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Books Like The Crucible: Exploring Themes of Intolerance, Justice, and Morality
Are you captivated by Arthur Miller's The Crucible, its potent exploration of mass hysteria, injustice, and the dangers of unchecked power? If the chilling tale of the Salem witch trials resonated with you, you're in for a treat. This comprehensive guide delves into the fascinating world of books similar to The Crucible, exploring works that grapple with similar themes of intolerance, moral ambiguity, and the fragility of truth. We’ll uncover narratives that delve into societal pressures, individual conscience, and the devastating consequences of blind faith and fear. Prepare to discover a rich tapestry of literature that will challenge your perspectives and leave you pondering the complexities of human nature.
Exploring the Core Themes of The Crucible
Before we dive into recommendations, let's identify the key elements that make The Crucible so compelling and help us pinpoint similar works. These include:
Mass Hysteria and Societal Pressure: The Salem witch trials were fueled by fear, suspicion, and a collective desire to find scapegoats. Many books explore similar dynamics of groupthink and the overwhelming power of societal pressure to conform.
The Abuse of Power: The play vividly depicts how authority figures, driven by personal agendas or fear, can manipulate the legal system and crush dissent. This theme resonates across many works of literature dealing with political corruption and oppression.
Moral Ambiguity and Difficult Choices: The characters in The Crucible are not simply good or evil; they grapple with complex moral dilemmas, making choices with far-reaching consequences. Similar narratives explore the grey areas of morality and the human capacity for both good and evil.
The Importance of Individual Conscience: Despite the overwhelming pressure to conform, some characters in The Crucible maintain their integrity and fight for what they believe is right. This highlights the importance of individual conscience in the face of societal pressure.
The Fragility of Truth and the Power of Lies: The play masterfully demonstrates how lies, fueled by fear and self-interest, can erode truth and destroy lives. Many narratives explore the manipulation of information and the devastating consequences of propaganda.
Books Similar to The Crucible: A Curated Selection
Now, let's explore some books that share these thematic threads with The Crucible, offering a diverse range of styles and perspectives:
1. Lord of the Flies by William Golding: This classic explores the descent into savagery of a group of British schoolboys stranded on a deserted island, revealing the inherent darkness within human nature and the fragility of civilization. It mirrors The Crucible's exploration of societal collapse and the abuse of power.
2. A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh: This satirical novel portrays the disintegration of a seemingly idyllic English society, highlighting the hypocrisy and moral decay lurking beneath the surface. Similar to The Crucible, it examines the consequences of unchecked ambition and the fragility of social structures.
3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne: Set in Puritan Boston, this novel explores themes of sin, guilt, and societal judgment. Hester Prynne's struggle against the rigid moral code of her community parallels the persecution faced by characters in The Crucible.
4. Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler: This political thriller delves into the Stalinist purges, portraying the psychological and moral complexities of individuals forced to confess to crimes they did not commit. It shares The Crucible's exploration of the abuse of power and the manipulation of truth.
5. Animal Farm by George Orwell: This allegorical novella uses animal characters to satirize the Russian Revolution and the rise of totalitarian regimes. Like The Crucible, it examines the dangers of unchecked power and the corruption of ideals.
6. The Children of Men by P.D. James: This dystopian novel explores a world facing extinction due to mass infertility. It shares The Crucible's exploration of societal breakdown and the search for meaning in times of crisis, although through a very different lens.
7. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood: This chilling dystopian novel explores the suppression of women's rights in a totalitarian theocracy. The parallels with The Crucible lie in the themes of societal control, religious extremism, and the silencing of dissent.
8. 1984 by George Orwell: Another dystopian masterpiece, 1984 explores the power of totalitarian regimes to control thought and language. The manipulation of truth and the suppression of individual freedom mirror themes present in The Crucible.
9. All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren: This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel examines the rise and fall of a charismatic populist politician, exploring themes of power, corruption, and the complexities of human ambition. The moral ambiguities and the exploration of political manipulation resonate with The Crucible's themes.
Sample Book Outline: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
I. Introduction: Briefly introduces the dystopian Republic of Gilead and its oppressive regime, setting the stage for Offred's story.
II. Part 1: Beginnings: Details Offred's life before Gilead, her escape attempt, and her arrival at the Commander's household. This section establishes the world and Offred's situation.
III. Part 2: Red Center: Explores Offred's time at the Red Center, the training facility for Handmaids, focusing on the indoctrination and dehumanization processes.
IV. Part 3: Commander's House: Focuses on Offred's life as a Handmaid in the Commander's household, her relationships with the Commander, Serena Joy, and Nick. This section depicts her daily routine and her strategies for survival.
V. Part 4: The Escape: Describes Offred's growing discontent and her plans for escape, highlighting the risks and challenges involved.
VI. Conclusion: The ending leaves Offred's fate uncertain, raising questions about the future of Gilead and the possibility of rebellion.
Detailed Exploration of The Handmaid's Tale Outline Points
I. Introduction: The opening chapters immediately immerse the reader in the stark and oppressive atmosphere of Gilead, a theocratic dictatorship. We are introduced to Offred, the protagonist, and her limited perspective within this totalitarian society. The introduction skillfully establishes the world's rules, the loss of freedoms, and the pervasive fear that governs daily life.
II. Part 1: Beginnings: This section is crucial for understanding Offred's past and the circumstances that led to her current predicament. We learn about her relationship with her husband, her daughter, and the gradual erosion of freedoms that culminated in the rise of Gilead. This part provides the emotional context for her current struggle.
