What does it mean to be human? I think to be human is to want to be free, to have control of your actions, and to follow your own desires. At the same time, and somewhat inconsistently, we all want to belong, to be part of a group, and to have the support of those around us. The human experience, I believe, is therefore defined by the paradoxical struggle to reconcile the individual’s desire for independence with their acceptance to society. My understanding of this concept has been shaped by two texts in particular: Arthur Miller’s tragedy play ‘The Crucible’ and James Joyce’s short story ‘Eveline’. In particular, my understanding has been deepened by a study into how composers manipulate their chosen forms in order to represent certain ideas, and how these are influenced by their unique contexts.
In Arthur Miller’s 1953 play ‘The Crucible’, Miller reveals that while the refusal to accept the collective ideology can lead to increased independence, it can also result in severe punishment by society. This is examined through his representation of the mass hysteria surrounding the historic Salem Witch trials. The tension between independence and acceptance is most evident in the narrative arc of the protagonist John Proctor who specifically resists the excessively strict Puritan doctrine of Salem, which, as Miller reviews in the overture, limits individuality.
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John Proctors quest for autonomy is exemplified in his rejection of the excessively strict theocratic laws, which he disobeys by not attending church on sabbath day. However, Miller reveals that while Proctor disobeys such doctrine, it is partly motivated by a rejection of Reverend Parris’ lack of integrity. When, for example, Reverend Hale confronts Proctor about this matter, he replies by metaphorically disowning Parris saying that Parris “dreams cathedrals, not clap-board meeting houses”. This juxtaposition of ‘cathedrals’ and regular meeting houses signals Proctor’s rejection of Parris hypocritical obsession with reputation and status over sincere faith which instigates his desire for independence. As Proctor comes to a conclusion that he “sees no light of God” in Parris, Miller’s recurrent use of light imagery associates integrity and sincerity as essentially moral qualities, in contrast to Parris’ selfish obsession with status.
While Miller definitely presents integrity and independence as essential virtues, he also reveals that in such a repressive society, Proctors’ refusal to accept the collective ideology results in punishment. Danforth’s hyperbolic declaration that he would “hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law” represents the way the legal system is used to force individuals to conform out of fear of punishment. Therefore, Proctor’s symbolic tearing of his confession, represented through the stage direction “tears the paper and crumples it” conveys both an assertion of his autonomy but also his acceptance of the punishment that results from such resistance.
Therefore, in ‘The Crucible’, Arthur Miller represents the inevitable consequences of rebelling against the collective ideology in the search for independence. Inversely, in the short story ‘Eveline’, James Joyce reveals the paralysing consequences of completely conforming to the collective and accepting one’s place in society. The protagonist Eveline is characterised as a ‘typical’ young woman living in the early 20th century Ireland, who must take responsibility of her younger siblings and the family business after her mother has passed away. Indeed, the oppressive sense of obligation and the pressure to conform to the patriarchal Catholic values of her Irish society results in a sense of entrapment and restriction – exemplified in the strong emotive language as she exclaims: “Escape! She must escape!”. However, Joyce presents the opportunity for independence and freedom in the form of the young sailor Frank, who promises to take Eveline to Buenos Aires/Argentina, a “new home, in a distant unknown country”.
Nonetheless, Joyce reveals the subtle and unspoken social pressure to accept collective norms through Eveline’s internal monologue. At one point she rhetorically questions, “What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she had run away with a fellow? Say she was a fool, perhaps”. Just as reputation plays a role in enforcing conformity in ‘The Crucible’, so too does gossip enforce conformity in Joyce’s Irish context. Likewise, the memory of her promise “to keep the home together as long as she could” acts as a motif in the short story, reminding the audience of the patriarchal expectation to assume a motherly role in the family.
Ultimately, the short story employs a cyclical structure, with Eveline ending up in the same place where she began. This structure reflects how completely accepting to social pressures, reduces independence which results in a state of paralysis, and inability to achieve self-actualisation.
Therefore, through both these texts we can explore that too much independence will result in punishment from the collective, while too much acceptance will lead to a loss of identity. Then, what makes us human? In a world where both independence and society matter, ultimately, it is the ongoing and incomplete struggle to balance individual desires with the desires of the collective. So, where do you stand?
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