The INTRODUCTION: The Crucible, Salem Witch Trials, Puritan Life, and Arthur Miller

In preparation for Arthur Miller's The Crucible, knowledge about the daily life and culture of the Puritans is essential. What was life like for a Puritan more than 300 years ago?  What was life like in Massachusettes for its inhabitants? How did they live?  What did they practice?  What did they believe? What did that have to do with witch trials?

Oftentimes in literature characters are influenced by the religious and social customs of the period in which they live.  By researching various aspects of Puritan life during the seventeenth century in America, you will develop insight into the behavior of particular literary characters in The Crucible.

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