Nora OKeefe

12/15/16
Block C
The Crucible Essay
Fear and Intolerance
Fear is the unpleasant emotion caused by a belief that something or
someone is dangerous leading to a threat while intolerance is unwillingness
to accept beliefs, behaviors and views that differ from ones own. Both fear
and intolerance was displayed numerous times during The Crucible but it
also happens in the modern day. Although, these two periods in time are
several decades apart, fear and intolerance in The Crucible have similarities
to the fear and intolerance in modern day society today.
During The Crucible time period, religion was a very strict and
committing a sin was intolerable similarly in modern society religion is still
strict and being gay is committing a sin and is intolerable in society. Religion
in The Crucible was a theocratic society where the priest rule in the name of
God and committing witchcraft is a sin. After his wife was arrested for being
a witch, Francis Nurse cries out to Reverend Hale stating For murder, shes
charged! Mockingly quoting the warrant: For the marvelous and
supernatural murder of Goody Putnams babies (Miller, 67). In todays
society, gay people have a lot of discrimination towards them because it is
against most religions and most of society does not believe in it. Witchcraft
and being gay is both sins in society and people are unwilling to accept those
views.

Additionally, mass hysteria spread through human society very rapidly.

The Crucible had a fear of death that spread through the village because
people didnt want to be hung. Whereas fear of Ebola in todays society is
similar because people were afraid of dying. To prevent oneself from being
hung in Salem, you have to confess to witchcraft and say who you saw
working with the Devil and name several people. Fear of death caused the
mass hysteria to spread rapidly. While in modern society the fear of Ebola
spread throughout the world because people didnt want to die of the
disease. Since there was no cure of the disease and many people died a long
and painful death. Citizens refused to travel to Africa since it transmissed so
briskly. People in both societies although in different time periods both
developed mass fears of dying. Fear of Ebola and fear of death had a very
similar effects on society.
Furthermore, accusations from fear of people being witches during the
Salem witch trails coincided with accusations from fear of Muslims being
terrorists during modern day. People accused of being witches were shunned
from society and not treated fairly. Martha Corey, a character in the book,
enjoyed reading immensely and was convicted of witchcraft since she loved
reading books. When she was convicted the village shunned her and didnt
treat her the same prior to her accusation. While, Muslims are also shunned
in society and have certain hatreds towards them because people compare
them to terrorists. Muslims are examined at airports since they are believed
to be terrorists and have to be checked for weapons. Many people give them

looks and are afraid to go near them since they believe they could possibly
be a terrorist. Citizens during Salem and the modern citizens have the same
disapproval of these two groups of people.
In conclusion, people from different time periods have not changed
how they undertake fear and intolerance. Religion and committing a sin are
similar in both time periods as witchcraft and gay have the same disapproval
from society. Fear of Ebola and fear of death go hand in hand as the hysterias
expeditiously spread throughout society. As for accusations, citizens treat
Muslims and people who are thought to be witches with a lot of disapproval
and suspiciousness. Although there are different topics of fear and
intolerance from these two places in time but they are similar in how they
are perceived in society.