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Questions for RITS/Crucible


 * 1. It can be said that playwrights and authors use //rhetorical appeals (logos, pathos and ethos)// as the character development. For instance: In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is the logos, Jem is the ethos, and Scout is the pathos. Discuss characters from both plays in these terms.**

In RITS, Mama is a strong ethos appeal. As the oldest person in the household, she has lots of life experience that she shares with her family. She lives a moral life and demands her family to do so as well. In The Crucible, I believe that John Proctor is also an ethos appeal. It's true that John had an affair with Abby, but he realizes his mistake and admits it. He is an ethical person and doesn't believe in the witch hysteria. He also tries to protect his wife when she is charged with witchcraft. Sarah Meyers

In the "Crucible" why is Hale considred a logos appeal? How does his actions reflect on the plot of the story? Ryley Harper

Hale is considered a expert on the demonic arts and witchcraft so he would give his expert opinion on the who is a witch this affects the plot because Hale being an expert everybody submits to his opinion and relies on him. Matt Carr

The author of RITS used pathos appeals to develop Ruth's character. Ruth is very emotional about her pregnancy, she is considering getting an abortion. She is also emotional about the fact that her and her husband are not getting along. In the Crucible Mary Warren is a pathos characters because she wants to prove herself to be inocient. She has a lot of emotions because she is about to be hanged. Jessi Lane

The major arguement of RITS is one should not put so much emphasis on money, and the theme is be content with what you have. In the begining of the play Walter Younger says "A job. Mama a job? I open and close doors all day long." Walter Younger isn't happy with his job, he also think money is life. The major argument of The Crucible is dont lie and the theme is honesty is the best policy. At the end of the play John Proctor confesses his sins but will not say if he saw someone with the devil, "because I lie and sign myself to lies!" John Proctor doesn't want to sign his name for something that is not true. Jessi Lane
 * 2. What do you think is the //major argument and theme// of each play?**

I think that the "Crucible" relates to "The Scarlett Letter" in the way that both both pieces of writing take place in Massachusetts and both are about women not telling the truth and holding in valid information. "Rasin in the Sun" relates to "Killing a Mockingbird" in the way that both stories are about African Americans dealing with life like money ans raising children. Both "The Crucible" and "A Raisin in the Sun" have literature comparisons. Ryley Harper

Many aspects of The Crucible show that honesty is the best policy, just as Jessi said. But couldn't the play also be arguing the opposite at some points? John told the truth, and in the end it killed him. Giles refused to tell a lie, and he was killed for it as well. It seems to me that the death of these two truth-tellers shows that telling the truth isn't always good. Why did Miller choose to show negative results of honesty if his major argument and theme was to show that honesty is the BEST policy? Sarah Meyers

The argument in "The Crucible" is to be honest with yourself and that doing the right thing does not always work out. People like Abigail told lies to get out of the bad situations that they were in so they were able to escape. But Proctor eventually stood up for what he believed and was sentenced to death.Matt Carr The "Crucible" and "Raisin in the Sun" are relevent to today because of the way that desicisions are decided the same way as they were in the earlier years. In the "Crucible" a confession was needed to prove an innocent person of a charge. Today, people are interrigated and forced to give an explanation of what occured during each crime. Creating an equal way to find and prove a guilty person of a charge. In "Raisin in the S.un" Ruth is considering to get an abortion after becoming pregnant. Today, many women make the decision to recieve an abortion or to give birth to a baby. In conclusion, the time periods between the "Crucible" and "Raisin in the Sun" relate to the 21st century hugely. Ryley Harper
 * 3. How are these 2 plays //relevant// to today?**

Raisin in the Sun is about seregation which relates to today because people still think they are better than others because of their race or religion. In the play Mama buys a house in a neighborhood where white people live and the rest of the family doesnt want to move there because they are not treated fairly by white people. Today people with the same religion or race tend to live in the same area. In The Crucible people were persecuted because they were acused of withcraft and today, in some countries the people dont have freedom of religion and they are persecuted if they dont practice they are told to practice. Jessi Lane

RITS is relevant to today because the character's actions are motivated by factors that are still present in modern society. For example, Mama and Ruth both want a big house to live in and raise their family. Material goods are a big part of American society. It is the motivation behind many people's actions, just like in RITS. Crucible shows the effects of telling the truth. There is a lot of doubt and suspicion in today's society. We see it everyday, but we may not recognise it because it is so common. In Crucible, the fear of witchcraft and its punishments pushed many people to act rashly and lie to save themselves. Today, many people lie to save their skins as well. The Crucible reflects human nature (an extreme and out of proportion case, but human nature none the less). Sarah Meyers "The Crucible" is relevant today because as in the crucible people were quick to judge without getting all the facts. Recently a few very serious allegations were made. The Jerry Sandusky case allegations have a very high chance of being true but people did not have all of the facts and drew many true and untrue conclusions but no one really knows yet. Also like in the Crucible some innocent people were dragged in and had reputations ruined.Matt Carr The title "The Crucible" is very direct much like the message of the play that is be honest with yourself like when Procter said "Tell them I confessed myself" when Procter says this, he pretty much directly states the message. In "Raisin in the Sun" the title is figurative much like the message which is hidden throughout the story. The author uses alot of metaphors and similies such as on pg. 132 when Mama says "he finally come into his manhood today didn't. kind of like a rainbow after the rain." Matt Carr
 * 4. What is the significance of the //title// to each of these plays?**

