Young men go to war because it provides them with the opportunity for adventure.
To what extent is this borne out by Peter Weir's film 'Gallipoli'?
Most soldiers in the movie 'Gallipoli' were predominately influenced to go to war because it provided them with the opportunity for adventure; however, soon every soldier realised that war, although an adventure, was not like they had previously envisaged. A majority of young soldiers joined war, even faking their ages like in Archie's case, because of the sense of adventure, to be able to travel and meet new people and fight for their country. Although, there are others who join out of pressure or patriotic duty, there are those who have half a clue of what to expect, but even those men were shocked at the harsh reality of what was to come. War is thrilling and exciting, spontaneous and unorganised but it is also brutal and lonely, grim and depressing - none of the soldiers new what to expect before they went, committed to take part in a living nightmare.
The Crucible
A severe searching, test or trial. (dictionary.com)
A situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new (oxforddictionary.com)
How appropriate do you consider the title to be?
Arthur Miller thought of the appropriate title of 'The Crucible' to reflect the trials and chaos unfolding in Salem in the time of the witch hunts. The word 'Crucible' refers to a situation of severe trial or the heating of metals in a pot to melt and purify them. The theme of the diversion of blame in Miller's play correctly represents the title and gives it meaning. The diversion of blame by Abigail, Marry Warren, Betty and many others majorly contributed to the situation of severe trials at the end of the play. Abigail's fight for authority and credibility ultimately results in the deaths of hundreds and imprisonment of even more, her actions of diverting the blame act a catalyst. Salem is very much related to the metaphor of heating metals in a pot as Salem is extremely heated with the havoc of the witch trials. It is efecting everyone and some are so heated they melt - they give up and crumble from their situations. The use of a crucible is to purify what is in it, the community in Salem was fighting to be purified but instead of being made pure by the execution of witches it was made pure by the stop to the idea that witches were the cause of the problems in Salem. The title is proven appropriate by the use of the theme of accusition and how the severity of the predicament continues to escalate resulting in numerous citezens melt under the pressure.
Arthur Miller was inspired by the Red Terror caused by the Mccarthyism to write the Crucible. The play was Miller's way of subtly mirroring what was happening in the US at that time. Joseph McCarthy claimed that there were many communists and soviet spies within the government. He spread doubt over the United States and this resulted in many unnecessary executions and punishments. Miller related this situation to his play where the supposed 'witches' in Salem were forced to confess or hang. Both situations arose from hysteria and the blame was shifted by one person as self preservation when something went wrong. The conflict escalated both in the play and in the US, it could have been stopped early on but as time grew those who tried to stop it were most likely executed and this put even more people in danger of being involved in the crossfire and chaos of the communities. People in America who were suspected to be communists had no way to prove their innocence and were condemned with little or no evidence. This is exemplified by Miller's play and the girls screaming names of people who were witches, they had no way to stop them or prove otherwise. The Hollywood ten, those who refused to confess as communists, were much like the accused witches in 'The Crucible' such as Rebecca and John Proctor. Nobody was willing to stand up to McCarthy or Abigail until they took it too far by accusing somebody close to the legality of the community and that was when people had sneaking suspicions. Both instances, in Salem and in the United States, innocents have been falsely accused, families separated and communities thrown into turmoil all due to the starting hysteria and shifting of blame.
I will speak to him, but you hear my words: I am no witch, I do not conside with the devil, I am not made with calamity and you will respect my word! You need something from me, you need me speak sense to John, to persuae him to confess, you will not speak to me in such a manner. Leave me - I will speak with him now, I value his life and will try for him to confess but I make no guarantees, for both outcomes will leave him a good and worthy man in my eyes.
Arthur Miller rejects
the idea and takes sceptical attitude toward the devil and spirits. This is
shown predominately through a passage where he states, “…The necessity of the
devil may become evident as a weapon, a weapon designed and used time and time
again in every age to whip men in to a surrender to a particular church or
church-state.” (38) This displays Miller’s attitude toward the devil and
spirits as he admits to thinking the Devil is only used as a scaring device to
lure people to surrender to certain churches. “Better minds than Hale’s were -
and still are – convinced that there is a society of spirits beyond our
ken.”(37). Miller talks in first person using certain words to suggest he is
not including himself in the phrase that people are still convinced about a
society of spirits outside our knowledge. Arthur also gives note that the Devil
and other evil spirits are difficult to believe as true through political
influences, “Our difficulty in believing the political inspiration of the devil
is due in great part to the fact that he is called up and damned not only by
our social antagonists but by our own side…” Therefore, sufficient evidence is
provided to concur that Miller did not believe in the idea of a devil or evil
spirits.
