself
a wild thing. |
|
29 |
ABIGAIL: I have a sense for heat,
John, and yours has drawn me to my window, and I have seen you looking up,
burning in your loneliness. Do you tell me you’ve never looked up at my
window? |
This “sense of
heat” which Abigail uses suggests not only passionate desire by also echoes a
phrase normally used for animals; to be “in heat”. This reemphasises the true
nature of the relationship between Proctor and Abigail: Proctor succumbed to
a purely physical temptation, demonstrating that he is human, and has
inherent flaws and weaknesses. It is this ‘flaw’ that he struggles with
throughout the play. |
|
37 |
It is as
impossible for most men to conceive of a morality without sin as of an earth
without ‘sky’. Since 1692 a great but superficial change was wiped out God’s
beard and the Devil’s horns, but the world is still gripped between two
diametrically opposed absolutes. |
Miller uses a
narrative interjection as an opportunity to state what he truly believes –
outside of the actual plot of the text. During this section of the text,
Miller introduces Hale and describes how “good” and “evil” are inextricable
linked. The use of animal
imagery here is to make the clear distinction between God and the Devil.
Animalising the Devil with “horns” in contrast to “God’s beard” demonstrates
that evil conduct is associated with animals and their lack of restraint.
God, being portrayed with human qualities, is a symbol of moral perfection –
he has the qualities which mankind should posses (self-control and not
succumbing to temptation). The Devil in
contrast is represented as being uncivilized, wild and chaotic however, this
also suggests that the Devil is freer than God, since he can do whatever he
wants to without worrying about the rules, unlike God, which reinforces the
idea that the life of a human being, especially in the eyes of the residents
of Salem, is one lived according to a restrictive set of rules. |
|
44 |
HALE: Does someone afflict you, child?
It need not be a woman, mind you or a man. Perhaps some bird invisible to
other comes to you – perhaps a pig, a mouse, or any beast at all. Is there
some figure bids you fly? [The child remains limp in his hands. In silence he
lays her back on the pillow Now, holding out his hand toward her, he
intones.]… |
As the Devil has
been stereotyped as being closely associated with animals, Hale is using his
alleged expertise to investigate. However, the use of asyndeton (listing of
the animals) is actually a sort of manipulation or (inspiration!). By
suggesting these possible signs of the Devil, he is leading on those who are
being investigated. This is similar when Abigail is being questioned about
the soup (pg. 45) where Hale again makes suggestions which later find their
way into her confession. The fact that
Hale is so convinced that animals ‘or any beast at all’ are associated with
the Devil suggests his conservative belief that animals lower in hierarchy
than humans. |
|
49 |
HALE: Take courage, you must give us
all their names. How can you bear to see this child suffering? Look at her, Tituba. [He is indicating BETTY on the bed.] Look at her
God-given innocence; her soul is so tender; we must protect her, Tituba; the Devil is out and preying on her like a beast
upon the flesh of the pure lamb. God will bless you for your help. |
The religious
imagery here is evidence to show how the characters hid behind the religion
to justify their irrational acts, just as they did during the Communist
witch-hunts, where they hid behind the fear of Communism. The image of a
beast “preying… upon the flesh of the pure lamb” helps to create an image of
the girls as victims. However, it becomes obvious that the girls who make the
accusations are not as innocent as their lamb-like outer appearance. The irony
is emphasised by the lambs delicacy and fragility in contrast to the
aggressive beast. |
|
58 |
MARY WARREN [backing from him, but
keeping her erect posture, striving, striving for her way]: The Devil’s loose
in |
To say, something
is “loose” usually indicates that some sort of non-human being is roaming
freely amongst us. To animalise the Devil in such a way illustrates the
reality of the fear in |
|
61 |
PROCTOR: Then how do you charge me
with such a promise? The promise that a stallion gives a mare I gave that
girl! PROCTOR: Because it speaks deceit, and
I am honest! But I’ll plead no more! I see now your spirit twists around the
single error of my life, and I will never tear it free! |
The promise that
Proctor made to Abigail was of their short-term relationship, there was
nothing more than the physical aspect to it. To say that it is “the promise
that a stallion gives a mare” relates to the crudeness of their sexual
relationship. Animals are supposed to lack the self control that humans have
in order for monogamy to exist in our society. However, this “promise” that
was made obviously had an impact on Abigail as she believes that Proctor
still yearns for her. The promise however, is a judgement Proctor holds against
himself, never forgiving himself for his past sins which is shown later in
the play. |
|
68 |
GILES: That bloody
mongrel Walcott charge her. Y’see, he buy a pig of my wife four or five year ago, and the pig
died soon after. So he come dancin’
in for his money back. SO my Martha, she says to him, ‘Walcott, if you
haven’t the wit to feed a pig properly, you’ll not live to own many,’ she
says. Now he goes to court and claims that from that day to this he cannot
