City News

 This book is essentially a play, and it was created very early, specifically in 1953. The
author's purpose of writing this book was to reflect the negative impact of the red scare in the
United States. In this book, the author Miller portrays a village with a closed theocracy, and
people in the village are easily controlled and influenced by public opinion. The people in the
village will turn their selfish desires into accusations disguised as witchcraft to achieve their
goals. Under the threat of death, people continue to admit lies against their will, and
gradually the whole village is shrouded in panic and disaster caused by lies, and they lose
their judgment.There are no absolutely decent characters in the story, all characters have a
bad side and something they want. The author uses a clever way to shape the contradictions
between the characters that promote the development of the story, and gives them
motivations for various behaviors. Under the pressure of conscience, shame, and reputation,
John's decision at the end of the story launched the climax of the story before the end. Some
of the characters in the book have a certain reputation in the village, and their choices will
bring various influences to the people. When people with more authority die in vain,
dissatisfaction spreads among the masses. But at the same time, if they choose to support
the lie, it will also encourage the so-called "authenticity" of the lie and make more people fall
into it. Danforth in the story is the magistrate in the village. He is the greatest symbol of
authority and the biggest factor in promoting lies. His ignorance of the truth has pushed the
whole village into dire straits. When all the lies come pouring out like a mountain, no one can
tell the truth to everyone.The style of the whole play is expressed in a depressive, realistic,
and cold way, digging out the essence behind human nature.This book is one of the
must-reads, but its subject matter and the story it embodies are too dark. It's a good story,
but not for very young readers. For adults and teenagers, they can deeply understand the
meaning behind the story. The best thing for readers is to be able to understand the author
Miller's reasons for writing this play and the meaning he wanted to express through it in the
context of the time. What I like about this book is its style. It describes human nature vividly
and clearly, and is not stingy about describing any darker plots and character
expressions.Some readers may not accept the ending of some characters in the story. This
description is both an advantage and a disadvantage. It may not meet the expectations and
tastes of most readers. Just reading the script may not be vivid enough for this work. If there
is a chance, I hope that people who like this work can listen to or watch other people perform
this play.

Check out the Crucible at NBPL.