Belonging: Salem witch trials

One’s sense of belonging can be defined in so many different ways. For some belonging is experienced through familiarity with ones environment. For others, belonging is more about feeling part of a group and being accepted in their community. Many of these concepts are explored in the texts, A play in four acts titled The Crucible by Arthur Miller, A picture book titled The Red Tree by Shaun Tan, and a poem called Metho Drinker by Judith Wright.

All of these texts reflect belonging in a different way, the Red Tree focusing on visual imagery to emphasize displacement, The Crucible based on witchcraft, love, and the need of a high status to belong, and the poem Metho Drinker, revealing concern and compassion for a man who only belongs to his addiction. Displacement from ones natural environment can lead to an absence of belonging. This is shown in The Red Tree as the large size of the glass bottle and its position being close to the viewers eye is contrasted with the fainter less visible image of the ocean creating an absence of belonging.

Furthermore the glass bottle is overshadowed by a dark blue sky in contrast with the smoky whites and blues of the sky above the ocean creating a sense of distance between the diver and its natural environment. the imagery shown of The glass bottle is situated on a barren landscape bereft of any life and surrounded by rocks and stones. Entrapment can lead to isolation preventing a sense of belonging. The thickness of the glass bottle and the narrow bottle neck give the effect of the diver being trapped with no form of escape. The diver is sitting hunched in a stiff position in the centre of the bottle emphasizing its sense of entrapment.

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In the poem ‘Metho Drinker’ the author is revealing her compassion and concern for the Metho drinker. A strong sense of belonging is clearly revealed in this poem. Displacement is shown in the first stanza as “the cruelty of human eyes”, revealing society shunts and rejects him due to his strong addiction to Metho (Alcohol). The personification in the second stanza “his white and burning girl, his woman of fire” is used because the alcohol he drinks (Metho) is his lover and it shows the intensity of how he belongs to his addiction as he compares it to a woman.

The slang language used throughout the poem is suggesting his level in society showing the sense of non belonging and the tone of empathy and compassion created. At the end of the first stanza “Nothing now he lies”, we get nothing with a capital N because he doesn’t belong in society as he means nothing. The poem ends with sad imagery of a Metho Drinkers dominance by his mysterious passion that doesn’t bring peace and led him to the exclusion to not belong. This poem demonstrates a strong sense of belonging and choosing not to belong was shown due to his addiction “Metho” that he couldn’t sacrifice anything for.

In the play the Crucible the events of the play demonstrate a huge power that can be wielded by groups and those whole belong to a group. It shows a small, seemingly powerless group can disrupt a entire community. Prior to the witch trials, Abigail and the girls were not powerful members of Salem society. Yet through unity, they manage to hold their whole community have people tied and have them executed, but belonging to this group also means they share the same potential gains and risks. Those who should belong are excluded until there is nothing left to belong to.

The protagonist of the play ‘John Proctor’ is an individual who has not put a high priority on belonging in his life. Proctor chooses not to belong to Salem society. The fact that he has sinned with Parris’s 17 year old niece Abigail from Salem society causes him to view himself as a hypocrite and not worthy of association of such people like Rebecca Nurse, the most respected and highly regarded member of Salem society, therefore Proctor regards them as better than him. Proctor doesn’t even belong to his own family as at the beginning of the play his sin is still playing a negative influence on his relationship with his wife Elizabeth.

In Act two we see that they are uncomfortable with each other. He doesn’t really belong to his family because he’s strayed from them. The repetition and alliteration of “spare me! You forget nothin’ and forgive nothin” was used to make his point too Elizabeth to show that she has not forgiven him because of the sin. His strong sense of belonging is reflected as he yells “because it is my name, leave me my name”. This clearly shows us the society he belongs to doesn’t accept him anymore and he fights to save his name so he can be remembered and belong to the Salem society.

John Proctor believes that he is unworthy of belonging because of his affair with Abigail. He doesn’t deserve Elizabeth’s love or the respect of the community. Proctors confession of his sexual desire is an confess of secret guilt. He finally achieves his self acceptance and a sense of belonging in his marriage but when everything goes right before he grants a death penalty. In this play belonging is never based on the truth. The truth becomes a shared thing, something everyone agrees on. Belonging therefore is manifested (visible) in so many different ways as evidenced in the crucible, the red tree, and Metho drinker.

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