The titles of The Crucible and Christmas Vacation both explain exactly what happens in the story. In the Crucible there is a trial for witchcraft and the word crucible means trial. The movie Christmas Vacation is about one family's Christmas vacation. The title Raisin in the Sun is a line from a poem and Of Mice and Men is also a line from a poem. Jessi Lane

Doesn't a crucible mean a metal cup? Why would Arthur Miller name it the "Crucible"? Ryley Harper

That is one definition of crucible. Another definition that applies better to the story is " a severe, searching test or trial" (Dictionary.com). Under this definition, Arthur Miller named "The Crucible" in a very literal sense. It is literally about the severe and soul-serching hardships the people of Salem went through during the witch hunt. RITS, however, was named in a more figurative way. The title was inspired by Langston Hughes' poem "Dream Defered," which discuses what happens to a dream when it is crushed. Hughes wonders what happens to a defered dream by explaining different things that could happen to a dream, such as it could dry up like a raisin that is left in the sun, or it could simply explode. From what I've read of RITS so far, it seems as if Walter's dream has done the latter of the two. He had a grand dream of making a buisness the life insurance check, but his dream exploded so to speack when Mama spent the money on a house. I can infer from the title of the play that a dream in the play, possible Walter's, will begin to dry up like a raisin in the sun. Otherwise, the play would be called "The Explosion," not "A Raisin in the Sun." Sarah Meyers

The thesis statement that can relate to both plays is that "A women's power has nothing to do with brute strength" because both the "Crucible" and "Raisin in the Sun" have women with great power. In the "Crucible" Abigail is accused for dancing naked in the woods with the devil. When she insisted she didn't dance naked, Abigail used power to reject one's opinion and express who she is truthfully. In "Raisin in the Sun" Ruth has the power to determine if she wants an abortion or not. Instead of suffering from peer pressure of having it or not having it Ruth has the ability to tell the truth and make her own decisions. Just like Abigail in the "Crucible". In conclusion, " A women's power has nothing to do with brute strength" relates to both plays. Ryley Harper
 * 5. Choose 1 of the following thesis statements and relate it to both plays:**
 * 1) **Without responsible actions there can be no order.**
 * 2) **A community is supposed to be a secure place to live.**
 * 3) **A woman's power has nothing to do with brute strength**

Thesis satement 1 "without responsible actions there can be no order." is shown in "The Crucible" and "A raisin in the sun." In "the Crucible" everyone jumps to irresponsible conclusions which lead irresponible reactions and respones when one peson was accused of something they would accuse someone else leading to chaos. Until finally Procter admits to his sins to himself creating an inner peace which did not end the problem but gave closure to the previous damage. In "A raisin in the sun" when Walter puts the the family's money to an investment and puts the family's financial situation in jeopardy he finds a way to make it work and keep the family's dreams alive. Matt Carr

The thesis statement "A Women's power has nothing to do with brute strength" relates to Mama in RITS she is a strong women because she holds their family together and is still strong even after her husband died. In The Crucible all the women who are acused for witchcraft stay strong when they go to trial. John Proctor's wife stays emotionally strong when he is presecuted. This show that eventhough the women in both plays may not be physically strong they are mentally and emotionally strong. Jessi Lane

I agree that the thesis about a woman's power (#3) relates greatly to both plays. Like Ryley said, Abigail has the power to persuade others to believe her stories. Another character in the Crucible, Elizabeth Proctor, is a powerfull woman. Her power is more in the mind, just as Jessi said Mama's strength is in RITS. Elizabeth obviously has her own opinions about her husband's actions, but she keeps them to herself. In the final scene, she says she refuses to judge her husband for what he has done and what he is about to do. A person has to have a strong mind in order to declare and follow through with a statement like this. Mama from RITS is also very strong-minded and powerfull. Walter describes her as the head of the famliy. She leads the family and expects them to lead good Christian lives. At one point, she stands up to Walter and tells him to be his father's son and commit to his unborn baby. Mama shows by her actions that she lives by a strong set of morals that are engrained in her through and through. Mama may not be physically strong, but as Jessi said, she is mentally and emotionally strong. Sarah Meyers