Examples Of Social Injustice In The Crucible

Braylon Buckholdt
Mr. Casper
English 11
2 March 2023
Infected by Social Injustice Since the beginning of humanity, social class systems have been evident. They are not always based on financial and economic status, but can also focus on the unfairness of race, gender, and religion. While certain ideas may have changed over time, one thing remains constant, the unjust treatment of specific groups by those with more power. Specifically, during the 1950s, when Jim Crow laws placed limitations on the African American community, during a time when women were being treated as if they had little to no power. During this same time, anti-communist ideas infected the American population, allowing political leaders to gain power over the American people.

John Proctor was a farm man around his early thirties, who was one to not get easily misled the wrong way. Proctor displays examples of unjust social classes throughout the play through his use of power to induce fear in people, especially women, so that he can get what he may believe to be the truth. He displays this a lot through act two when he states “I’ll whip the Devil out of you! With whip raised he reaches out for her, and she streaks away and yells” (Miller 608). This occurs after the family's maid, Mary Warren, refuses to stop going to Salem due to her position in the court. Proctor demands that she not go because of all of the accusations of witchery happening in the court, and he doesn’t want him or his family getting involved. This shows that Proctor is trying to use his higher social status and force to get Mary to obey his rules. He uses his whip to display to her that he has the power over her, and will use force if she not listen. Another

Many readers cannot infer if he believes in the witch trials or is using the trials to keep his power. He uses this power to control the people of Salem and to ensure his higher status over the Salem public. One instance would be when he states “But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between” (Miller 637). As Proctor, Giles Corey, and Francis Nurse try to testify against the court, Danforth issues that statement about the court. This is so that they think about what they’re doing because they would be going against the court's word. The characters know this is wrong and that is why he says it to remind them that he has more power in this situation, due to his postion as the leading official. A second example would be when he comments “And do you know that near to four hundred are in jails from Marblehead to Lynn, and upon my signature” (Miller 632). A quote that is fairly similar comes two lines later “And seventy-two condemned to hang by that signature” (Miller 632). While Francis is testifying for his wife, Danforth says those words about the number of people in jail due to his signature, as well as, the number of people he has sentenced to hang with his same signature. He does this to pressure him, Francis is already