III. Part 2: Red Center: This section serves as a chilling portrayal of systematic indoctrination and dehumanization. We witness the brutal conditioning of Handmaids, stripped of their identities and forced into roles of subservience. The Red Center scenes emphasize the chilling efficiency of totalitarian control.
IV. Part 3: Commander's House: This section delves into the claustrophobic details of Offred's daily life within the Commander's household. The power dynamics, the ritualistic nature of her existence, and her subtle acts of rebellion are central to this part. We see Offred's interactions with the key players in her life: the Commander, Serena Joy, and Nick.
V. Part 4: The Escape: As the narrative progresses, Offred's hope for escape grows. This section explores the planning, the risks, and the emotional toll of her desperate attempt at freedom. It highlights the strength and resilience of the human spirit in the face of extreme oppression.
VI. Conclusion: The ambiguity of the ending is a powerful element of the novel. It leaves the reader pondering Offred's fate and the future of Gilead, highlighting the enduring power of hope and resistance even under the most oppressive circumstances. The open-ended nature encourages further reflection on the themes explored throughout the narrative.
FAQs: Books Like The Crucible
1. What makes The Crucible so relevant today? Its themes of mass hysteria, the abuse of power, and the dangers of unchecked religious fervor remain painfully relevant in contemporary society.
2. Are there any books that focus more on the legal aspects of injustice like in The Crucible? Yes, To Kill a Mockingbird explores racial injustice within a legal framework, and Presumed Innocent delves into the complexities of a legal case with moral ambiguities.
3. What books explore similar themes of societal pressure and conformity? Fahrenheit 451 examines censorship and conformity in a dystopian future, while Brave New World explores a society that controls its citizens through technological advancement.
4. Are there any historical novels similar to The Crucible in terms of setting and historical context? The Nightingale and The Book Thief provide compelling narratives set against the backdrop of World War II, exploring themes of resilience and human spirit during times of conflict.
5. What are some books that explore similar themes of moral ambiguity? The Remains of the Day and The Kite Runner explore the complexities of moral choices and their long-term consequences.
6. Where can I find more books like The Crucible? Online bookstores like Amazon and Goodreads offer extensive search capabilities, allowing you to filter by genre, theme, and author.
7. Are there any graphic novels that explore similar themes? Yes, several graphic novels address themes of oppression, social injustice, and the abuse of power.
8. What are some modern novels that explore similar themes? Contemporary novels like The Testaments (a sequel to The Handmaid's Tale) and The Power explore power dynamics and social control in modern contexts.
9. Are there any young adult novels that deal with similar themes in an accessible way? Yes, several young adult novels explore themes of injustice, societal pressure, and the importance of individual conscience in age-appropriate settings.
Related Articles:
1. Exploring Dystopian Literature: A Journey into Oppressive Societies: This article explores the genre of dystopian fiction and its enduring relevance in understanding social and political issues.
2. The Power of the Individual Conscience: Resisting Societal Pressure: This piece examines the importance of individual moral compass in the face of societal pressures and conformity.
3. The Abuse of Power in Literature: A Study of Corruption and Tyranny: This article explores how literature depicts the abuse of power and its devastating consequences across various historical and fictional settings.
4. Mass Hysteria and the Psychology of Crowds: Lessons from History and Fiction: This piece examines the phenomenon of mass hysteria and its impact on individuals and societies.
5. The Manipulation of Truth in Literature: Propaganda, Lies, and the Erosion of Reality: This article focuses on how literature explores the distortion and manipulation of truth for political and social gain.
6. Historical Fiction and the Exploration of Past Injustices: This article delves into the role of historical fiction in bringing to light past societal injustices and their lasting impact.
7. Moral Ambiguity in Literature: Characters Caught in Ethical Dilemmas: This piece explores the use of morally grey characters in literature and the impact of their decisions.
8. The Role of Setting in Shaping Narrative Themes: Exploring the Impact of Place: This explores how setting and place contribute to the thematic development of narratives.
9. Comparing and Contrasting The Crucible and Lord of the Flies: This article specifically compares and contrasts Miller's The Crucible and Golding's Lord of the Flies, highlighting their thematic similarities and differences.
