Dear John,


I send this letter in hopes of renewing my love for you in your absence. I have had many sleepless nights, tossing and turning, longing for you by my side. Sadly, I know that will never be again physically, but your spirit still dwells deep inside me, now and forever. I grow weary nowadays pondering why you had to leave me so.


Through past transgressions, I had thought it nearly impossible to forgive you for what you had done and how you had treated me as your wife and soul mate. However, I have realized the error of my ways also, and I recognize I was wrong in rejecting your repentance. Now that you have fatefully departed from my life, I am deeply sorrowful as I witnessed a change in your character that warrants strong acclaim. It brings me great pleasure to know that you died a noble death for a cause greater than yourself. I am proud to be the wife of a man who is so forthright and steadfast in his convictions. I will forever stand by you in just the same way you stood for your beliefs.

Now that you have been taken from me, I long for your warmth and comfort more than ever. I love you, John, and the feelings I have towards you today will carry on until the end of time. Writing this letter brings up such wonderful memories of our life together, and it seems as though you are in this room with me now. I will never forget your brave actions and neither will those that you saved. Though we had our differences at times, my life never would have been the same without you. I give you my soul, John, as you have given yours.


Your forever loving wife,

Elizabeth Proctor

Kevin McAadam
AP English/ Mr. George
12/16/09
Character Analysis
Abigail Williams
Abigail Williams is a misleading and convincing character who relies solely on her word to maintain her power in society.

Abigail’s commanding seat atop society in Salem was constructed by her lies and deception. Abigail provoked the witch hunt by making wild accusations, false or true. The town had fallen into deep paranoia and relied strongly on Abigail’s guidance to influence their decision making. Abigail put on a show for the townspeople to preserve their belief in her power. She was very convincing in her work which gave her a safety net to fall back on if she ever got into trouble: “I want to open myself!... I danced for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand” (Miller 48). Abigail’s accusations and acting as a witch are the basis for the plot of the novel and she keeps it so the attention and authority are always placed in her hands.

Abigail is like a politician. Like Abigail, politicians tell voters what they want to hear how they want to hear it. They get their popularity by putting on a good show for the crowd. They do all they can to convince people that they are truthful in what they say and plan to do, but rarely do what they were elected for. This is similar to Abigail because she pretends to be something she is not just to gain power and success when she does not deserve it.

Abigail reminds me of professional wrestler John Cena because of the way both of them put on a convincing show for the crowd, and while it is obvious to many that their acts are fake, many are still fully immersed in the action and believe it is real.

The Crucible #9

Danforth: "Twelve are already executed; the names of these seven are given out, and the village expects to see them die this morning. Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now" (129)

Danforth knows that no matter what he does, he cannot go back on his word and make it seem to the people as though he made the wrong decision in condeming those that died. If he did so, he would be the one that would be condemned because the society needs strong leadership. Danforth is just trying to keep his good name which is what everyone else in the book was trying to do the whole time. Everyone was trying to sound credible in their accusations and keep themselves out of the spotlight because almost everyone besides Proctor was a coward in their actions.

Elizabeth: "So he [Giles] stand mute, and died a Christian under the law" (135)

This does not surprise me about Giles. His consistently outspoken attitude proves how he is one of the only characters that does not act cowardly. He stood up for what was right and what was supposedly believed in Salem, but he was rejected because everyone else was looking to save themselves.

Mary Warren, utterly, confounded, and becoming overwhelmed by Abigail's-and the girls'-utter conviction, starts to whimper, hands half raised, powerless" (Miller 116). "and Mary, as though infected, opens her mouth and screams with them" (118)

I feel bad for Mary because she tries so hard to tell the truth and to do the right thing. But she just becomes so overwhelmed by the pressure Abigail put on her that she had to give in. Abigail's power over the court allows her to do this, and the situation is even more sad for Mary because of how she was so honest and she is being ruled by Abigail who got her power by lying.

Parris: "Excellency, I would postpone these hangin's for a time."

Danforth: "There will be no postponement." (127)

I cannot blame Danforth for making this statement. After all, if Danforth had postponed the hangins, it would have created mass speculation about whether the decisions he made were right or not. To Danforth, it did not matter whether his decisions were right or wrong, all that mattered was what was going on presently. The whole witch hunt is a very touchy issue, and it is most important for him to keep things flowing as smoothly as possible to avoid any problem.

The Crucible #7

Hale: "Excellency, I have singed seventy-two death warrants; I am a minister of the Lord, and I dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it" (99)

Hale has the right mind in this statement, but it is unfortunate that this court is not run similarly. Although Hale is thought of as the somewhat crazy witch expert, he still goes about his business with a sense of logic and is not so quick to condemn a patient. It is a shame that Hale's thought process is not shared with some of the other people invoved in this case. Hale's logical methods would be believed in a present day courtroom, but everyone is so caught up in listening to Abigail because of her super powers that no one bothers to hear the truth.

