Answer question one by writing down the thesis statement that you choose on a sheet of paper. You will turn this in. Write down the stronger of the two thesis statements. 1. All high school students should be required to take English. English is a good subject. Studying English helps students become better writers. 2. All high school students should be required to take English. This is because studying English helps students become better writers, better readers, and better critical thinkers.

Have you (or someone you know) ever been unfairly accused of doing something that you didn’t do? What was your reaction to this? Why do you think you were accused?

Objective: You will be able to identify the connection between The Crucible and injustice and persecution in America.

THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE “Passion creates a rush to judgment”

Finish reading through the article, then answer the following questions: 1. What crime were the West Memphis Three accused of? 2. What are the names of the West Memphis Three? 3. How old were the West Memphis Three when they were sent to prison? 4. Why do you think people were so eager to find the West Memphis Three guilty of murder?

 America was emerging as a world power, but: ◦ The Soviet Union was America’s main competition in the 1950s  And: ◦ The Soviet Union was Communist  Communism: Everyone should get an equal share of resources, no matter how much they worked. ◦ Thought that people shouldn’t need to work more in order to have more. ◦ This is NOT a belief shared by Americans! (Remember the Puritans???)

Many Americans thought Communism was a threat to the safety and future of the USA.

 Rising politician who wanted more power/fame.  McCarthy claimed that he had a list of 205 Communists who worked in the US Government

 McCarthy and the House Committee of Un- American Activities (HUCA) accused politicians, filmakers, writers, directors, actors of being Communists  Thousands of people were brought in to testify.  Stop and Jot: Why do you think McCarthy accused 205 people of being Communists? 60

The author of “The Crucible”

 People who were accused of being Commmunists had two options: ◦ Admit to being a Communist and tell McCarthy names of other people who attended Communist meetings ◦ OR ◦ Refuse to admit anything (or rat out others) and be blacklisted ◦ Blacklisted means you can no longer work!!  Stop and Jot: Was the “Red Scare” an example of persecution? Why/why not? 60

 Occurred in a Puritan community in Salem, Massachusetts. ◦ Puritans: Group of English settlers who had strong religious beliefs and moral values.

 Young girl named Betty Parris became ill ◦ Fever, extreme pain, running around the house  More children in Salem became ill ◦ Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, Mary Walcott

 Doctors couldn’t explain illness, so they blamed “witchcraft” ◦ Townspeople were easily convinced ◦ A servant in town was suspected of witchcraft  Townspeople decided to arrest the servant, Tituba, and an older woman for witchcraft

 More and more people were arrested and charged with witchcraft ◦ The punishment for witchcraft was DEATH by HANGING  In order to save themselves, some people “confessed” to practicing witchcraft, then accused others of practicing witchcraft.  Stop and Jot: How is this similar to what happened during the “Red Scare”? 30

 19 innocent men and women were put to death for “witchcraft”

 People were suspicious and afraid ◦ Death and evil were on the minds of many people because of fighting and disease ◦ Puritans accepted the devil as the source of evil/wrong in life

 Arthur Miller saw similarities between the “Red Scare” and the Salem Witch Trials. ◦ Wrote “The Crucible” about the Salem Witch Trials. ◦ Used “The Crucible as a way of talking about his experience of injustice during “The Red Scare”

 What do the three events we studied today (The Memphis Three, The Red Scare, The Salem Witch Trials) say about justice in America?  What emotions led the community to accuse innocent people in the three cases we studied today? MAKE PREDICTIONS  Based on what we learned today, what do you think will be one of the main topics addressed in The Crucible?  Given the fact that The Memphis Three, the Red Scare, and the Salem Witch Trials all involved trials, what do you think will happen in The Crucible?

 Answer the prompt with a THESIS STATEMENT.  Remember to follow the thesis statement outline: B (claim). This is because X(supporting topic 1) Y (supporting topic 2), Z (supporting topic 3).  PROMPT: Has injustice occurred in America over the course of its history?

MAKE PREDICTIONS  Based on what we learned yesterday, what do you think will be one of the main topics addressed in The Crucible?  Given the fact that The Memphis Three, the Red Scare, and the Salem Witch Trials all involved people being put on trial, what do you think will happen in The Crucible?

 Allegory: work of literature that tells one story on the surface while referring to another sub-textually  Pop Quiz: When Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible about the Salem Witch Trials, which example of injustice in America was he also writing about?

 Predilection (n)—preexisting preference  Ingratiating (adj)—charming, flattering  Dissembling (n)—hiding one’s real nature or motives  Calumny (n)—false accusation  Inculcation (n)—teaching by reputation and urging  Propitiation (n)—an action meant to soothe  Evade (v)—avoid or escape by deceit or cleverness

VOCABULARY HOMEWORK!!!! MAKE A FLASHCARD FOR EACH VOCAB WORD THIS IS DUE TOMORROW!!!!!!

1.Take out a sheet of paper 2.Draw a straight line down the middle of the paper 3.In the first column, write “Character” 4.In the second column, write “Traits” 5.Fill in each column for each character we meet

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS: ◦ Leader of the group of girls ◦ Having an affair with John Proctor ◦ Smart, manipulative, jealous End

 JOHN PROCTOR ◦ Farmer ◦ Married, but having an affair with Abigail ◦ Proud and (usually) honest End

 ELIZABETH PROCTOR ◦ John Proctor’s wife ◦ Moral and honest ◦ Sometimes seen as “cold” End

 THE GIRLS ◦ Betty Parris: Daughter of the town minister ◦ Ruth Putnam: Daughter of a wealthy, greedy landowner ◦ Mary Warren: Servant of the Proctors ◦ Mercy Lewis: Servant of the Putnams End End

 Reverend Parris: ◦ Town minister ◦ Paranoid ◦ Concerned with what others think of him End

 John Hale: ◦ “Expert” on witchcraft ◦ Asked to come to Salem for his knowledge ◦ Intelligent and logical End

 Tituba: ◦ Slave from Barbados ◦ Performs voodoo ◦ Accused of witchcraft End

 Take out a separate sheet of paper and put your NAME, THE PERIOD, THE DATE and CRUCIBLE DAY 1 at the top.  This will be for Stop and Jots.

 When a literary work tells one story on the surface, but is really meant to say something about another story, that is a: ◦ A) MetaphorB) AllegoryC) Alliteration D) Image  Why is Reverend Parris praying at the beginning of Act One?  What did Reverend Parris do before coming to Salem?  Who is Tituba?  What is the relationship between Abigail and Reverend Parris? Why does she live with him?  What rumors are circulating in the village?