Yolo, today we’re gonna focus on the behavior of Abigail Williams, a cool liar in The Crucible.

In a Christian society of Salem, one is expected to follow God and deter Satan, but Abigail certainly takes that norm to another level. Of course she’s still trying to expose witchcraft and align her with the good side(I am not sure actually), but she assembles too many lies to achieve that goal. As you might well remember, “thou shall not lie” is in the 10 Commandments in which all Christians are bound to follow. Abigail has sacrificed the founding values of Christianity for the sole purpose of satisfying her vindictive nature.(accusing Elizabeth Proctor) That apparently violates her values, if she has one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Abigail Williams do not solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the duty of a benevolent Christian, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the 10 Commandments of the Holy Bible. So help me God.(you should find this quote very similar to the inauguration mantle last week)

 

From my personal analysis, Abigail lies for one reason  – desire for revenge. Abigail still begrudges the fact that Elizabeth Proctor fired her for an alleged affair with her husband, John Proctor. Abigail sees the witchcraft business as a perfect opportunity for legally murdering Elizabeth Proctor, even if that path means harming many other innocent companions. I personally think that vengeance is a horrible path to take, which gets even worse if it sacrifices others. No one knows if those women actually sign a contract with the Devil, but Abigail definitely summons the Devil with her blatant lies. 

 

I have been personally adhered to certain family values like “logic is everything” and “money talks,” but there were still some occasions that I disobeyed these mottos. If you don’t know, I am highly obsessed with materialism and am a strong believer of individual success, but I still give money to almost every homeless person I see on the streets.(my dad condemns such charity) However, this violation does not harm anyone. Ironically, this act, to an extent, actually helps those people in difficult times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My dream in a picture: pursuit of wealth 

 

Unlike Abigail, the values I violate do not have a significant impact on other’s lives.(nor is it guilty in nature) Her violation of a Christian value(don’t lie) leads to the death of many spiritual women, while the result of this considerable cost is an evil vengeance. Her words are the cause of brutality in Salem. Not the Devil, but her lies. 

Yolo, it’s been a long time since the last blog post. Anyways, the first paragraph is a brief personal anecdote(if you want the detailed account, click here), followed by a comparison/analysis with The Crucible. 

 

Brief Story(alert: you should read the link and skip this)

It was five years ago, when I wasn’t at KAS but at a local school, but that memory is still vivid inside my brain.

Simply put, knowing I was there watching the entire scene coldly(yep coldly), my teacher forced me to turn in my classmates, who fought at the pedestrian street using brooms. I remained silent until my teacher threatened to punish everyone in our class for my insubordination. The sudden increase in responsibility and outburst of pressure led to my confession, just like what Tituba faces in The Crucible. 

Confession or silence is like black or white. No one knows which is better. NO one. 

Analysis on Tituba’s Confession

It is a confession on something that never happens… The confession is caused by pressure.

In The Crucible, Abigail Williams, a great liar, falsely accuses Tituba of demonstrating demonic arts on her, forcing her to ally with the devil.(who knows if it exists) Tituba, enduring the intense whipping from Reverend Parris and facing the stern interrogation by Reverend Hale, originally pleads innocence and states Abigail Williams was lying, but as the activity gets more violent, Tituba succumbs to corporal pain and psychological suffering. She eventually turns herself in for witchcraft, of which she has never experienced. 

There is no devil unless it is forced out of us. 

 

Pressure and responsibility can make an innocent person confess for the benefits of himself/herself and of the public.(one might most likely confess if denial represents death and confession means survival)

Sacrificing purity, honesty, and integrity for an easier road is much more common than holding values eternally. Even a strong-minded, high self-esteem individual like me(probably bragging but whatever) put down my values(self esteem) and align myself with an “easier path for others.”

Such irony is unfortunate. Such lie is everywhere. Such confession is broken. Broken. Broken. Broken. 

 

Little Note

If you haven’t read the full story I have linked above, YOU are really BROKEN. Here’s your final chance to salvage yourself from breaking apart.