Emily Jones

Jones 1

AP Lang. Pd. 1
Kelley
February 9, 2014
Time Write Revision
In March of the Folly, Barbara Tuchman asserts that wood-headedness, the act of
following preconceived fix notions and rejecting contrary facts, plays a huge role in government,
and, some will claim, in all human affairs. While it is true that people can act wood-headed, it
is mostly as an attempt to deal with the unknown. Wood-headedness is extremely prevalent in
society as a method of dealing with danger and because the consequences for doing otherwise
are too great.
For the most part, people act wood-headed simply as a way to deal with danger. They
dont know how to deal with a new problem, so they use the only method they know. This can be
seen with the actions the US took after 9/11. An attack like that was not something that the US
had experienced before and it understandably frightened people. People became willing to take
drastic measures in order to protect themselves. The US government responded to this desire by
taking extreme military measures against suspected Middle-eastern countries and associated
ethnic groups. People were willing to allow harsh actions be taken against their fellow humans
and even fellow Americans when they thought that that certain group was a danger to them. This
is especially true with the Red Scare of the Cold War era. Citizens of the US were frightened
of the growing spread of communism in Europe and feared that it would, or that it already had,
infect the US and topple democracy. People took drastic actions in order to protect themselves
from the spread of communism. They accused friends and put power into the hands of an
extremist for protection. And this is a pattern that appears throughout all of history. Humans,

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to one extent or another, are willing to go to extreme measures if it means protection from a
perceived danger, even if hurts themselves or others.
Another reason people act wood-headed is because they believe that the consequences
for not doing so are too great. This is especially a problem with rape crimes. Not believing a
victim of rape could have huge emotional consequences on him/her. However, believing a victim
when the victim is lying could have just as big consequences on the accused, such as jail time
and social rejection and shunning. It is a delicate situation that people sometimes have to act
wood-headed, because if the facts are wrong or misleading, the consequences could be severe.
This is remarkably similar to what happens in The Crucible. The moment the judge, Danforth,
being to doubt the girls, Abigail immediately makes the above argument, stating that she
suffers for them (Miller). This is a two-pronged blade for Danforth. Not only does he fear that
rejecting the girls if they are right would lead to witchcraft and Satanism overrunning the town,
but also that if they are lying, it would mean he sentenced innocent people to death. Danforth
would rather continue believing witchcraft than face the consequences of his actions or the
perceived consequences if witches run free. Wood-headedness is similar to a defense
mechanism against perceived danger. People act and continue to act wood-headed, even if
contrary facts are presented because they are too scared of what might happen if they stop.
However, the majority of people wont blindly continue on the wood-headed path if it
turns out to be detrimental. The majority will eventually acknowledge contrary facts and attempt
new solutions and methods. So while wood-headedness is prevalent in all human societies, it is
by no means a constant.

Works Citied
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin Group, 1952. Print.