Theme Of Redemption In The Crucible

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The Scarlet Letter & “The Crucible” Everyone makes mistakes, it’s the way we handle those mistakes that determines how well we redeem ourselves. Hester Prynne, John Procter, and Abigail Williams all committed horrible sins within their puritan societies, but they did not all achieve the redemption they were looking for. Hester Prynne committed adultery, which nowadays is known as cheating, and within her 1600’s puritan society was a huge sin. As her punishment she had to stand in front of the whole town for three hours, with a scarlet letter “A” on her chest. After the punishment Hester could have taken off the “A”, or ran away from the town, but she didn’t, she kept wearing it in front of the whole town and used it as her redemption. It showed that she was not ashamed of who she was and she knows that everyone makes mistakes. After many weeks of being rejected and…show more content…
The outlook of the scarlet “A” changed from “adultery” to “Able”. She achieved redemption and was accepted for who she was. The puritan society first responded in very negative ways towards her sins. Then, through Hester’s determination of proving to them that she was proud of who she was and there was nothing wrong with her, the society started to open up to Hester, realize she was just like anyone of them, and the finally accepted her. John Procter and Abigail Williams’ sin was the same adulterous sin as Hester’s in The Scarlet Letter. Both sins of adultery, both in a puritan society, but the outcome of redemption turned out very different. In “The Crucible” the strive for redemption was more between John and Abigail, not John and the town, or Abigail and the town. John Procter, a married man, committed adultery with Abigail Williams, a young woman. Abigail Lusted for
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