Crucible/year of wonders essay prompts
- The female characters are more affected by the crises in their communities. Discuss in relation to Year of Wonders and The Crucible.
- Compare how Miller and Brooks depict the impact of faith in Year of Wonders and The Crucible.
- How do Brooks and Miller illustrate the nature of hysteria? Discuss in relation to Year of Wonders and The Crucible.
- Compare how Year of Wonders and The Crucible explore the nature of love.
- Brooks and Miller explore the pressures of societal convention. Discuss in relation to Year of Wonders and The Crucible.
- Compare how Brooks and Miller explore how communities react to crisis in their texts.
- 1. ‘Religion is the source of the suffering for these communities.’ Explore with reference to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and Geraldine Brooks’ Year of Wonders.
- 2. “Oh the noose, the noose is up! (Crucible)
Discuss the way in which justice is depicted in both the Year of Wonders and The Crucible.
3. Compare the ways in which The Crucible and Year of Wonders depict divided societies.
4. “I, the husband, am the image of God in the kingdom of the home.” (Year of Wonders)
(Mary Warren) "…can barely speak for embarrassment and fear" (The Crucible)
How do the texts explore the limited roles of women during the 17th century?
5. ‘Fear of the unexplained can cause people to act irrationally and maliciously. Compare how Year of Wonders and The Crucible explore this idea.
6. “I wonder if you know how you’ve changed. It is the one good, perhaps, to come out of this terrible year.” (Year of Wonders)
“Forgive me, John - i never knew such goodness in the world!.” (The Crucible)
Compare how these two texts show that goodness can arise from seemingly impossible situations.
‘Ah, forgive me Mistress, but these times they do make monsters of us all.’ Jon Millstone (140)
‘A fire. A fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer; I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours. Danforth.’ Proctor (105)
Compare how both Year of Wonders and The Crucible explore the ways that fear affects a community.
Both Year of Wonders and The Crucible show a range of people on a journey of understanding of both themselves and the world they live in.
‘Ah, forgive me Mistress, but these times they do make monsters of us all.’ Jon Millstone (140)
‘A fire. A fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer; I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours. Danforth.’ Proctor (105)
Compare how both Year of Wonders and The Crucible reveal the volatile responses to life threatening situations.
Compare the way that both texts show how communities and individuals undergo transformation when they experience intense situations.
I was jealous of both of them at once. Of him because Elinor loved him…I was jealous of her too; jealous that she was loved by a man as a woman is meant to be loved.’ Anna P228-9
‘You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!’ Betty P26
Compare how both The Crucible and Year of Wonders explore the complexity of love, desire and loyalty.
Compare how both The Crucible and Year of Wonders show how characters can change when they experience extreme situations.
‘I was jealous of both of them at once. Of him because Elinor loved him…I was jealous of her too; jealous that she was loved by a man as a woman is meant to be loved.’ Anna P228-9
You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!’ Betty P26
Compare how both The Crucible and Year of Wonders explore the complexities of relationships.
Compare how both The Crucible and Year of Wonders present the disintegration of society.
Ah, forgive me Mistress, but these times they do make monsters of us all.’ Jon Millstone (140)
‘A fire. A fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours. Danforth.’ Proctor (105)
Compare how both Year of Wonders and The Crucible explore a range of ways that fear affects every aspect of a community.
Both Year of Wonders and The Crucible explore how and why some people are led to a point where they question long held beliefs about themselves and their beliefs.
‘Ah, forgive me Mistress, but these times they do make monsters of us all.’ Jon Millstone (140)
‘A fire. A fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours. Danforth.’Proctor (105)
Compare how both Year of Wonders and the Crucible show both range and complexity of how people respond to an extreme event.
Compare how both Year of Wonders and The Crucible explore the concept that time, place and personal qualities impact upon a person in times of crisis.
These are our SAC, Abs SAC and SuppSAC topics:
(1) ‘True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure.’
Compare what the two texts have to say about how times of crisis reveal a person’s true character.
(2) “God is dead!” (The Crucible)
“At that time, you see, we all of us believed that God listened to such prayers.”
(Year of Wonders)
Compare the role and influence of religion in The Crucible and Year of Wonders.
(3) ‘Disaster is inevitable within a community fighting amongst itself.’
Compare the impact that divided communities have on individuals and their behaviour in both The Crucible and Year of Wonders.
(4) “It is a whore’s vengeance.” (The Crucible)
“Because lust caused the sin, I deemed that she should atone.”
(Year of Wonders)
Compare the ways in which both texts demonstrate the way that women are judged more harshly than men for moral failings.
(5) “I never said my wife were a witch… I only said she were reading books!” (The Crucible)
“I can’t see my reflection in her eyes! Sign of a witch! Sign of a witch!”
(Year of Wonders)
Compare how the characters respond to hysteria in The Crucible and Year of Wonders.
(6) “Now do I think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor.” (The Crucible)
“As I continue to study and learn, I hope to accomplish a worthy life’s work here.”
(Year of Wonders)
Compare the way that both texts show how characters change when they experience extreme situations.