| books like the crucible: Pursue the Past Michael Kotcher, 2017-03-04 Tamara Samair, a decorated Republic Naval officer, narrowly avoids a wrongful conviction at the hands of a jealous subordinate. Dropped in the void and left for dead, lost in survival sleep for centuries, she awakes to find her world has changed and hitches a ride on a decrepit freighter. Tamara and the crew work together to fix the dying ship, try to fight off pirates with a Republic Naval warship captain ruthlessly pursuing them, all while trying to turn a profit. The Argos Cluster is a dangerous place, but some of the worst threats are those left behind. |
| books like the crucible: The Field John B. Keane, 1991-01-01 The Field is John B. Keane's fierce and tender study of the love a man can have for land and the ruthless lengths he will go to in order to obtain the object of his desire. It is dominated by Bull McCabe, one of the most famous characters in Irish writing today. An Oscar-nominated adaptation of The Field proved highly successful and popular worldwide, and starred Richard Harris, John Hurt, Brenda Fricker and Tom Berenger. |
| books like the crucible: KeyForge: Tales From the Crucible David Guymer, Robbie MacNiven, Tristan Palmgren, M K Hutchins, M Darusha Wehm, Cath Lauria, Thomas Parrott, C L Werner, 2020-09-01 Take a whirlwind tour to the incredible planet of a million fantasy races, the Crucible, in this wild science fantasy anthology from the hit new game, KeyForge. Welcome to the Crucible – an artificial planet larger than our sun – an ever-growing patchwork of countless other worlds, filled with creatures, sentient beings and societies stolen from across the universe by the mythical Architects. Across this dizzying juxtaposition of alien biospheres, the enigmatic and godlike Archons seek to unlock the secrets at the heart of the Crucible. Everyone else is just trying to survive... Explore ten tales of adventure in a realm where science and magic team up, of discovery and culture clash, featuring mad Martian scientists, cybernetic surgeons, battle reenactors, elven thieves, private investigators, goblins, saurian monsters, and the newly arrived human Star Alliance. |
| books like the crucible: Conversion Katherine Howe, 2014-07-01 From the New York Times bestselling author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane comes a chilling mystery—Prep meets The Crucible. It’s senior year at St. Joan’s Academy, and school is a pressure cooker. College applications, the battle for valedictorian, deciphering boys’ texts: Through it all, Colleen Rowley and her friends are expected to keep it together. Until they can’t. First it’s the school’s queen bee, Clara Rutherford, who suddenly falls into uncontrollable tics in the middle of class. Her mystery illness quickly spreads to her closest clique of friends, then more students and symptoms follow: seizures, hair loss, violent coughing fits. St. Joan’s buzzes with rumor; rumor blossoms into full-blown panic. Soon the media descends on Danvers, Massachusetts, as everyone scrambles to find something, or someone, to blame. Pollution? Stress? Or are the girls faking? Only Colleen—who’s been reading The Crucible for extra credit—comes to realize what nobody else has: Danvers was once Salem Village, where another group of girls suffered from a similarly bizarre epidemic three centuries ago . . . Inspired by true events—from seventeenth-century colonial life to the halls of a modern-day high school—Conversion casts a spell. With her signature wit and passion, New York Times bestselling author Katherine Howe delivers an exciting and suspenseful novel, a chilling mystery that raises the question, what’s really happening to the girls at St. Joan’s? |
| books like the crucible: The Crucible of Time John Brunner, 2012-04-16 Life had become too interesting on one world crawling across the rubble-strewn arm of a spiral galaxy. For as the system moved it swept up cosmic dust and debris. Ice ages and periods of tropical warmth followed one another very quickly. Meteors large and small fell constantly. Yesterday's fabled culture might be tomorrow's interesting hole in the ground. But society had always endured. Many thought it always would. Only the brightest scientists admitted that to survive, the race would have to abandon the planet. And to do that they'd have to invent spacecraft . . . This engrossing epic describes the development, over millennia, of a species from a culture of planet-bound medieval city-states to a sophisticated, technological civilization. With The Crucible of Time, John Brunner returns to the large-canvas science fiction he pioneered in his Hugo Award-winning, novel Stand on Zanzibar. First published in 1982. |
| books like the crucible: Six Women of Salem Marilynne K. Roach, 2013-09-03 The story of the Salem Witch Trials told through the lives of six women Six Women of Salem is the first work to use the lives of a select number of representative women as a microcosm to illuminate the larger crisis of the Salem witch trials. By the end of the trials, beyond the twenty who were executed and the five who perished in prison, 207 individuals had been accused, 74 had been afflicted, 32 had officially accused their fellow neighbors, and 255 ordinary people had been inexorably drawn into that ruinous and murderous vortex, and this doesn't include the religious, judicial, and governmental leaders. All this adds up to what the Rev. Cotton Mather called a desolation of names. The individuals involved are too often reduced to stock characters and stereotypes when accuracy is sacrificed to indignation. And although the flood of names and detail in the history of an extraordinary event like the Salem witch trials can swamp the individual lives involved, individuals still deserve to be remembered and, in remembering specific lives, modern readers can benefit from such historical intimacy. By examining the lives of six specific women, Marilynne Roach shows readers what it was like to be present throughout this horrific time and how it was impossible to live through it unchanged. |
| books like the crucible: The Shadow Crucible T. M. Lakomy, 2017-04-25 In a world where angels, demons, and gods fight over the possession of mortal souls, two conflicted pawns are ensnared in a cruel game. The enigmatic seer Estella finds herself thrown together with Count Mikhail, a dogmatic Templar dedicated to subjugating her kind. But when a corrupted cardinal and puppet king begin a systematic genocide of her people, the two become unlikely allies. Taking humanity back to their primordial beliefs and fears, Estella confronts Mikhail’s faith by revealing the true horror of the lucrative trade in human souls. All organized religions are shops orchestrated to consume mankind. Every deity, religion, and spiritual guide has been corrupted, and each claims to have the monopoly on truth and salvation. In a perilous game where the truth is distorted and meddling ancient deities converge to partake of the unseen battle, Estella unwittingly finds herself hunted by Lucifer. Traversing the edge of hell’s precipice, Estella and Mikhail are reduced to mere instruments. Their only means to overcome is through courting the Threefold Death, the ancient ritual of apotheosis—of man becoming God. The Shadow Crucible is a gripping epic set in medieval England where the struggle for redemption is crushed by the powers of evil. Tamara Lakomy is a new and compelling voice in the world of dark fantasy. |