keep a pig alive for more than four weeks because my Martha bewitch them with her books! |
Miller may
possibly be criticising the modern society of The pig conflict
shows that the pig must be owned, that they are not allowed to run
freely emphasizing the idea of inferiority to humans |
|
93 |
PARRIS: Why could there not have been poppets hid where no one ever saw them? PROCTOR [furious]: There might also be
a dragon with five legs in my house, but no one has ever seen it. PARRIS: We are here, Your Honour,
precisely to discover what no one has ever seen. |
Again, Miller
uses this sarcasm to ridicule the situation. The allegations and the evidence
to prove them are baseless, just as Proctor points out with his five legged
dragon. It is evident that both the The mystical
animal is used to emphasize the absurdity of the point Hale is attempting to
make. |
|
97 |
PROCTOR [his voice about to break, and
his shame great]: In the proper place – where my beasts are bedded. On the
last night of my joy, some eight months past. She used to serve me in my
house, sir. [He has to clamp his jaw to keep from weeping.] A man may think
God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you
– see her what she is… |
Proctor is
describing where his lechery was committed, “in the proper place – where my
beasts are bedded”. Having this moment of weakness in a stable, (outside of
the house) is “proper” only because Proctor understands the nature of his
sin, such an act is not worthy of a true human being and so should be in this
setting which is unclean and “raw”.
The house is a representation of society and its morals, as well as a
symbol of family which should be kept away from sins and immorality and a
symbol of how Proctor thinks he should act. Animals are strongly associated
with the Devil, which further emphasises the severity of his sin and how he
so harshly judges himself. |
|
102 |
ABIGAIL: Why – ?
[She gulps.] Why do you come, yellow bird? PROCTOR: Where’s a bird? I see no
bird! ABIGAIL [to ceiling]: My face? My
face? … ABIGAIL [to the ceiling, in a genuine
conversation with the ‘bird’, as though trying to talk it out of attacking
her]: But God made my face; you cannot want to tear my face. Envy is a deadly
sin, Mary. MARY WARREN [on her feet with a
spring, and horrified, pleading]: Abby! ABIGAIL [unperturbed, continuing to
the ‘bird’]: Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape. No, I
cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; it’s God’s work I do. … SUSANNA WALCOTT: Her claws, she’s
stretching her claws! PROCTOR: Lies, lies. |
This particular
section of the novel is one of the leading moments to the climax. Abigail’s
scheme of pretending to see Mary Warren’s spirit being sent upon her manages
to convince a whole court of the reality of witch craft. However, this
relates back to an earlier act in the play where Hale actually suggests “an
invisible bird” demonstrating that this is just a manipulative tactic. This idea of changing
shape is believed to be “black magic”. The animal imagery may
also suggest that appearances are deceiving; a yellow bird does not normally
have menacing connotations as described here, but rather, it reflects the
deception within society. Abigail, being a “strikingly beautiful” young girl
is supposedly innocent and does not lie. However, she is one of the children
“jangling the keys to the kingdom”. Similarly, the American government in the
1950s was supposed to be a trusted administration but they used intimidation
in order to gain confessions of Communism. |
|
104 |
MARY WARREN [pointing at PROCTOR]:
You’re the Devil’s man! [He is stopped in his tracks.] … MARY WARREN [her sobs beginning]: He wake me every night, his eyes were like coals and his
fingers claw my neck, and I sign, I sign… HALE: Excellency, this child’s gone
wild! |
As the plot
“thickens”, Proctor suddenly finds himself in a situation where he is in the
vulnerable position, being accused of working for the Devil. Mary Warren
describes him with “eyes… like coals” portraying a fiery, devilish image of
Proctor, also saying “claw my neck” which animalises him. This places Proctor
in the position of the aggressor, having the same non-human characteristics
of a beast. In a way, this is the intimidation which Mary Warren suffered.
However, this dehumanisation of Proctor is significant as it exemplifies the
fear she feels. |
|
107 |
HERRICK [handing her the flask]: And
where are you off to, Sarah? TITUBA [as SARAH drinks]: We goin’ to HERRICK: Oh? A happy voyage to you. SARAH GOOD: A pair of bluebirds wingin’ southerly, the two of us! Oh, it be a grand
transformation, Marshal! [She raises her flask to drink again.] … [A bellowing cow
is heard, and TITUBA leaps us and calls to the window] Aye,
sir! That’s him, Sarah! … HERRICK [puling her to the door]:
That’s not Satan, just a poor old cow with a hatful of milk. |
Herrick, Tituba, and Sarah all appear to be drunk at the beginning
of this act. Tituba hopes for the Devil to bring
her home to The image of
wings is a representation once more of their desire to be free. From a
feminist reading, all of the young girls who made the accusations are
desperate to be free from this patriarchal society where there is an expected
behaviour of women. As such the Devil, in the sense that he is the antithesis
of the ‘Godly’ society of Tituba would be one of
the most victimised as she is a slave forced to work in a foreign country.
