Act 1 Overview

We have recently finished Act 1. As I said in my last blog, it really got the story started. The author did not waste time in telling this story, instead, he got straight into the action. Everyone in the town of Salem has something to hide; however, they all judge one another when the secrets start becoming known. They are completely hypocritical. They all say how they are firm in their beliefs, and how they are all very pure. While in reality, they are having affairs, conjuring up dead souls, believing in witchcraft, judging, and blaming each other. This doesn't sound very pure to me. The Reverend is more concerned with his reputation and keeping his job, while his daughter is supposedly afflicted by witches. Why is the father not solely concerned with his daughter's health? It seems he is more worried about his next pay check and how much extra money he is getting for firewood. Ann Putnam seems awfully worried that witches may be present in her home town, but she is the one who sent her daughter to Tituba to talk to the souls of her seven dead babies. Abigail Williams is just a jealous and aggressive girl. She is so jealous that Elizabeth Proctor is married to John Proctor that she is willing to drink a blood charm to kill her. Then, she told her friends that if they spoke a word of anything that happened in the forest, she would kill them. She said she knows how to kill them, because she watched Indians come in and kill her parents. The story has only begun, and it has already intensely grabbed my attention. However, when you take a moment to reflect on the story and analyze it, you realize that the story line is not solely focused on witches. This story, so far, is about people using witchcraft as either a distraction, or an excuse. They all have something to hide, so when they know they can be punished, they accuse the first person that comes to mind of performing witchcraft. It is completely crazy.