| books like the crucible: The Wheelwright's Daughter Eleanor Porter, 2020-04-21 Can she save herself from a witch's fate? Martha is a feisty and articulate young woman, the daughter of a wheelwright, living in a Herefordshire village in Elizabethan England. With no mother Martha's life is spent running her father's meagre household and helping out at the local school whilst longing to escape the confines and small-mindedness of a community driven by religious bigotry and poverty. As she is able to read and is well-versed in herbal remedies she is suspected of being a witch. When a landslip occurs - opening up a huge chasm in the centre of the village - she is blamed for it and pursued remorselessly by the villagers. **But can her own wits and the love of local stablehand Jacob save her from a witch's persecution and death... A brilliant and accomplished novel that perfectly captures the febrile atmosphere of Elizabethan village life in an age when suspicion and superstition were rife. Perfect for fans of Tracy Chevalier. What readers are saying about The Wheelwright's Daughter: ** 'It's a gripping story and such accomplished writing. I really enjoyed every moment of working on it.' Yvonne Holland, editor of Philippa Gregory and Tracy Chevalier 'A brilliant debut novel' 'An interesting read and an impressive debut novel' 'A wonderfully written story' 'A skilfully crafted story of love, betrayal, superstition and fear in 16th century England.' 'This is a story of courage, trust, betrayal and love.' 'A great historical novel I loved.' 'Keeps you hooked til the end.' 'An excellent read, highly recommended.' 'Full of historical detail and atmosphere' 'I enjoyed this thoughtful and well-written story by Eleanor Porter.' 'Atmospheric and evocative' |
| books like the crucible: Five Decembers James Kestrel, 2021-10-26 Winner of the 2022 Edgar Award for Best Novel “War, imprisonment, torture, romance…The novel has an almost operatic symmetry, and Kestrel turns a beautiful phrase.” New York Times Five Decembers is a gripping thriller, a staggering portrait of war, and a heartbreaking love story, as unforgettable as All the Light We Cannot See. nominated for Best Novel in the 2022 EDGAR AWARDS NOMINATED FOR BEST THRILLER IN THE 2022 BARRY AWARDS FINALIST FOR THE HAMMETT PRIZE 2021 Read this book for its palpitating story, its perfect emotional and physical detailing and, most of all, for its unforgettable conjuring of a steamy quicksilver world that will be new to almost every reader. Pico Iyer December 1941. America teeters on the brink of war, and in Honolulu, Hawaii, police detective Joe McGrady is assigned to investigate a homicide that will change his life forever. Because the trail of murder he uncovers will lead him across the Pacific, far from home and the woman he loves; and though the U.S. doesn't know it yet, a Japanese fleet is already steaming toward Pearl Harbor. This extraordinary novel is so much more than just a gripping crime story—it's a story of survival against all odds, of love and loss and the human cost of war. Spanning the entirety of World War II, FIVE DECEMBERS is a beautiful, masterful, powerful novel that will live in your memory forever. |
| books like the crucible: Royal Witches Gemma Hollman, 2019-10-07 'An important and timely book.' - Philippa Gregory Joan of Navarre was the richest woman in the land, at a time when war-torn England was penniless. Eleanor Cobham was the wife of a weak king's uncle – and her husband was about to fall from grace. Jacquetta Woodville was a personal enemy of Warwick the Kingmaker, who was about to take his revenge. Elizabeth Woodville was the widowed mother of a child king, fighting Richard III for her children's lives. In Royal Witches, Gemma Hollman explores the lives of these four unique women, looking at how rumours of witchcraft brought them to their knees in a time when superstition and suspicion was rife. |
| books like the crucible: The Witchcraft of Salem Village Shirley Jackson, 2011-02-02 Stories of magic, superstition, and witchcraft were strictly forbidden in the little town of Salem Village. But a group of young girls ignored those rules, spellbound by the tales told by a woman named Tituba. When questioned about their activities, the terrified girls set off a whirlwind of controversy as they accused townsperson after townsperson of being witches. Author Shirley Jackson examines in careful detail this horrifying true story of accusations, trials, and executions that shook a community to its foundations. |
| books like the crucible: Acceptable Risk Robin Cook, 1996-02-01 The bestselling “master of the medical thriller” (The New York Times) confronts one of the most compelling issues of our time: personality-altering drugs and the complex moral questions they raise. When neuroscientist Edward Armstrong begins dating Kimberly Stewart, a descendant of a woman who was hanged as a witch at the time of the Salem witch trials, he takes advantage of the opportunity to delve into a pet theory: that the “devil” in Salem in 1692 had been a hallucinogenic drug inadvertently consumed with mold-tainted grain. In an attempt to prove his theory, Edward grows the mold he believes responsible with samples from the Stewart estate. In a brilliant designer-drug transformation, the poison becomes Ultra, the next generation of antidepressants with truly startling therapeutic capabilties. But who can be sure the drug is safe for consumers? Who defines the boundaries of “normal” human behavior? And if the drug’s side effects are proven to be dangerous—even terrifying—how far will the medical community go to alter their standards of acceptable risk? |
| books like the crucible: Crucible James Rollins, 2019 Arriving home, Commander Gray Pierce discovers his house ransacked, his pregnant lover missing, and his best friend's wife, Kat, unconscious on the kitchen floor. His one hope to find the woman he loves and his unborn child is Kat, the only witness to what happened. But the injured woman is in a semi-comatose state and cannot speak. |
| books like the crucible: The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings Edgar Allan Poe, 2003-03-27 This selection of Poe's critical writings, short fiction and poetry demonstrates an intense interest in aesthetic issues and the astonishing power and imagination with which he probed the darkest corners of the human mind. The Fall of the House of Usher describes the final hours of a family tormented by tragedy and the legacy of the past. In the Tell Tale Heart, a murderer's insane delusions threaten to betray him, while stories such as The Pit and the Pendulum and the Cask of Amontillado explore extreme states of decadence, fear and hate. |