Additionally, the use of humour in this quotation where the girls mistake a
cow to be the Devil himself reinforces the “looseness” of the subject. There
is a lack of seriousness to the matter of the Devil which suggests it never
existed in the first place. |
|
109 |
DANFORTH: Perhaps he have some sorrow. CHEEVER [stamping his feet against the
cold]: I think it be the cows, sir. DANFORTH: Cows? CHEEVER: There be
so many cows wanderin’ the highroads, now their
masters are in the jails, and much disagreement who they will belong to now.
I know Mr. Parris be arguin’ with farmers all
yesterday – there is great contention, sir, about the cows. Contention make him weep, sir; it were always a man that
weep for contention. |
This quotation
again takes away from the previous seriousness of the witch hunt. Now that so
many are in jail, their farms have been left abandoned. This image is almost comical, it would appear that the “great contention” is
over a matter which is insignificant. It is also quite revealing of the
character, Parris, who has imprisoned people for material gain. This, in every aspect,
mirrors the political situation in which Miller wrote this play. The two men also
use the animal as a way to avoid thinking about the real issue and thus,
their own guilt. Since they are unwilling to admit that they have been wrong
themselves, they choose to blame the cows. There is an
additional irony here in that even the cows are freer than the humans. |
|
113 |
HALE: All but Proctor. He is in the
dungeon. DANFORTH [to HERRICK]: What’s
Proctor’s ways now? HERRICK: He sits like some great bird;
you’d not know he lived except he will take food from time to time. |
The simile of
“some great bird” indicates the point in Proctor’s “purifying” process. He is
in jail at this point in the play and has so far refused to make any
confession. He is a fallen man who has confessed his sins; his name has been
ruined however, he still maintains his morals. He has, however, not yet
proved to himself that he is good enough to die a hero. “Great bird” suggests
wisdom and strength. It also denotes the impression of silent resistance. An alternate
interpretation of this is that Proctor has an aura of defeat around him now,
being passive and silent. He does not seem to be alive anymore, as if he has
nothing more to life for. This animal
imagery gives Proctor a very powerful presence and aura that is conveyed
strongly even though he is silently sitting. This also shows that he has evolved almost
beyond this absurd situation. |
|
116 |
DANFORTH: … Are you stone? I tell you
true, woman, had I no other proof of your unnatural life, your dry eyes now
would be sufficient evidence that you delivered up your soul to Hell! A very
ape would weep at such a calamity! Have the devil dried up any tear of pity
in you? [She is silent.] Take her out. It profit
nothing she should speak to him! |
Animals are thought to
be emotionless therefore, the use of “ape” in this
quotation further emphasizes how tragic the situation is and how far Danforth misunderstands both Proctor and Elizabeth. Their
silence bespeaks a great respect and understanding of one another and also a
forgiveness that we do not see before. Goody Proctor’s final statement ‘He have his goodness now.’ shows she appreciates the struggle
that John has gone through and is aware of how important his sense of honour is to him. This in addition demonstrates
Danforth’s desperation to wring Proctor’s confession
from him in order to justify the hangings that have occurred so far. However,
he indirectly proves to Proctor that he is a good enough man to die a hero,
thus undermining the standing of the court in |
|
118 |
PROCTOR: Spite only keeps me silent.
It is hard to give a lie to dogs. [Pause, for the first time he turns
directly to her.] I would have your forgiveness, PROCTOR: I’d have you see some honest
in it. Let them that never lied die now to keep
their souls. It is pretence for me, a vanity that will not blind God nor keep
my children out of the wind. [Pause.] What say you? |
“It is hard to
give a lie to dogs.” Throughout the play, Proctor has been an upright man,
always refusing to deceive. But in this particular quotation, he admits that he only
remains silent and does not confess to spite them (being Danforth
and other characters of authority, and possibly Abigail as well) out of anger
and rage. But at this stage, he still does not truly feel that he is worthy
enough to die an honorable death because he has already committed sin.
Proctor, being the heroic protagonist, feels that the figures of authority
are “dogs” which is blatantly derogatory. |
|
120 |
PROCTOR: Then who will judge me?
