"The Giver," by Lois Lowry

We're reading The Giver, by Lois Lowry, in the eighth grade this fall... Click here to access chapters 1-4 online for free. You can purchase the book in its entirety at amazon.com by clicking on this link, and you can purchase the audiobook at itunes.

Key Historical Figures in "The Crucible"

As you know, the characters in The Crucible were based on actual key historical figures from the Salem Witch Trials. Visit this site to read actual biographies, and this site for more information about the trials in general.

Organ Donation

In the ninth grade we are discussing organ donation.

Why would someone choose to donate his or her organs? Is this something for healthy people to even think about? Why would a grieving family choose to donate a loved one's organs? What if you or someone you loved needed a transplant? If you wanted to become an organ donor, what would you need to do?

We looking at common myths surrounding organ donation, and we're discussing cultural differences with regard to attitudes about organ donation.

As part of our discussion, we are viewing two videos about Nicholas Green, a seven-year-old American boy who tragically died in a highway robbery in Italy in 1994. Nicholas' family chose to donate his organs to Italians in need of transplants. At the time, organ donation wasn't very common. The Green family's generosity in the face of such tragedy has spurred a surge in organ donation not only in Italy, but throughout the world.

The Nicholas Effect, Part I

(This video tells you about Nicholas Green and his family's decision to donate his organs).

The Nicholas Effect, Part II

(This video tells you about the people whose lives were transformed—and saved—by the Greens' donation of Nicholas' organs).

In addition, we're listening to this story from American National Public Radio. It is an interview between a grown daughter and her father about a day at work that was his most memorable. A surgeon, he describes what happened when his patient, a young girl, tragically passed away and her family decided to donate her organs.

Look at this medical journal abstract about organ donation and transplants in Russia for practice skimming information and deciding what the main point is very quickly.

This article about the murder trial of transplant doctors in Moscow from 2003—2005 sheds further light on why organ donation is so uncommon in Russia.

Paper Ideas: "The Crucible"

As requested, I've put together a long list of paper topics for you to consider as you finish the play. We will certainly discuss the papers in greater detail in class! (Length, structure and other general expectations).

Social Drama

Compare the 1692 Salem witch hunt with the Communist "witch hunt" of the 1950s in America. Were the investigations and trials conducted differently? Was a particular type of person singled out for persecution?

What social conditions made such a thing as the Salem witch trials possible? Do any of these conditions exist today? If so, is there a chance that this might happen again?

The Crucible had little effect in stopping the "Red-baiting" it was written against. Why do you think it failed? Was there anything Arthur Miller could have done differently in writing the play to make more people listen to him?

Personal Tragedy

Discuss the love triangle of Elizabeth-John-Abigail. What effect does this tense relationship have on each character? What effect would it have on the community if it were made public?

Compare Elizabeth Proctor with Abigail Williams. How well do they understand each other? What does John see in each of them? What makes John reject Abigail and confess to Elizabeth?

Discuss Proctor's "nihilism," or desire for destruction. Where does it come from? How does he escape from it and find his "goodness" in the end?

In Act IV, Elizabeth tells John Proctor that "whatever you will do, it is a good man does it." What does she mean? What is the "shred of goodness" that he finds in himself when he tears up his confession?

What is John Proctor's great dilemma: and how does it change during the course of the play?

Hysteria

The outbreak of witch madness in Salem was tiny compared to the mania that ravaged Europe for two hundred years before and after 1692. Compare the American version to its European "model." Did they start differently? Is there any reason the Salem witchcraft was over so quickly, while in Europe it ravaged for years, killing thousands as compared to Salem's twenty?

What are the psychological conditions that are necessary to produce mass hysteria? Are we immune today?

Superstition

What is the religious background of the Salem witchcraft? Were these people fanatics who were half-crazy anyway? Or were they noble visionaries who somehow went astray?

Greed and Vengeance

How much of what happened in Salem can be blamed on cold-blooded manipulation of events for the purpose of profit or revenge? Is it possible today that a few greedy and/or vengeful people could instigate another witch-hunt?

Discuss the role that grudges and personal rivalries play in the witch trial hysteria.

Authority

Discuss the concept of authority under the Puritan theocracy. Who were the powerful? And how did they get their power? How does theocratic authority influence the events in The Crucible?

Part of what went wrong in Salem came from a dispute over who had the authority to decide whether or not witchcraft was being practiced in a particular instance. How did this dispute arise? How was it resolved? How is authority presented in The Crucible?

