I have to write an essay on it, and admittely I’m still a little confused. Has anyone read it?
Yes, although, you’re going to need to be a little more specific if you want help.
I’ll send you a PM later on with the details, I was in a hurry when I posted that.
I’ve read it, watched the movie, and learned about the Salem Witch Trials from other sources as well. But there are better ways to get help for writing an essay on a book than asking on an RPG message board.
<a href=“http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/”>coughs</a>
Well, for the most part, The Crucible is about Mcarthyism. Use what you know about Mcarthyism and relate it to the The Crucible and you should have a pretty good essay. If not, just read the book and read up on Mcarthyism and you should have all the information you need to be able to write a good essay.
Comparing the Salem Witch Trial to McCarthyism would be a good topic for an essay, but it would also require more research (even an expert on McCarthyism would have to get references not only from the Crucible, but also from sources on McCarthyism to write a credible essay). I know whenever I write an essay, I try to minimize the amount of research I have to do, because researching is the pits. But it’s an excellent (if a bit obvious) topic if you’re willing to put the effort into it.
But even if that was to be your topic, you would need a good thesis. Just saying “The Salem Witch Trials was similar to McCarthyism” wouldn’t be a good topic, because nobody would disagree with you. The trick to writing a good HISTORICAL essay is to come up with a thesis with no clear right or wrong answer and argue one side of the issue, trying to convince your readers you’re right.
OK, that was a bit of a tangent, and probably not even relevant, because this is probably for an English class, not a History class.
You’re thesis could be something like “Arthur Miller critiques the events of Mcarthyism by recreating them as the Salem Witch Trials in The Crucible”.
Okay, sorry for the delay guys.
Right now, my essay topic is the evolution of Reverend John Hale throughout the play, and how he goes from eager and naive to broken but enlightened. My thesis is as follows:
“John Hale transforms from an eager, bright, and naïve witch hunter to a wise, battered, and crestfallen man because as the one who declares that the Devil is loose in Salem, he triggers the hysteria caused by Abigail Williams. As the play progresses, he realizes that all of the accusations are scams, and that he is responsible for the accused and their deaths. His failure to stop the flurry of events set into motion shatters his innocence, his eagerness, and his love for his job.”
Thoughts on the thesis, as well as any suggestions for my essay, would be greatly appreciated.
That thesis is fucking huge. It’s like an entire introductory paragraph almost. Theses are generally just a sentence long.
Actually, I think the last sentence you listed would probably be considered your thesis, while the other two just parts of your introduction. There’s nothing wrong with having your thesis buried in your introductory paragraph, as long as it’s clear exactly what your thesis is (and I think this thesis is pretty clear). Although some teachers for some inexplicable reason force their students to have the thesis be the first sentence of a paper, or last sentence of the first paragraph, so be wary of that.