The Crucible Gender Analysis

Gender roles are present everywhere and are more and more prevalent the further back you go. They define relationships and heavily influence people's actions. Gender roles can hurt those that are trapped in them because they are not allowed the freedom of living like they want. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, one key relationship in the story is wrecked by gender roles. The Puritan ways of the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, lead to each gender having a very set role in society. Men were to be the strong, detached ones, who did all the hard work. Well the women were subordinate, stay-at-home mothers, and could show no temper. These roles lead to the growth of distrust between a married couple. An analysis of John and Elizabeth’s marriage

They stick to the roles they were given because they wish to fit with society. If they do not fit, they will lose their reputation, they will be ridiculed.In this scene John is being escorted to Elizabeth. She is to convince him to plead guilty. They want John to have one more chance to live. “Herrick enters with John Proctor. His wrists are chained. He is another man, bearded, filthy, his eyes misty as though webs have overgrown them.” (Miller 133). I feel the fact that his wrists are chained symbolizes how he is trapped in his gender role. He still tries to be heroic and noble in this scene, like the man should. John is trapped in the role of the strong one. Danforth gives Elizabeth a chance to tell the truth and she still lies because the thinks she is saving John. This could be her one chance to condemn him for betraying her. Yet she stays the weak, loyal one. “DANFORTH: Your husband-did he indeed turn from you? ELIZABETH: My husband-is a goodly man, sir” (Miller 113). Elizabeth’s Hamartia or Fatal flaw, is that she always falls back on her gender role, thinking it is the right way. It always ends up hurting her and ends up her downfall in the end. Both John and Elizabeth are controlled by their gender roles. Their relationship is ruled by these things.

Through a thorough analysis of John and Elizabeth’s marriage in The Crucible it is clear how gender roles how impacted and ruled their relationship. John and Elizabeth’s marriage has many problems all stemming from one underlying cause, the gender roles of the Puritan time. They are not open with each other, do not trust each other and are trapped in their toxic marriage. This is all because they are expected to act a certain way. It is the only way they know how to act, and it tears them apart. Society seems to trap people into specific