Essay on The Crucible and the West Memphis Three - 1175 Words

Revenge, the abuse of authority and the desire for power are all present in both Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible and the case regarding the West Memphis Three. To understand the connection you need to know something about the case. Three young boys were murdered on May 5, 1993 (Leveritt 5). They were stripped of their clothing, their hands were bound and they were forced underwater in the nearby creek where they stayed until they were found the next day. Little evidence was collected the day of their discovery, what was recovered was mislabeled and handled incorrectly. The boys were laying in the open elements for 3 hours before they saw any kind of medical examiner (Leveritt 23). Later, three teenagers (Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin†¦show more content†¦(117 book) Numerous celebrities sought the freedom of the â€Å"West Memphis Three† as they came to be called after their imprisonment (Robertson 1). These celebrities were putting their face out there by atta ching it to a cause. This is advertisement for them. This exploitation of events to gain power was also present in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. Taking place in 1692, a time when religion was everything and the town preacher was authority, people were forced into the mundane, agricultural centered lives that had been handed to them by the previous generation (Miller 3). Children were â€Å"young adults† and seen as â€Å"thankful for being permitted to walk straight† (Miller 4). It was a small town they lived in and very few people were literate. Any information they came across was given to them by gossiping townsfolk or the preacher, Reverend Parris. Revered Parris uses the power that was handed to him to give himself a better name in politics. The witch craze provided the perfect moment to do so. He helped head the committee that determined the innocence of those convicted. By doing so he hopes to create a reputation for himself in politics. He also sup ports anything the judge Danforth says, calling him â€Å"sir† and â€Å"Your Excellency† (Miller 88). This brown nosing and condemnation of others, â€Å"Beware this man... this man is mischief† (to Proctor), is to keep the searchlight off himself and sustain hisShow MoreRelatedThe Crucible Research Paper : West Memphis Three1480 Words   |  6 PagesCrucible Research Paper : West Memphis Three The West Memphis Three terminology was birthed when three troubled, teenage boys were accused of brutally torturing and murdering three young, innocent boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, in May of 1993. Authorities had mounting pressure to find the culprits responsible for the unspeakable crime. In a very short time, the three teens were accused, arrested and then charged with the brutal crime. It was not Salem, Massachusetts, but a witch-hunt wasRead MoreHysteria In The Crucible Analysis827 Words   |  4 Pageshistory. The crucible, by Arthur Miller depicts how hysteria, political injustice and prejudice began the historical ‘witch hunt’ which resulted 19 innocents killed. Two centuries later hysteria, political injustice and prejudice have again affected the lives of three innocent teenagers, Damien Echols (18), Jessie Misskelly (17), and Jason Baldwin (16), who were wrongly accused, convicted and sentenced for the homicide of three 8-year-old boy; this case wa s dubbed the West Memphis Three (WM3). WithinRead MoreThe Memphis Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878 Essay2107 Words   |  9 PagesThe 1878 yellow fever epidemic in Memphis proved to be fatal, killing almost all who got infected. The disease traveled up from New Orleans infecting and killing many on its way. Memphis was going through reconstruction and was becoming the center for merchants and travelers. Furthermore, Memphis began to become overly populated only increasing the devastation that would be caused by the yellow fever. This was a confusing period were even medical professionals did not know where the disease cameRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 PagesLawrence, Kansas. Grandmother Mary Langston, an American citizen of French, Cherokee, and African descent, was nineteen in 1855 when men tried to kidnap her and sell her as a slave. Her first husband, Lewis Leary, was killed in 1859 at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, during John Browns raid on the federal arsenal. Throughout Mary Langstons life, she treasured Lewiss bullet-riddled shawl, an emblem of his martyrdom. She often covered young Langston with it as he slept on her daybed. Mary Langstons