| books like the crucible: How to Hang a Witch Adriana Mather, 2017-09-12 The #1 New York Times bestseller! It’s the Salem Witch Trials meets Mean Girls in this New York Times bestselling novel from one of the descendants of Cotton Mather, where the trials of high school start to feel like a modern-day witch hunt for a teen with all the wrong connections to Salem’s past. Salem, Massachusetts, is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials—and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves the Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were? If dealing with that weren’t enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real, live (well, technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries-old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with the Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it’s Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself. “It’s like Mean Girls meets history class in the best possible way.” —Seventeen Magazine “Mather shines a light on the lessons the Salem Witch Trials can teach us about modern-day bullying—and what we can do about it.” —Bustle “Strikes a careful balance of creepy, fun, and thoughtful.” —NPR I am utterly addicted to Mather’s electric debut. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, twisting and turning with ghosts, witches, an ancient curse, and—sigh—romance. It’s beautiful. Haunting. The characters are vivid and real. I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.” —Jennifer Niven, bestselling author of All the Bright Places |
| books like the crucible: Like It Never Happened Emily Adrian, 2015-06-02 Stereotypes, sexuality, and destructive rumors collide in this smart YA novel for fans of Sara Zarr’s Story of a Girl, Siobhan Vivian’s The List, and E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. When Rebecca Rivers lands the lead in her school’s production of The Crucible, she gets to change roles in real life, too. She casts off her old reputation, grows close with her four rowdy cast-mates, and kisses the extremely handsome Charlie Lamb onstage. Even Mr. McFadden, the play’s critical director, can find no fault with Rebecca. Though “The Essential Five” vow never to date each other, Rebecca can’t help her feelings for Charlie, leaving her both conflicted and lovestruck. But the on and off-stage drama of the cast is eclipsed by a life-altering accusation that threatens to destroy everything…even if some of it is just make believe. |
| books like the crucible: Salem Falls Jodi Picoult, 2007 |
| books like the crucible: Presence Arthur Miller, 2007-05-10 An unforgettable collection of a master storyteller?s final works Throughout his life, Arthur Miller, one of the foremost dramatists of the twentieth century, wrote highly regarded fiction?from his early novel Focus to two collections, I Don?t Need You Anymore and Homely Girl. In Presence, a posthumous gathering of his last published stories, he reveals the same profound insight, humanism, and empathy that characterized his great dramatic works. The six stories included here have all appeared in major publications and each displays all the assuredness of an artist in his autumnal prime. Presence is a gift that all fans of Miller?s work, as well as readers of contemporary fiction, will applaud. |
| books like the crucible: A Separate Peace John Knowles, 2022-05-24 PBS's The Great American Read named it one of America's best-loved novels. A Separate Peace has been a bestseller in the United States for nearly thirty years, and it is ageless in its depiction of youth during a time when the entire country was losing its innocence to World War II. A Separate Peace is a horrific and brilliant fable about the dark side of adolescence set at a boys' boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II. Gene is an introverted, lonely intellectual. Phineas is a reckless athlete who is attractive and taunts others. Like the war itself, what happens between the two friends one summer robs these guys and their world of their innocence. |
| books like the crucible: The Course of Empire Eric Flint, K. D. Wentworth, 2003-09-01 WOULD THEY DESTROY EARTH IN ORDER TO SAVE IT Conquered by the Jao twenty years ago, the Earth is shackled under alien tyranny¾and threatened by the even more dangerous Ekhat, who are sending a genocidal extermination fleet to the solar system. Humanity's only chance rests with an unusual pair of allies: a young Jao prince, newly arrived to Terra to assume his duties, and a young human woman brought up amongst the Jao occupiers. But both are under pressure from the opposing forces¾a cruel Jao viceroy on one side, determined to drown all opposition in blood; a reckless human resistance on the other, perfectly prepared to shed it. Added to the mix is the fact that only by adopting some portions of human technology and using human sepoy troops can the haughty Jao hope to defeat the oncoming Ekhat attack¾and then only by fighting the battle within the Sun itself. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). |
| books like the crucible: All My Puny Sorrows Miriam Toews, 2014-04-11 SHORTLISTED 2014 – Scotiabank Giller Prize Miriam Toews is beloved for her irresistible voice, for mingling laughter and heartwrenching poignancy like no other writer. In her most passionate novel yet, she brings us the riveting story of two sisters, and a love that illuminates life. You won’t forget Elf and Yoli, two smart and loving sisters. Elfrieda, a world-renowned pianist, glamorous, wealthy, happily married: she wants to die. Yolandi, divorced, broke, sleeping with the wrong men as she tries to find true love: she desperately wants to keep her older sister alive. Yoli is a beguiling mess, wickedly funny even as she stumbles through life struggling to keep her teenage kids and mother happy, her exes from hating her, her sister from killing herself and her own heart from breaking. But Elf’s latest suicide attempt is a shock: she is three weeks away from the opening of her highly anticipated international tour. Her long-time agent has been calling and neither Yoli nor Elf’s loving husband knows what to tell him. Can she be nursed back to “health” in time? Does it matter? As the situation becomes ever more complicated, Yoli faces the most terrifying decision of her life. All My Puny Sorrows, at once tender and unquiet, offers a profound reflection on the limits of love, and the sometimes unimaginable challenges we experience when childhood becomes a new country of adult commitments and responsibilities. In her beautifully rendered new novel, Miriam Toews gives us a startling demonstration of how to carry on with hope and love and the business of living even when grief loads the heart. |
