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As we come to this final chapter of the September Reading List, I thought Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible would be the perfect book to end on. What better way to get in the Halloween spirit than with a tale of witches? Written as an allegory for the McCarthy era and the Red Scare, the play is a fictional account of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 in which group of girls falsely accused many townspeople of being witches. One accusation led to another creating a snowball effect that resulted hundreds being accused and twenty innocent people being sentenced to death. While the play follows the basic historical facts, Arthur’s creative liberties with the characters of John Proctor and Abigail Williams are what truly create an intriguing story. (Abigail holds a a special place in my heart as I got to read her part when we covered the book my junior year of high school.) After an illicit affair that ended badly, the two are pitted on opposite sides as Abigail perpetuates the hysteria and John tries bring her and her friends down, leading to her accuse his wife. A classic staple of high school English courses across the country, The Crucible is timeless tale of what happens when a lie takes on a life of its own and the destruction mass hysteria and paranoia can bring.
What are your thoughts on today’s selection? Share your thoughts below! Also tweet your favorite books to @WriteForBoots and I’ll retweet them!