Personally, I don't understand how you could defend an argument naming John Proctor a "stooge". It simply isn't so; he was written into the story as a martyr. I concede the fact that he was a sort of stooge at the beginning of the play, but he (like others) is a dynamic character. You can't take a character's behavior at the beginning of a piece of literature and assume that they stay the same throughout the course of the story; especially with them being the main character. In my opinion, if the main character doesn't change at all in the entire story that story is BAD and you would be wasting your time and energy attempting to read it.
The fact that John Proctor was willing to sacrifice his own life in return for nothing but redemption in his own eyes (at least according to Elizabeth) proves that he is a changed man. He tries to somewhat redeem himself at the beginning but fails utterly, admitting that he "may look up" at Abigail. However, as his character completes its arc, he admits to his affair in order to save other innocent lives despite the consequences that would be sure to follow (already putting him leagues above Danforth). He also would rather be killed and keep his name clean than confess and become no better than the hundred other people who lied to save their own skins. It doesn't matter how you look at it; as long as you keep the entire plot in mind and not just one portion, you will discover that John Proctor was just a man looking to redeem himself for past sin.
While I agree with your take on Proctor's character arc, I disagree that he took on the role of a martyr. If anyone was a martyr in this story, it was Giles Corey, who refused to give up the identity of his witness, giving his life to protect his neighbors.
ReplyDeleteJohn Proctor was a guilty man trying to cover up his sins, and lived through the story constantly seeking self-redemption. However, he did little to achieve this, and sat on the sidelines until he was forced to act, caring only for himself, his wife, and his name. By letting himself be killed, he did nothing to help the accused, and left his wife widowed with children.
A martyr is someone who willingly gives their life on behalf of a principle or cause. While some would argue he did just that, his cause was self-fulfillment.
I agree with your argument on how he is a very dynamic character throughout the story. His opinions and ideas change a lot and he shows that at the end he is more of a hero than a stooge.
ReplyDeleteI agree that he is a dynamic character and an important one at that but he was stooge for a considerable amount of the play and his actions near the end of the play were somewhat heroic. He only did it to finally confess his sins before he died which may or may not save him from damnation as well as dying loyal to his wife which partially clears his name to her.
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