John Proctor's Reputation In The Crucible

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The reputation in the Crucible is a big thing. Back then your reputation was important, and John Proctor says that peoples reputation was more important than life it’s self. John Proctor was a well-known and respected man in the town until he had an affair with Abigail and was accused of witchcraft. After these events, he felt he could not live with himself knowing that he set bad examples for his children and people of the town, and he didn’t want that. His decision of death was a unselfish choice, he wanted to protect his name and his family. Proctor felt he could not raise his children to be men in the world if their father was immoral to his religion, friends and wife. This is stressed by the following quote, "I have three children, how may I teach them to walk like men in the world, when I sold my friends." He felt like a failure because, as the setter of the…show more content…
That mainly meaning he wanted to be know for good things not bad. He discusses the importance of his name in this quote, "Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" He was a man with strong beliefs, one of those beliefs was if his name was blackened he would have no reason to live. When he chose to die, he proved to everyone that he is not going to sacrifice his morals and family for his life. Friendship and family were the main underlying components that led to his decision. Proctor did not want his family to be looked upon as immoral because of his wrongful doings. It is an honest decision that John stood his ground and died for what he believed in. Therefore his decision of death was a moral and unselfish choice, made to protect his family, his friends, and his own name from ridicule, humiliation and

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