| books like the crucible: Damned Women Elizabeth Reis, 1999-01-18 In her analysis of the cultural construction of gender in early America, Elizabeth Reis explores the intersection of Puritan theology, Puritan evaluations of womanhood, and the Salem witchcraft episodes. She finds in those intersections the basis for understanding why women were accused of witchcraft more often than men, why they confessed more often, and why they frequently accused other women of being witches. In negotiating their beliefs about the devil's powers, both women and men embedded womanhood in the discourse of depravity.Puritan ministers insisted that women and men were equal in the sight of God, with both sexes equally capable of cleaving to Christ or to the devil. Nevertheless, Reis explains, womanhood and evil were inextricably linked in the minds and hearts of seventeenth-century New England Puritans. Women and men feared hell equally but Puritan culture encouraged women to believe it was their vile natures that would take them there rather than the particular sins they might have committed.Following the Salem witchcraft trials, Reis argues, Puritans' understanding of sin and the devil changed. Ministers and laity conceived of a Satan who tempted sinners and presided physically over hell, rather than one who possessed souls in the living world. Women and men became increasingly confident of their redemption, although women more than men continued to imagine themselves as essentially corrupt, even after the Great Awakening. |
| books like the crucible: No Longer at Ease Chinua Achebe, 1987 Obi Okenkwo, a Nigerian country boy, is determined to make it in the city. Educated in England, he has new, refined tastes which eventually conflict with his good resolutions and lead to his downfall. |
| books like the crucible: The Witchfinder's Sister Beth Underdown, 2017-03-02 'The number of women my brother Matthew killed, so far as I can reckon it, is one hundred and six...' THE PAGE-TURNING RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB BESTSELLER 'A compelling debut from a gifted storyteller' Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent When Alice Hopkins' husband dies in a tragic accident, she returns to the small Essex town of Manningtree, where her brother Matthew still lives. But home is no longer a place of safety. Matthew has changed, and there are rumours spreading through the town: whispers of witchcraft, and of a great book, in which he is gathering women's names. To what lengths will Matthew's obsession drive him? And what choice will Alice make, when she finds herself at the very heart of his plan? Winner of the HWA Debut Crown Award 2017, and a Spring 2018 Richard and Judy Book Club pick, this beautiful and haunting historical thriller is perfect for fans of Sarah Waters, The Miniaturist and Burial Rites. 'Vivid and terrifying' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train 'Thumpingly good' Lucy Mangan 'A clever, pacey read that blends truth and fiction...what elevates this book above other historical thrillers are the questions that Underdown asks about the nature of power, fear and how easy it is to become complicit in terrible acts' The Times 'A chilling, creeping novel with very obvious parallels to more modern forms of witch-hints and misogyny, but is still firmly rooted in an England torn apart by civil war and gripped by religious fervour' Red 'A haunting, brooding debut' Psychologies 'At once a feminist parable and an old-fashioned, check-twice-under-the-bed thriller' Patrick Gale 'A richly told and utterly compelling tale, with shades of Hilary Mantel' Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat 'Anyone who liked Cecilia Ekback's Wolf Winter is going to love this' Natasha Pulley, author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street 'Beth Underdown grips us from the outset and won't let go...at once a feminist parable and an old-fashioned, check-twice-under-the-bed thriller' Patrick Gale, author of Notes from an Exhibition 'A tense, surprising and elegantly-crafted novel' Ian McGuire, author of The North Water 'Beth Underdown cleverly creates a compelling atmosphere of dread and claustrophobia... Even from the distance of nearly four hundred years, her Matthew Hopkins is a genuinely frightening monster' Kate Riordan 'Superb: dark, terrifying and utterly compelling' Tracy Borman 'A novel for our times. Beth Underdown's The Witchfinder's Sister explores another time and another place to lay bare the visceral horror of what a witch hunt truly is' New York Times Book Review 'Entertaining and thought-provoking, with a valuable message for our own times' Washington Post |
| books like the crucible: The Witches Stacy Schiff, 2015-10-27 The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Cleopatra, the #1 national bestseller, unpacks the mystery of the Salem Witch Trials. It began in 1692, over an exceptionally raw Massachusetts winter, when a minister's daughter began to scream and convulse. It ended less than a year later, but not before 19 men and women had been hanged and an elderly man crushed to death. The panic spread quickly, involving the most educated men and prominent politicians in the colony. Neighbors accused neighbors, parents and children each other. Aside from suffrage, the Salem Witch Trials represent the only moment when women played the central role in American history. In curious ways, the trials would shape the future republic. As psychologically thrilling as it is historically seminal, The Witches is Stacy Schiff's account of this fantastical story -- the first great American mystery unveiled fully for the first time by one of our most acclaimed historians. |
| books like the crucible: I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem Maryse Condé, 2009 CARAF Books: Caribbean and African Literature Translated from FrenchThis book has been supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agencY |
| books like the crucible: We Ride Upon Sticks Quan Barry, 2021-02-16 In the town of Danvers, Massachusetts, home of the original 1692 witch trials, the 1989 Danvers Falcons will do anything to make it to the state finals—even if it means tapping into some devilishly dark powers. Against a background of irresistible 1980s iconography, Quan Barry expertly weaves together the individual and collective progress of this enchanted team as they storm their way through an unforgettable season. Helmed by good-girl captain Abby Putnam (a descendant of the infamous Salem accuser Ann Putnam) and her co-captain Jen Fiorenza (whose bleached blond “Claw” sees and knows all), the Falcons prove to be wily, original, and bold, flaunting society’s stale notions of femininity. Through the crucible of team sport and, more importantly, friendship, this comic tour de female force chronicles Barry’s glorious cast of characters as they charge past every obstacle on the path to finding their glorious true selves. |