Proctor: "A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything" (110)

Unfortunately, God never steps in and says who is telling the truth in this case because then everything would be resolved quickly. However, people like Abigail, recognize God's absence as their chance to lie. In this case, someone like Abigail has taken a position as a god herself because she has the power to say who did what and everyone believes her. Even though Proctor is recognized as the least holy person in Salem, it seems to me that he is one of the only people living God's message. He speaks the truth even though it is sometimes controversial. This is contrasted with Abigail who does whatever is necessary to get herself out of trouble.

The Crucible #6

Giles: "My proof is there! Pointing to the paper. If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property- that's law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!" (96).

This argument has factual evidence to the motives behind the witch hunt. We finally get an argument that can stand up against people like Abigail who just throw out names. The community is so obsessed with catching witches that they do not realize that people may be lying.

Danforth: "I have seen marvels in this court. I have seen people choked before my eyes by spirits; I have seen them stuck by pins and slashed by daggers. I have until this moment not the slightest reason to suspect that the children may be deceiving me. Do you understand my meaning? (91).

This is yet another example of how every character in this story is bllind to the truth and only listen to what they want to hear. They believe that they have their perfect society with no problems at all, and they are unwilling to admit when there are serious problems. It just goes to show how how unsuspecting the people are in this society until one big problem occurs and then everyone becomes suspicious.

The Crucible #5

Proctor: "And why not, if they must hang before denyin' it? There are them that will swear to anything before they'll hang; have you never thought of that?" (69).

John Proctor is the only sane person in the entire town. First, he refuses to attend church because he does not want to follow a minister who does not present a good example to the community. Now, he states the obvious that no one else seems to realize. Everyone in the town is blind to the truth because societal rules have prevented them from making these problems known. John Proctor is used to going against societal norms so making this statement is not surprising. In fact, I would be surprised if anyone else besides Proctor proposed this question because of how blind these people are to the true facts.

Hale, in great pain: "Man, remember, until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven" (71).

This is a great point made by Hale as it relates to the events taking place in the story. There are certain characters that may seem genuine, but we will only see who they truly are until they are accused and put under the spotlight. With seemingly everyone being accused of witchcraft, all the women may eventually feel the pressure and be forced into showing their true colors.

The Crucible #4

"Ilike it not that Mr. Parris should lay his hand upon my baby. I see no light of God in that man. I'll not conceal it" (65)

John Proctor definitely has a reason as to why he does not like Mr. Parris and why he does not go to church. He better have a good reason not to go to church during this time period because og how serious church was back then. I support Proctor's defiance because he should not have to follow a man like Mr. Parris who has no desire to lead and help others, all he cares about is himself.

"Theology, sir, is a fortress; no crack in a fortress may be accounted small" (67)

I think this may be cause for concern for Proctor. He already has put himself in a tight spot by not going to church and having his wife being called a witch. He should definitly be worried that people might start to get mad that he does not go to church and bring down some more unwanted problems.

Kevin McAdam
AP English 11/ Mr. George
12/7/09
Pride and Prejudice Essay

First Impressions
When meeting someone new for the first time, your first impression of them can often make or break the potential relationship between the two parties. In Pride and Prejudice, the theme of overcoming first impressions is the foundation for how the plot of the story unfolds. Many of these first impressions throughout the novel are proven false. These inaccurate assumptions set the stage for the use of pride and prejudice amongst the characters. The influence of first impressions during the story is exemplified in Lizzy’s initial feelings towards Darcy, Darcy’s keen observations regarding the relationship between Jane and Bingley, and the contrast in character of Darcy and Wickham in relation to how they were originally perceived by society.

