Human nature is a common theme in pieces of writing we have been reading so far. I enjoy this topic because it shows that whoever the person is, everyone still has the same human needs and desires. One of the books that demonstrated this was "The Moon is Down" where it showed the more sensitive side of the German Nazis. It reminded us that they have a family and desire relationships just like we do. The Crucible by Arthur Miller displays human nature as well. Themes of human desires dealt with in this writing include sexual desires and lust, not taking responsibility for your actions, and wanting people to believe what you have to say.
Like I said, one of the first human desires dealt with are sexual desires and lusting. This has to do with John Proctor and Abigail Williams. Abigail used to be a servant at the Proctor household, but had been fired by his wife, Elizabeth. John and Abigail were having a sexual affair, while Goody Proctor was ill. This is something that nobody else knows about and they kept it a secret between the three of them as to not soil their name. When John tell Abigail he will be coming to her no longer, she focuses all of her attention on vengeance towards Elizabeth. (Miller, 22) Abigail sets her up to make it seem like she is involved in witchcraft in hopes to get rid of her for good. It is not until Act 3 that the truth about them is out when John confesses to the court. (Miller, 110) John naturally lusted after Abigail and had to suffer the consequences for his actions.
Another human nature addressed is not taking responsibility for your actions. The blame game is a common occurrence in this play. It seems like everyone is pointing fingers and trying to throw the accusations onto someone else. An example of this would be when Abigail is asked if what John Proctor confesses about the affair is true and she avoids giving the judge an answer. "Abigail: If I must answer that, I will leave and I will not come back again!" (Miller, 111) After this she then completely changes the subject by faking that Mary Warren is taking the form of a yellow bird and threatening to hurt her. Her influence over the other girls gets them to join her. (Miller, 115)
One last example would be the desire to be believed when you are telling people your side of the story whether it is the truth or not. This occurs in the court room when Mary Warren is hysterically trying to make her case that she is innocent and that everything Abigail is saying is a lie. Unfortunately, Abigail puts on too good a show for Danforth to believe her. (Miller, 115) Everyone wants to be accepted and believed when you are explaining yourself and legitamately telling truth and Mary demonstrates this very well.
The Crucible demonstrates human nature very well. It shows the side of people that everyone has. This concept really adds to any writing and makes it more realistic as well as relatable. I am looking forward to contiue reading and seeing how this effects the plot.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. Harmondsworth, Eng.: Penguin, 1976. Print.
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