| books like the crucible: The Alexander Inheritance Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, Paula Goodlett, 2017-07-04 NEW TIME TRAVEL ALT. HISTORY FROM A MASTER: Flint's Ring of Fire and Boundary series have proved him to be a master of time travel alternate history. Here then, a new tale of persons displaced in time, fighting for their lives. Twice before, mysterious cosmic catastrophes have sent portions of the Earth across space and back in time—first, with the Grantville Disaster in West Virginia, and then again with a maximum security prison in southern Illinois. Now, the planet is struck with yet another such cataclysm, whose direct impact falls upon the Queen of the Sea, a cruise ship in the Caribbean. When the convulsions subside, the crew and passengers of the ship discover that they have arrived in a new and frightening world. They are in the Mediterranean now, not the Caribbean. Still worse, they discover that the disaster has sent them more than two thousand years back in time. Following the advice of an historian among the passengers, Marie Easley, they sail to Egypt—or, at least, where they hope Egypt will be. Sure enough, Egypt is there—ruled over by Ptolemy, the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty and one of Alexander the Great’s chief generals. Alexander the Great, it turns out, died just two years ago. The western world has just entered what would become known as the Hellenistic Period of history, during which time Greek civilization would spread around the Mediterranean and beyond. But the first fifty years of the Hellenistic Period was the Age of Diadochi—the Time of the Successors—when Alexander’s empire would collapse into chaos. By the time the Successors finished their strife, every single member of Alexander’s dynasty would be murdered and only three of the generals who began that civil war would still be alive. That is the new world in which the Queen of the Sea finds itself. Can Marie Easley and Captain Lars Flodden guide the crew and passengers through this cataclysm? Fortunately, they have some help: a young Norwegian ship’s officer who forms an attachment to Alexander’s widow; a French officer who is a champion pistol marksman; a canny Congressman from Utah—and, most of all, many people of the time who are drawn to a vision of the better world of the future. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire series: “This alternate history series is…a landmark…”—Booklist “[Eric] Flint's 1632 universe seems to be inspiring a whole new crop of gifted alternate historians.”—Booklist “…reads like a technothriller set in the age of the Medicis…”—Publishers Weekly |
| books like the crucible: Judge Sewall's Apology Richard Francis, 2006 Francis draws on [Salem witch trial judge Samuel Sewall's] own diaries, which enables us to see the early colonists not as grim ideologues, but as flesh-and-blood idealists, striving for a new society while coming to terms with the desires and imperfections of ordinary life. Through this unsung hero of the American conscience--a Puritan, an antislavery agitator, a defender of Native American rights, and a Utopian theorist--we are granted a fresh perspective on a familiar drama--Amazon.com (previous printing). |
| books like the crucible: Beyond the Burning Time Kathryn Lasky, 1994 When, in the winter of 1691, accusations of witchcraft surface in her small New England village, twelve-year-old Mary Chase fights to save her mother from execution. |
| books like the crucible: Beheld TaraShea Nesbit, 2020-03-17 A New York Times Notable Book of the Year A Publishers Weekly Best Fiction Book of 2020 Most Anticipated Books of 2020 - Vogue, Medium, LitHub Honoree for the 2021 Society of Midland Authors Prize Finalist for the 2021 Ohioana Book Award in fiction A Massachusetts Book Awards “Must Read Book” From the bestselling author of The Wives of Los Alamos comes the riveting story of a stranger's arrival in the fledgling colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts-and a crime that shakes the divided community to its core. Ten years after the Mayflower pilgrims arrived on rocky, unfamiliar soil, Plymouth is not the land its residents had imagined. Seemingly established on a dream of religious freedom, in reality the town is led by fervent puritans who prohibit the residents from living, trading, and worshipping as they choose. By the time an unfamiliar ship, bearing new colonists, appears on the horizon one summer morning, Anglican outsiders have had enough. With gripping, immersive details and exquisite prose, TaraShea Nesbit reframes the story of the pilgrims in the previously unheard voices of two women of very different status and means. She evokes a vivid, ominous Plymouth, populated by famous and unknown characters alike, each with conflicting desires and questionable behavior. Suspenseful and beautifully wrought, Beheld is about a murder and a trial, and the motivations-personal and political-that cause people to act in unsavory ways. It is also an intimate portrait of love, motherhood, and friendship that asks: Whose stories get told over time, who gets believed-and subsequently, who gets punished? |
| books like the crucible: Tidelands Philippa Gregory, 2019-08-20 This New York Times bestseller from “one of the great storytellers of our time” (San Francisco Book Review) turns from the glamour of the royal courts to tell the story of an ordinary woman, Alinor, living in a dangerous time for a woman to be different. A country at war A king beheaded A woman with a dangerous secret On Midsummer’s Eve, Alinor waits in the church graveyard, hoping to encounter the ghost of her missing husband and thus confirm his death. Until she can, she is neither maiden nor wife nor widow, living in a perilous limbo. Instead she meets James, a young man on the run. She shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marshy landscape of the Tidelands, not knowing she is leading a spy and an enemy into her life. England is in the grip of a bloody civil war that reaches into the most remote parts of the kingdom. Alinor’s suspicious neighbors are watching each other for any sign that someone might be disloyal to the new parliament, and Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her as a woman who doesn’t follow the rules. They have always whispered about the sinister power of Alinor’s beauty, but the secrets they don’t know about her and James are far more damning. This is the time of witch-mania, and if the villagers discover the truth, they could take matters into their own hands. “This is Gregory par excellence” (Kirkus Reviews). “Fans of Gregory’s works and of historicals in general will delight in this page-turning tale” (Library Journal, starred review) that is “superb… A searing portrait of a woman that resonates across the ages” (People). |
