Blog #201: Why I Couldn’t Stand Watching “The Crucible” (1996) in High School as a
- Jeffrey Snyder
- Mar 14, 2022
- 4 min read
I can distinctly remember when one of the first things I studied in English class of my junior year of high school was perhaps one of the more controversial pieces of work of literature that was based on a real-life event in the late 1600’s…the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts.
Now, prior to studying this story called “The Crucible,” by Arthur Miller, I had known about the Salem Witch Trials through word of mouth and how it was mentioned briefly in “Scooby Doo and the Witch’s Ghost” (1999). The story consisted of a town in hysteria over witches and warlocks that resulted in hangings, pressings and overall, a ghastly mess.
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Abigail Williams (Winona Ryder) in “The Crucible” (1996)
When I studied Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” I knew right away that I was going to be dealing with some controversial territory. As a neurodiverse high school junior, I had to prepare myself to study whatever was in front of me and thankfully, studying Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” was like getting blood drawn or a vaccination at the doctor’s office, since it would be the first thing that I would do upon stepping into my annual physical.
But if there was one thing that I despised about the film version of “The Crucible” (1996) was the character of Abigail Williams (Winona Ryder). She and her friends are the epitome of drama seekers and if you know me, I cannot stand people who are overly dramatic. The way that she will do ANYTHING to win the heart of a married man named John Proctor (Daniel Day-Lewis), such as pretending that there are witches and warlocks abound is very bothersome to me.
I also strongly disliked the scene where she is beating up Betty Parris in her bed and demands that her friends swear themselves to secrecy, thus setting the events in motion or else she would kill them herself. It just…made me feel uncomfortable and made my skin crawl.
Ruth Maleczech as Sarah Osbourne in “The Crucible” (1996)
“Dick Van Dyke” as George Jacobs in “The Crucible” (1996)
Peter Vaughn as Giles Corey in “The Crucible” (1996)
So many lives were destroyed because of this hysteria and in the end, there were several characters that I felt bad for because they were being killed for being witches such as Sarah Osbourne (the beggar), George Jacobs (the old man), Rebecca Nurse (the kindly old woman) and especially, Giles Corey (the farmer).
All of them did not, in any way, deserved to die because of what was going on. But that is what happens when you get caught up in the moment, sadly.
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Abigail Williams (Winona Ryder), Elizabeth Proctor (Joan Allen) and John Proctor (Daniel Day Lewis) in “The Crucible” (1996)
However, as a student, it was my duty to be obedient and do as I was told. But, in order to do what I did, I had to mask up my emotions. Watching “The Crucible” (1996) was perhaps one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my high school career and even though it was Rated PG-13, it should have felt like an R rated film with consent forms clarifying whether you wanted to watch the film or not.
But I didn’t say anything because the 1996 film version of “The Crucible” was part of the lesson plan and I just had to endure it. I would put the mask on as I came into my class and just prepared myself for what was to come in front of me.
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What also made it more challenging for me was that we would watch “The Crucible” in bits and pieces due to class timing and other things. So, every time that we watched the film, I would have to put the mask back on and pretend like I was going to enjoy it when I was really not.
Something else I felt that was that “The Crucible” (1996) was one of the very first movies I saw where the villain actually wins in the end. It left a sickening feeling in my stomach to the point where to this very day, I have been trying to come up with a fanfiction where John Proctor’s sons hunt Abigail and her friends in Barbados and kill them in revenge for their father’s execution.
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Now, of course the main reason why I studied “The Crucible” as a special education student was because I was gifted into mainstream classes. If I had been in a special education English class like I was in Middle School, I would have not been able to study this play.
It’s important to remember that if a special education student is qualified to be in a mainstream class, then there are some things that they are going to be confronted with sensitive material like “The Crucible.” However, special education students who are sensitive should have the option of not watching a tense and dramatic film that teachers will sometimes show their students.
If you are a parent and you feel that your child is not going to handle watching a film like “The Crucible” (1996), then you must add to your child’s IEP that he or she should have the option to not watch certain films based on scary adaptations.
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Oh, and by the way, I’d do like to pretend that Dick Van Dyke played George Jacobs even though he didn’t (at least that’s what me and my dad think).
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Catch you all later!!
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