The protagonist, John Proctor, was a defiant, yet well respected farmer in Salem, Massachusetts. He showed heroic characteristics through intricate situations of theocratic injustice. As the witch trials of the Salem village unfolded, John Proctor found himself in a difficult situation in which his actions not only decided his fate, but the fate of many innocent people. John Proctor was married to Elizabeth Proctor and they had three sons. He was a farmer who was well known in the village for being a good man.
Hester is the least sinful because she only committed adultrey and that she never told Arthur chillingworth was her husband. The next most sinful person is Reverend Arthur dimmesdale. For example, When the puritans trusted him and thought " Wow he is an amazing minister!" little did they all know that he was a father to little pearl. He hid behind religion and he couldnt be honest with the puritans and confess his sin of being a father.
Puritan by nature, he followed a moral code of life well intertwined within the Ten Commandments. Though he was religious, proctor was not without his faults, one being his expressed distaste toward those who did not follow his own law, such as reverend Parris. His distrust and hate toward reverend parris stems from his own idea that such a man could simply not be a holy one. His mood toward Parris came from such actions like the preaching toward golden candles, and how Parris was a self absorbed minister, and the third minister in the town in 7 years. “There is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning!” (pg 30) Parris tried to defend himself with such passionate and heartfelt comments but Proctor would have none of it.
Reverend Parris At first the authority figures in Salem believe the accusations of witchcraft He is the local clergyman of Salem and the father of Betty, who is unconscious at the beginning of the play. He has discovered the girls dancing in the forest with Tituba. From the beginning of the play he is paranoid about having enemies. He is the most dislikable character in the play. Although an adult and a clergyman, he seems to be more worried about his own reputation than about the well-being of the children and of the townspeople.
“There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit. Do you understand that?” (11) Parris seems to be only interested in trying to keep Betty’s condition silent. Parris shows an illustration to be avarice because he wants the perks of being the Reverend to the church in Salem. Betty’s well-being seems to only derive from Tituba. In Salem the Seven Deadly Sins were a part of their townspeople everyday life it seems.
The Hypocrisy behind the Corrupted Religion In James Baldwin’s novel Go Tell It on the Mountain, Gabriel Grimes is characterized as a hypocrite, which shows the theme of how religion is corrupted by man. Baldwin introduces Gabriel as a serious and religious father; however he abuses the idea of religion. When Gabriel was left alone with his dying mother, he saw religion as a salvation. As a young adult he lost himself and began to have numerous love affairs. Consequently, Gabriel began to use religion as his protection to cover up all of his sinful doings.
“-tell them nothing of unnatural causes.”(Miller I pg.18). Reverend Parris claimed to have seen Abigail and Betty running naked in the forest and calling the spirits. He knew that it was a sin and that he should probably confess to what he saw. Instead Reverend Parris ignored his morals by trying to hide the truth to save his own reputation. In a way he did not condemned the act of the devil because he lied to his people and to the Heavens by not telling what he saw.” It is agreed, sir-it is agreed- we will abide by your judgment.” (Miller I pg.40).
This helps him find a way to cope with them may help you understand yourself more effectively. John is a man of strong moral beliefs any way he or she look at him, concerned only for the safety of his family and personal welfare. John Proctor is a big and strong man. He’s a man that everyone in the town looked up to. He is a loving husband, a hard working farmer, a proud father, and most important a faithful Christian.
AP English III 3 Dec. 2012 The Minister’s Black Veil In “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Reverend Hooper covers his face with a black veil, and his worshippers are confused and scared about why the minister is wearing it. The black veil makes life harder for him, but he still will not take it off. Hooper’s veil stands for sin, and also represents the fact that all humans’ sin, and no one ought to be judged for it. Reverend Hooper’s black veil is a symbol of secret sin and the sinning nature that all humans have. Sin is mentioned various times throughout the play, and the first day Hooper wore the black veil he preached on secret sin: “The subject had reference to secret sin” (Hawthorne 268).
Despite this fact, he continues to see the Rabbi and their relationship remains strong. Similar to his decision about Jackie Robinson, Michael decides that he appreciates the Rabbi as a person, he loves his stories and what he has to teach is very meaningful in life. Even though there are some strong consequences, it’s the boy’s honest opinion and love for the Rabbi that manage to give this story a happy ending. They came from two different worlds, but together they were able to defeat the falcons with a bit of faith and a strong friendship along the way. Racism played a huge part in this message.