Realism in The Crucible

In his essay “Realism and Intelligence: Some Notes on Arthur Miller,” Albert Hunt describes the peculiar version of realism Miller uses in The Crucible. It’s a kind of realism that is not based on historical accuracy, but on making characters seem as lifelike as possible. Hunt describes it as a specific style Miller uses, like simplistic language in the face of power situations, and the well-roundedness of a character like John Proctor. Hunt praises Miller’s characterization of Proctor, and the scene where Mary Warren tries to expose Abigail but eventually turns on Proctor. I’m not sure I agree with Hunt on the idea that Miller’s characterizations are realistic, but it’s true that the power of the play definitely comes from the sense that it is presenting a version of actual events. The fact is that the Salem witch trials actually did happen and people like John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse were indeed murdered. Reading about these innocent people going to their deaths has a powerful impact not just because of Miller’s style, but because the subject matter itself is horrifying. The language Miller uses is powerful too, especially in scenes where words and ideas are twisted around by the judges and accusers to create paradoxes that the accused could not escape from. The discussion where Danforth, Hathorne, Parris and Cheever try to interrogate Proctor about poppets his wife might have kept in the house is one example of this. Despite all of Proctor’s denials, the accusers can’t seem to accept that Elizabeth did not keep any poppets in the house. Parris asks, “Why could there not have been poppets hid where no one ever saw them?” Which is an impossible question to defend against, and Proctor’s frustration is clear when he replies, “There might also be a dragon with five legs in my house, but no one has ever seen it."

Hunt quotes heavily from the scene where Proctor makes his confession and then retracts it to make a point about realism. It’s an incredibly powerful scene because Proctor is presented in such an ordinary way. He is not, as he says, a saint. He cannot just give up his own life with a sense of righteousness so easily, and the simplicity of the language Miller uses in that scene serves to underscore the point of Proctor’s ordinariness, and the extraordinary choice he eventually makes.