| books like the crucible: The Mercies Kiran Millwood Hargrave, 2020-02-11 The women in an Arctic village must survive a sinister threat after all the men are wiped out by a catastrophic storm in this gripping novel inspired by a real-life witch hunt. . . . Beautiful and chilling (Madeline Miller, bestselling author of Circe). When the women take over, is it sorcery or power? Finnmark, Norway, 1617. Twenty-year-old Maren Magnusdatter stands on the craggy coast, watching the skies break into a sudden and reckless storm. All forty of the village’s men were at sea, including Maren’s father and brother, and all forty are drowned in the otherworldly disaster. For the women left behind, survival means defying the strict rules of the island. They fish, hunt, and butcher reindeer—which they never did while the men were alive. But the foundation of this new feminine frontier begins to crack with the arrival of Absalom Cornet, a man sent from Scotland to root out alleged witchcraft. Cornet brings with him the threat of danger—and a pretty, young Norwegian wife named Ursa. As Maren and Ursa are drawn to one another in ways that surprise them both, the island begins to close in on them, with Absalom's iron rule threatening Vardø's very existence. The Mercies has a pull as sure as the tide. It totally swept me away to Vardø, where grief struck islanders stand tall in the shadow of religious persecution and witch burnings. It's a beautifully intimate story of friendship, love and hope. A haunting ode to self-reliant and quietly defiant women. (Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize winning author of Shuggie Bain) |
| books like the crucible: Heart of Darkness , |
| books like the crucible: Wonders of the Invisible World Christopher Barzak, 2016-09-06 STONEWALL HONOR BOOK • For fans of Patrick Ness and Tom McNeal comes a moving and page-turning novel that’s part ghost story, part love story. The lines between past and present, tales and truth, friends and lovers begin to blur when a boy's childhood friend returns to town. Aidan Lockwood lives in a sleepy farming community known for its cattle ranches and not much else. That is, until Jarrod, a friend he hasn’t seen in years, moves back to town. It’s Jarrod who opens Aidan’s eyes to events he’s long since forgotten, and who awakes in him feelings that go beyond mere friendship. But as Aidan’s memories return, so do some unsettling truths about his family. As Aidan begins to probe into long-buried secrets, he may not be able to control what else is uncovered. Aidan will need to confront a family curse before he can lay claim to his life once more. “Brilliant storytelling that unearths new intersections of love and magic.” —New York Times bestselling author Scott Westerfeld |
| books like the crucible: Salem's Vengeance Aaron Galvin, 2014-06-30 Sixteen-year-old Sarah Kelly never expected to meet the Devil's daughter. She only sought innocent dancing in the moonlight, not a coven entranced by their dark priestess. When her friends partake of a powder meant to conjure spirits - and the results go horribly awry - Sarah is forced to make a choice. To keep their secret risks her own damnation, but to condemn them may invoke the accusing remnants of Salem to rise again. |
| books like the crucible: Perfect Tunes Emily Gould, 2020-04-14 “An intoxicating blend of music, love, and family from one of the essential writers of the internet generation” (Stephanie Danler). Have you ever wondered what your mother was like before she became your mother, and what she gave up in order to have you? It’s the early days of the new millennium, and Laura has arrived in New York City’s East Village in the hopes of recording her first album. A songwriter with a one-of-a-kind talent, she’s just beginning to book gigs with her beautiful best friend when she falls hard for a troubled but magnetic musician whose star is on the rise. Their time together is stormy and short-lived—but will reverberate for the rest of Laura’s life. Fifteen years later, Laura’s teenage daughter, Marie, is asking questions about her father, questions that Laura does not want to answer. Laura has built a stable life in Brooklyn that bears little resemblance to the one she envisioned when she left Ohio all those years ago, and she’s taken pains to close the door on what was and what might have been. But neither her best friend, now a famous musician who relies on Laura’s songwriting skills, nor her depressed and searching daughter will let her give up on her dreams. “A zippy and profound story of love, loss, heredity, and parenthood (Emma Straub), Perfect Tunes explores the fault lines in our most important relationships, and asks whether dreams deferred can ever be reclaimed. It is a delightful and poignant tale of music and motherhood, ambition and compromise—of life, in all its dissonance and harmony. |
| books like the crucible: Walking the Tree Kaaron Warren, 2010-12-28 Botanica is an island, but almost all of the island is taken up by the Tree. Little knowing how they came to be here, small communities live around the coast line. The Tree provides them shelter, kindling, medicine – and a place of legends, for there are ghosts within the trees who snatch children and the dying. Lillah has come of age and is now ready to leave her community and walk the tree for five years, learning all Botanica has to teach her. Before setting off, Lillah is asked by the dying mother of a young boy to take him with her. In a country where a plague killed half the population, Morace will otherwise be killed in case he has the same disease. But can Lillah keep the boy’s secret, or will she have to resort to breaking the oldest taboo on Botanica? Another astonishingly imaginative novel from the acclaimed author of Slights. FILE UNDER: Fantasy [A Stunning World / An Epic Journey / A Terrifying Secret / Ghosts in the Tree] |
| books like the crucible: Wicked Girls Stephanie Hemphill, 2010-06-29 From the acclaimed Printz Honor winner author Stephanie Hemphill comes this powerful fictionalized account of the Salem witch trials from the point of view of three of the real young women living in Salem in 1692. Ann Putnam Jr. is the queen bee. When her father suggests a spate of illnesses in the village is the result of witchcraft, she puts in motion a chain of events that will change Salem forever. Mercy Lewis is the beautiful servant in Ann's house who inspires adulation in some and envy in others. With her troubled past, she seizes her only chance at safety. Margaret Walcott, Ann's cousin, is desperately in love. She is torn between staying loyal to her friends and pursuing a life with her betrothed. With new accusations mounting against the men and women of the community, the girls will have to decide: Is it too late to tell the truth? |
| books like the crucible: The Cross-time Engineer Leo Frankowski, 1986-01-01 Accidentally plunged back in time to Poland in the year 1231, Conrad Schwartz is determined to build up the country before the Mongol invasion that will come ten years later |