Before any facts are to be given as to why the novel should be titled First Impressions, what is learned from a first impression must be established. First impressions always take place upon interaction with a new acquaintance, but what is learned from those meetings is rarely insightful material into a person’s true being. The manner in which one presents themselves is vital in a first impression. Coming off as arrogant or impolite can hinder one’s appearance towards others even if they are incorrectly judged. First impressions are determined based on what is seen on the surface of a person, but prevents any sort of deep interaction. So much stress is placed upon first impressions is because you only get one, and it can determine someone’s positive or negative feelings towards you. For one, you can never tell someone’s finest traits unless blatantly obvious, such as good looks. Equally, one’s flaws are seldom instituted because that person is trying to hide anything that would dissuade people from liking them. Regardless of whether or not a first impression reveals a person’s true character, there is certainly an importance put on a first impression that carries on throughout one’s relationship with that person. Once that opinion is made about an individual, it becomes extremely difficult to change because the other person has made up their mind about the matter and unwilling to change their beliefs.
Lizzy’s first impression of Darcy set up the justification for her prejudice towards him that continued throughout the novel until her opinion eventually changed. The seemingly unbearable arrogance with which Mr. Darcy carried himself planted the seed of hatred in Lizzy’s mind that would remain there against all evidence that would later refute it. In the early stages of the story, Elizabeth’s assumptions seemed to be correct. However, Lizzy was only correct because she had only her first impression of Mr. Darcy to rely on. Mr. Darcy’s comments about Lizzy at their first meeting strongly supported her original judgment about him which gave her even more confidence that she was right about her opinion. However, as we see later in the story, Darcy’s true character is demonstrated to Elizabeth, but her first impression of Darcy still lingered with her, giving her the sense that he was not as good as he seemed. Even though Mr. Darcy profoundly professed his love for Elizabeth, “there seemed a gulf impassable between them” (236), because of Lizzy’s negative outlook on Mr. Darcy. However, Lizzy’s wisdom eventually helped her to overcome her first impression of Darcy and realize that she was wrong to act the way she did towards him: “but when she considered how unjustly she had condemned and upbraided him, her anger was turned against herself; and his disappointed feelings became the object of compassion” (163). Mr. Darcy’s persistence had paid off as Lizzy finally recognized his many amiable qualities. Although Elizabeth is perceived in Pride and Prejudice as a very composed and clear-thinking character, even she is susceptible to the enticing powers contained in first impressions. It just goes to show how the fallacies exhibited in first impressions throughout the story continually lead to erroneous suppositions about the quality of certain characters. However, there were instances as well in which accurate first impressions were used in beneficial ways.

It is not surprising that the only accurate first impression in Pride and Prejudice was made by the only truly level-headed person in the novel, Mr. Darcy. When Mr. Darcy broke up the relationship between Bingley and Jane, he did it based on factual reasons that he could support. Darcy saw that Jane showed no unique affection to Bingley compared to how she treats others, and Mr. Darcy, looking out for his friends best interests, felt obligated to disrupt the relationship. He could not allow the two to be married if there was not intense passion equally present between them. Following the separation, Darcy of course was, yet again, labeled by Elizabeth as a terrible person for his actions even though she did not know the reasoning behind his methods. Lizzy’s assumption in this case is another false first impression of Mr. Darcy that he is a heartless fiend when, in actuality, he did what he did in the pursuit of true love for his good friend. Only until after she learns of Mr. Darcy’s good deeds does she realize the error of her ways and how foolish she was in her first impression of him: “‘I, who have prided myself on my discernment!- I, who have valued myself on my abilities!... I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven away reason, where either were concerned. Till this moment, I never knew myself’” (159). Mr. Darcy’s is the only person in the novel who has enough wisdom and fairness to be trusted when it comes to making judgments about people.

The issue of first impressions in Pride and Prejudice is no more apparent than in the contrasting first impressions of Darcy and Wickham. There was such a unanimous belief in the Bennet household that Mr. Darcy was a dreadful person while Mr. Wickham was exceptional in every way. Both of these judgments were made solely based on the first impressions of the two men. Darcy’s, as previously stated, did not present himself as a noble man and was not respected because of his attitude. Wickham, on the other hand, was adored by the Bennets for his charm and good looks. Also, especially in Elizabeth’s case, Wickham was also valued because he was enemies with Mr. Darcy, whom she had a great distaste for. However, as the story played out, Darcy’s stock rose and Wickham’s stock fell in Lizzy’s eyes. Wickham fell out of Lizzy’s good graces because of the revelations discovered about his character. Wickham’s constant method of racking up a large debt and then leaving town proved to Lizzy that she had made another bad judgment in trusting him. When she thought about it, Lizzy could not think of one good act by Wickham. She did not notice this before because she had been so blinded by his charm which came from her first impression of him: “She tried to recollect some instances of goodness, some distinguished trait of integrity or benevolence, that might rescue him from the attacks of Mr. Darcy… but no such recollection befriended her” (157-158). It is obvious that Mr. Darcy is a more honorable man than Mr. Wickham, but it was the first impression each man on Lizzy that influenced whom she believed throughout the story.

It is obvious that although first impressions do not tell much about a person, they play a major role in Pride and Prejudice. It has been shown in this novel that anyone can make a good first impression just as anyone can be fooled by a good first impression. The title of Pride and Prejudice should have been changed to First Impressions because it is the basis of the story and none of the events would have occurred had there not been so many inaccurate first impressions.
















Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.