Is Proctor's downfall ultimately caused by what the judges see as his rebellion against authority?

How do the witch trials empower individuals who were previously powerless?

Why are Danforth, Hathorne, and the other authorities so resistant to believing the claim that Abigail and the other girls are lying?

In The Crucible Arthur Miller is making pointed comments about individuals and how we should operate in society. Discuss with reference to the text.

Theocracy

Compare the theocracy of the Puritans with the looser form of government in Virginia at the same time. Which was better? Which was more successful?

What are the problems inherent in a theocracy? Whose interpretations of God's law are right and whose are wrong? Is it possible to govern people's spiritual lives as well as their physical lives?

Justice

Hale says in Act IV: "Life is God's most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it." Do you agree?

Is there no justice in what happened in Salem, even in the long run? Did any good come of it?

How does The Crucible portray justice or injustice?

What social and religious factors are given to account for the harsh response to witchcraft?

Historical Drama

Arthur Miller has taken quite a few liberties with history in writing The Crucible. Why did he change what he did? How could he have done it differently?

Miller originally wrote The Crucible as a critique of McCarthyism, but he distanced his narrative by using the Salem witch trials as the setting for the play. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this approach.

Despite the way they dress and the language they speak, John and Elizabeth Proctor strike many people as thoroughly modern characters. Do you agree? What about them or their situation is modern, and what makes them purely a man and women of their time and place?

General

Is there real evil stalking Salem in 1692? Where is it? How does it work?

Put yourself in Salem in 1692. Would you have joined the witch-hunt? What would you have done if someone cried you out as a witch? (Use examples from the play to show how your behavior would have been similar/different to that of the characters).

Compare the roles that Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams play in The Crucible.

Analyze Reverend Parris. What are his motivations in supporting the witch trials?

Discuss the changes that Reverend Hale undergoes in the course of the play. What is his function in the drama?

What is your perception of the girls' allegations in the play? Do they really believe in witchcraft or are they fabricating the events?

Is John Proctor a tragic figure? Compare his fate to that of such tragic literary figures as King Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and the title character in William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Compare and contrast the characters of Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor.

Discuss Miller's treatment of women in The Crucible.

What is a tragic comedy? Explain why or why not The Crucible is one.

Explain the symbolic characters and how they develop the themes.

Discuss how the themes of The Crucible make it both universal and enduring.

At the end of the play, John Proctor recovers his sense of goodness by tearing up the confession that would have saved his life. Given his character and the events which have led up to this moment, do you find this act believable? Fully explain your response.

In The Crucible, Miller suggests that sacrifices may be necessary to restore the social order. Discuss the sacrifices made by the play's characters and whether you think they are necessary.

How does the title relate to the story? Discuss the the whole play in your response.

What three characters are responsible for the trials and why?

Compare the character of Elizabeth Proctor to that of Mary Warren. What value systems does each represent?

What is Giles Corey's role in the play?

What motivates Elizabeth to lie? Is a good name more important than the truth?

How are the characters tested and brought down to their essence?

Sources include:

Bly, William. Barron's Book Notes: Arthur Miller's "The Crucible." New York: Barron's Educational Series, 1984.

http://www.goodessaytopics.com/the-crucible-essay-topics.html

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/study.html

"The Crucible," by Arthur Miller

We're reading The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, in the high school right now.

Here are some links to help you learn about the Salem Witch Trials, upon which the play is based.

Click here to read an online version of the play.

Click here or here to see the classic movie of the play.

Here is Part I in a series on the history of the Salem Witch Trials:

Here is Part II in a series on the history of the Salem Witch Trials:

Here is Part III in a series on the history of the Salem Witch Trials:

Here is Part IV in a series on the history of the Salem Witch Trials:

Here is Part V in a series on the history of the Salem Witch Trials:

Benjamin Franklin

We're reading excerpts of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin in the eleventh grade as part of our seminar on American Literature. Not only was Franklin a founding father, printer, diplomat, benefactor and inventor—he was also a very talented writer whose autobiography is considered to be the first book in the cannon of American Literature.

Here is a lecture by Walter Isaacson that was given at the University of Pennsylvania about Franklin.

In his autobiography, Franklin discusses his life and his beliefs. This lecture helps you to understand what about his life set him up to be the first literary example of "the American Dream in action."

Here is a another video that discusses Franklin as a writer:

This video discusses the The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin as a work of literature:

Here is a video about Frankin's wit:

You can download The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin here or here.