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You’re young, you’re a girl, and you live in 1692 Salem. What do you do? Keep your mouth shut, of course … or cry “Witch!” This Recap has the scoop on a 17th-Century version of empowerment, courtesy Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Hint: It’s pretty messed up.

Video Transcription:

Empowerment.

Doesn’t that word just raise your spirits?

Not when it comes to The Crucible it shouldn’t. We’ll take a look at a really twisted version of empowerment when we talk about motifs—next.

In 1692 Salem, women and children were seen but not heard.

No voting rights, no rights to own property … and did I mention the horrible clothes?

But in all seriousness, the authority in Salem belonged strictly to the men … until Abigail Williams cried “witch!”

That’s why one of the motifs—or, recurring structures—in this play is the motif of empowerment. Because once Abigail cried witch, the power structure in Salem was turned upside-down.

Here’s what I mean. The group of characters in this play who end up with the most power are not only children, they’re girls. But they’re girls who align themselves with Salem’s greatest authority of all—the authority of God.

And the power they wield is so absolute that with a single accusation of witchcraft, these girls had some of the most well-respected citizens thrown in jail … and executed.

Of course, the sad part is that this is a completely skewed version of empowerment—a poisoned version of power, instead of a progressive one. And in the end, this false empowerment is the girls’ ruin … and Salem’s.