English Topic

Name:_____________________________

Period:________

Example Paragraph

Directions: Please take the following paragraph, and note the following highlights :

Topic Sentence—Yellow

Primary Support( Statement to be proven)—Green

Secondary Support (analysis/explanation, refer to text) Orange

1. explains significance of the Primary Support 2. explains how the Primary Support relates to the Topic Sentence, Thesis

Anchor (Concluding Sentence)- Yellow

Also, notice the MLA formatting! This is a requirement in the department! ____________________________________________________________________________

Name

Language Arts 5/6

Ms. Keenan

Date Title

Within The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the author utilizes symbols to create a deeper

understanding of the need for conformity within Puritan Salem. He uses several

representational objects to aid his underlying criticism of the 1950’s political atmosphere.

For example, Miller names the play after a crucible, or scientific instrument, in order to

relate his message regarding conformity within the United States. In science, a crucible is

a tool that employs extremely high temperatures to fuse materials uniformly together.

Since crucibles are not visible within the play itself, one must assume that the author

intends for the audience to understand that the title relates to the conformity necessary to

the Puritan lifestyle. He does this to reflect the societal need for conformity, as seen

within the anti-Communist activity within the 1950’s. Another representation of the fear

of individual thinking occurs when Abigail cries to her former lover, “ ‘ I look for John

Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart’ ” (I.214). Miller

uses Abigail’s character to describe her newly discovered individuality; one that the

Puritan culture feared would destroy their lifestyle. This is important because it also

mirrors the crushing fear against any individual thought that raged within the McCarthy

Red Scares, of which Miller was a victim. One last example is the use of the Salem

witch trials, in which nineteen individuals were tried and convicted for various reasons,

none of them witchcraft. The author cleverly veils his message against the American

need for conformity, and the resulting harm to innocent citizens, within the trials of the

1690’s. The trials of Salem, one of the most heinous events of American history, are an

effective symbol, in that our revulsion of one act of terror as motivator, should warn us to

avoid the current cultural agenda. In conclusion, Miller conveys his message to the

audience through the use of symbols so that future generations will not repeat the

mistakes of the past.