Negative:
I respond negatively to Abigail, the aspects of the text that make me feel this way are that she is trying to seduce a man who is already married, lie to her father and community to protect her herself, send hundreds of innocent people to court for being bewitched and a partner of the devil including her love’s wife – Goody Proctor. In the text she acts calmly to a situation where people are imprisoned or dead because of her, she hides her true colours and what she really think - Abigail is a snake ready to bite anyone that does her wrong. “I want to open myself!... I want the light of God; I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osborn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” This is an example where Abigail pretends to be holy and good to Jesus just to earn credibility when she accuses innocent people of being a witch.
Positive:
I respond positively with John Proctor, the texts positions me to feel this way due to the fact that he turned down Abigail after she asked for a kiss and a touch to be loyal to his wife, he raises his whip to Marry when he finds she has come back from Salem but lowers it for an explanation, he considers the possibilities of condemning Abigail and telling the law the truth before committing to it, he tells his true feelings about Mr Parris to the Reverend even if it means getting himself in trouble.. John Proctor is responsible and level headed, he considers his options before picking a side and is honest. ‘Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time, but I will cut off my hand before I reach for you again. We never touched.’ He is honest with Abigail but still stays loyal to his wife and morals.
Goldie Alexander is an Australian writer who has published more than 60 Australian novels. She was inspired to write of the history of her country and endeavors to inform all of her readers about what has happened to our Australia in the past 100 to 200 years as well as entertain and capture their interests in action, romance and mystery.
Goldie was born in Melbourne on the 6th of September 1936. As she was born in the 1930s – the era in which she experienced consisted of world war one, world war two, and the great depression, it was also close to the time of the convicts. These histories, especially, are what she enjoys to write about most.
Her parents, Ruth and Charles Alexander, spent good money to get Goldie educated at the presentation convent, Windsor and Mc Robertson girl’s High School before paying for her to study for an arts degree at Melbourne University. Their reason for paying for Goldie’s complete education was because they thought she had good potential to be a smart and highly regarded lady of society. Ruth and Charles were disappointed to see her waste her education by becoming an author as they expected much greater things from Goldie. However, as the years progressed they came to realize that Goldie's expertise in writing was good for her future, money and her family's name.
The themes and subjects Goldie bases her novels upon are usually fictional histories and diary entries along with some action and romance books suitable for young adults. She has written mostly novels although she has written poetry, short stories and plays. The genres Goldie has chosen to focus her stories on are: history, romance, action, and mystery.
Novels that Goldie has become famous for are as follows:: Mavis Road Medley, it is a time travel fiction exploring the world of Princes Hill and her parents' struggles to survive the Depression, My Australian Story: Surviving Sydney Cove is a book that is a diary about a girl named Elizabeth Harvey and her fight to survive all the hardships of working as a convict at Rosehill, and also the book body and soul – a complicated romance set in the times of the great depression.
Although most of her books are fiction she believes that it is good to involve some real pieces of history so that the reader is informed of the time of the place in which the story was set. This information inspired other Australian authors to relate their books more to the history of Australia and really keep to the outback and rural settings of Australia rather than the cities and modern out look on this country.
Goldie Alexander’s first published young adult’s book was Mavis road medley and it was published in 1991 (when she was 55 years of age), however, Goldie has written a variety of different plays and poems in the early 1950s, which Australia enjoyed also. Some of Goldie Alexander’s achievements are: My Australian Story: Surviving Sydney Cove - CBC Notable Book, Body and Soul - Brant Point Literary prize, Scholarship for the Romanian Writers Exchange Program September 2005, 2000 & 2001 Mary Grant Bruce Award for two long short stories and Eastern port Bay - Victorian Ministry of Arts Writing grant.
The difference between Goldie Alexander’s writing and the writing of most Australian authors today is extraordinary.Goldie gets the readers absorbed with her very first sentence, her books are more thorough than many other authors, as she puts much effort into researching the era in which the book is set and demonstrates this by the characters' behavior and theway they expres themselves She also involves an exciting twist of adventure or romance in her historic tales making for a most enjoyable reading experience.
Goldie has influenced other Australian authors by her style of novels, plays and poems. She has achieved this by her attention to detail, language and the exciting twists her stories always involve. Goldie is an inspirational author with an exceptional vocabulary and thousands of good ideas. Other authors strive to be as she is and include more of Australia’ history in their writing. To have this power and influence over other writers of today as well as readers makes for an incomparableauthor who is not to be forgotten.
