Tuesday, May 5, 2015

How does Miller characterize Parris in The Crucible?

To me, Parris seems characterized as cautious and nervous.
What I find most ironic about such characterization is that Parris, if a holy man,
should have no fear of others opinions if he is indeed right with God and his heart is
pure.


This is not how Miller paints him. I see Parris
watching his back. He works to hide the situation of his daughter Betty from his
congregation. He fears having them know that the demonic has had power over his
family.


Parris feels his parishioners are out to get him.
He feels cheated by them. There was a discrepancy over his annual salary. He thought his
salary should be 66 pounds a year plus firewood. His parish understood the salary to be
60 pounds a year and 6 pounds worth of firewood. When he is issued the latter of the two
he is disappointed and feels slighted.


Because John doesn't
regularly come to church, Parris judges his holiness. He finds Proctor less of a man
because of his faithlessness to church attendance. That is not the measure of a man,
Parris will soon learn what is.

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