The Crucible #3 31-49

"'It discomfits me! Last night- mark this- I tried and tried and could not say my prayers. And then she [Martha] close her book and walks out of the house, and suddenly- mark this- I could pray again!'" (40)

Martha must definitely be a witch because she has the same qualities as other characters that have been accused of using witchcraft. One predominant trait of these witches is their repulsion of God and they use their powers to keep others from worshipping God as well. The fact that witches despise God is very significant in the story since religion plays such a vital role in society. I think that this theme will continue to present itslef and possibly lead to false accusations.

"'I want to open myself! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him... I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!'" (48)

Abigail continues to prove herself to be an overall bad person. First in this quote, she admits to dancing for the Devil and pleading for forgiveness, which would have been the right thing to do had Tituba not just dine the same thing. Abigail wanted someone else to take the fall for Devil-worshiping first just so she could see how it played out. Now that she notices that Tituba is safe, she throws it all out there in hopes of getting off the hook. Secondly, Abigail starts to list off a bunch of names which might not even be true. By throwing out this new information, you must wonder if Abigail is just trying to frame some other people to keep the attention off of herself.

Betty: "You drank blood, Abby! You didn't tell him that!"
Abigail: "Betty, you never say that again! You will never--"
Betty: "You did, you did! You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" (19).

I chose this quote because it shows how Abigail is definitely a witch. If you drink blood, you got some problems, and it witchcraft is easy to pin on her. Also, she wants to kill Goody Proctor since they had an affair. It is pretty obvious that Abigail will have more problems down the road. Even if she was not a witch, she was still involved in suspicious stuff and this is not the place to be involved in anything suspicious.

Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you (20)

I chose this quote because it is just more evidence that Abigail is a witch. No person would say something like this if they were not guilty and in big trouble, especially in a town full of churchies. The rules are too strict for any normal citizen to be willing to stick their neck out without risking suspicion by others.

Kevin McAdam
AP English/ Mr. George
12/2/09
Pride and Prejudice Essay #2

Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice, although a magnificent love story, can equally be read as a societal critique of the classist structure. Jane Austen displays many of her characters in an extreme light in order to emphasize the differences in societal beliefs. One of the extreme characters of the story is Lady Catherine. Her unjustifiable feelings of superiority over lower class families, such as the Bennets, and her arrogant beliefs that she deserves her high place in society provoke her desire to maintain societal structure at all costs. Lady Catherine’s snobbish opinion of lower class families like the Bennets is greatly unwarranted. Her disgust towards people inferior to her is hypocritical because she had once been in a similar situation as Lizzy. Lady Catherine, herself, had married a man of considerable wealth. In light of these circumstances, one would think Lady Catherine would act more kindly to those aspiring to the same great lengths as Lady Catherine. However, Lady Catherine became enveloped in the theory of social structure that she forgot her roots. Lady Catherine held her position atop society, but she did nothing to deserve the privilege or to stay there. Lady Catherine’s methods for using the power bestowed upon her were shameful for someone who is supposed to set an example for all of society. An example of Lady Catherine’s poor manners is when she asks Lizzy several rude questions about their upbringing: “‘No governess! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without a governess! – I never heard of such a thing. Your mother must have been quite a slave to your education’” (Austen 127). Lady Catherine uses this opportunity to incorrectly establish her superiority over Lizzy and to intimidate her. Lady Catherine’s ill-mannered temperament greatly affects prideful people like Lizzy, but in this classist system, it is shown that those in the higher class levels are treated with utmost respect regardless of character. It is outrageous how Lady Catherine sustains a position in society so similar to Mr. Darcy when the two are juxtaposed to one another. A man like Mr. Darcy, truthful and sincere, who is courteous to every one of his workers, is exactly the kind of person who deserves a position of such power. Conversely, Lady Catherine’s haughty nature confirms that societal structure at the time was based solely on wealth instead of character. Lady Catherine’s desire to preserve her supremacy in society drove her to act so maliciously when confronting Lizzy. Lady Catherine became threatened by the rumors of a marriage between Darcy and Lizzy. If this happened, Lacy Catherine would have less power over the lower classes and her position in society would become irrelevant. In order to maintain her dominance, she needed to ensure that higher class citizens married people of similar societal background: “‘Have you not heard me say, that from his earliest hours he was destined for his cousin?’” (271). Here, Lady Catherine not only promotes marriage between wealthy and wealthy, she also attempts to put Lizzy in her place and end any affections she had with Darcy. She effectively states that the connection between Darcy and his cousin is set in stone and there was nothing she could do to change it. Lady Catherine prided herself in devastating the moral of anyone from aspiring to join her atop society. Lady Catherine did not feel bad about using such harmful terms because, after all, her goal when dealing with Lizzy, or with any person of a lower class, was to uphold societal structure by using any means necessary.

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Pride And Prejudice. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.