[Suddenly clasping his hands] God in Heaven, what is John Proctor, what is
John Proctor? [He moves as an animal, and a fury is riding in him, a
tantalized search.] I think it is honest, I think so; I am no saint. [As
though she had denied this he calls angrily at her] Let Rebecca go like a
saint; for me it is fraud! |
Although the
initial dehumanisation of Proctor had negative associations with the Devil,
the animal-like characteristics that appear in Proctor now, closing in on the
“purifying” climax, demonstrate a careless freedom and lack of restraint.
Now, having confessed his sins, he is “naked” and is exposed just like an
animal with a lack of inhibition. However, this stage direction may also
signify the heightening emotion as the metaphorical crucible reaches its
boiling point. There is passion not only in his speech, but also in his body
movement, contrasting from the “great bird” image. |
|
125 |
HALE: Man, you will hang! You cannot! PROCTOR [his eyes full of tears]: I
can. And there’s your first marvel, that I can. You
have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in
John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it
from such dogs. [ |
The reader is
given the impression of the figures of authority being carnivorous “dogs”
wanting to take away whatever morality is left in Proctor. The irony lies
here, Hale believes he is saving Proctor from a meaningless death, but is
actually driving Proctor to the final point of the purifying process, where
Proctor realises that he is an honourable man. The bestial
imagery is used to convey the eagerness of the authorities that want to
snatch away any ‘good’ left in Proctor in order to save themselves. The
contrast between dog and the authorities is supposed to let the audience see
through the pretence and finally see the authorities as animals that are ‘out
of control’. |
|
125 |
HALE: Woman, plead with him! [He
starts to rush out the door, and then goes back to her.] Woman! It is pride,
it is vanity. [She avoids his eyes, and move to the window. He drops to his knees.]
Be his helper! – What profit him to bleed? Shall the dust praise him? Shall
the worms declare his truth? Go to him, take his shame away! |
Hale strongly believes
that Proctor is dying in vain; this description of death using words such as
“dust” and “worms” create a morbid image. Although Hale has some heroic
qualities, as he is able to change his mind set and speak truth, he does not
fully conceive morality in the same way in which Proctor finally dies
protecting his morals. The play ultimately ends with symbols such as the “new
sun” representing the hope of social reform; thus illustrating Proctor’s
death was not in vain. |
Key Moments:
“It is as impossible for most men to conceive of a
morality without sin as of an earth without ‘sky’. Since 1692 a great but
superficial change was wiped out God’s beard and the Devil’s horns, but the
world is still gripped between two diametrically opposed absolutes.” (pg.
37)
This quotation encompasses many of the themes within
this play. These sections of the play which are in the form of narration are
particularly significant as it is an opportunity for Miller to clearly state his
true message. Miller describes the actions of men being those of God or of the
Devil. But he also acknowledges that “until the Christian era the underworld
was never regarded as a hostile area” as both good and evil were inextricable
forces brought together by the same phenomenon. The
‘PROCTOR [his eyes full of tears]: I can. And there’s
your first marvel, that I can. You have made your
magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not
enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.
[ELIZABETH, in a burst of terror, rushes to him and weeps against his hand.]
Give them no tear! Tears pleasure them! Show honour now, show a stony heart and
sink them with it!’ pg. 125
This
quotation is an important part of the play because it is the critical decision
in Proctor’s life since he realizes that he has some shred of goodness
left in him, e.g. his high moral values indicated by the fact that he punishes
himself so harshly for his affair with Abigail. Proctor is finally able to
accept his sins and forgive himself, allowing him to rebel against the
authorities at the last minute by ripping the confession and deciding to die
like a martyr (like Giles and Rebecca Nurse). The irony of the repeated animal
image of the dog used, describes the authorities who are supposed to be on a
‘higher level of righteousness’ is significant because this emphasizes how
scheming and selfish the authorities are. Miller is trying to make the audience
relate these ridiculous authorities to men of their own time (e.g. McCarthy) running
the American government. It is also apparent that while Proctor’s ‘goodness’ is
not much it is still enough more than that of the dogs of the
Puritanical society, which shows how corrupt, sinister and selfish they are.
Another key moment for the motif of animals is when Abigail
describes her past affair with Proctor in the following lines: “I know how you
clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come
near”
This illustrates Abigail’s
erotic and wild nature which in turn marks her out as a rebel against the norms
of her society. The fact that Abigail sees no shame in this animalistic action
but Proctor does serves to highlight the crucial difference between these two
characters: Abigail is passionate to an almost frenzied and dangerous degree
and embraces the animalistic while Proctor is a moral man who cannot forgive
himself for succumbing to temptation and lowering himself to the level of an
animal. From this point on these two characters diverge, Abigail with her
powerfully passionate nature destroying the society which attempts to restrain
her while Proctor, plagued with self-disgust and doubt, embarks on a journey which
will ultimately end in self-forgiveness.