The Crucible Essay

(75 points)

The essay will be broken down into the following due dates:

Thesis Statement— Tuesday, September 25 (end of class)

Outline— Wednesday, September 26 (end of class)

TYPED Rough Draft of paper— Monday, October 1

*Final Copy*— Friday, October 5

Please Note: Failure to turn in your paper on the day it is due—at the beginning of your class period—will automatically earn a deduction in one letter grade (per day.) Printer excuses will not be accepted.

According to the student handbook: “Plagiarism is defined as taking and passing off the ideas and words of another as one’s own, using a created production without citing the source, or committing literary theft. For example, turning in a paper retrieved from any Internet source, or turning in a paper written by another person is plagiarism… A paper is considered plagiarized if any part of it is taken from another source without proper citation.” Plagiarism results in a 0 on the assignment and a Tuesday school.

Possible Topics

First Option:

Arthur Miller often creates characters who must choose between conduct serving only their own self-interests and conduct demonstrating commitment to the larger community. Discuss the theme of “individual vs. society” with specific reference to John Proctor in The Crucible. This means you must show a progression from the beginning of the play to the end. Your explanation must have examples that deal with character development. Look up the terms characterizationand setting (time and place) in the glossary of your literature book. Cite specific examples from the play to prove your assertions.

Second Option:

Foil is used throughout the play to provide striking contrasts between two characters. With this term in mind, write an analysis paper contrasting two characters. What character traits do each have which makes them foils for the other? How are these characters different? Do they change as the play progresses? The primary foils in the play are Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor or the Reverends Danforth and Hale. Do not use any other character parings. Cite specific examples from the play to prove your assertions.

Third Option:

As a minister, Reverend Parris is supposed to devote himself to the spiritual welfare of the inhabitants of Salem. Write an essay that discusses Parris’s concerns and motivations during the play and the impact they have on the other characters in The Crucible. Cite specific examples from the play to prove your assertions.

Fourth Option:

Discuss the changes that Reverend Hale undergoes in the course of the play. What is his central conflict? Start with his initial opinion of what is happening in Salem based on his experience in these matters. Next, describe what he learns through interviewing other characters. Finally, evaluate if his thoughts on what was occurring is in fact accurate and why. Cite specific examples from the play to prove your assertions.

Fifth Option:

Is Abigail a victim of her society in The Crucible? What events in her past and present influence her behavior? Can she excused or pardoned because outside forces “made” her the way she is? Why or why not? Cite specific examples from the play to prove your assertions.

Length

Minimum—2 ½ pages; your paper should not exceed 4 pages.

*You will lose points if you do not meet the minimum page requirement.

Formatting Directions

Failure to meet these requirements will result in a deduction of points to your final grade.

1.Your essay MUST be typed. There IS NO REASON why your essay is not typed on the day it is due. PLAN AHEAD.

2.Use ONLY Times New Roman in 12-point font.

3.Your margins CANNOT be any larger than 1” and the essay must be double-spaced. Indent each new paragraph, and do not add extra space between paragraphs. This is in compliance with MLA format. If you have questions, please ask me, look it up in your MLA handbook, or search it on the Internet.

4.Be sure to use spell check and PROOFREAD your essay before you hand it in.

5.On the first page ONLY your paper should include the following information—double-spaced:

Your Name

My Name

CP English 11

Date (Day Month Year)—no commas

***Your creative title (Not The Crucible Essay) should follow the above information—centered without being underlined, in bold, or italicized.

6.You must use textual citations to give credit for each of the quotes (at least 3) you use in your essay. This means you must use direct quotations from the play in your essay.

The first citation contains the author’s name and page number.“… in the house” (Miller 23).

Each subsequent citation contains the page number only.“Do not chain her!” (14).

Always remember in a paper

1. DO NOT use “I,” “you,” “we”—avoid being too familiar with the audience in your paper. You want to remain formal and write in third person.

2. Avoid using fancy words that you don’t quite understand.

3. Avoid clichés and stale, worn-out expressions.

4. Never write: “this shows that” “this quote means” “this shows how” “In conclusion,” “In this essay,” etc.

5. PROOFREAD!

6. Use spell check.

7. Make certain that you answer/address all aspects of the prompt! This is very important: break down the prompt to understand exactly what is expected.

8. Avoid plot summary. Remember to analyze rather than summarize. Show how characters are portrayed in the story. The reader needs to see “the hand of the writer,” which is you.

9. Novels and plays are underlined or italicized NOT put in “quotation marks.”