A Comparison of Repression in The Crucible and Black Ice Essay

The Crucible and Black Ice – Repression Within the small and somber courtroom, wandering eyes search for their victims; fingers of vengeance fly at the innocent with sufficient speed to free themselves of the accusations. Hear the anguishing voices of the dead, feel the fury of the falsely accused, see the pain of the convicted, smell the scent of a paradox authority, and taste the bitterness of societal repression. John Proctor devotes himself to saving his wife and bringing justice to the backward court that rises in his society. The authority makes efforts to repress his outspokenness with questions meant to steer him towards admitting to immoral deeds. Pressure builds on him as he becomes accused and forces him to live a life-threatening test. Similarly, Libby is given the challenge to succeed in the white dominating society while not betraying her own culture. Feeling repressed by teachers and students because of her color, she is torn between the decision to adopt the white world and fit in, or struggle to maintain her identity but at the same time, succeeding. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Black Ice by Lorene Cary, societal repression unfolds to be a troubling situation for them, however with their promising traits, they carry on towards their goal without hesitation. To start off, a comparison between the two protagonists would be their determination and ambition. After Proctor's wife is arrested, he confidently states that "my wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me" (Miller 76). To reach his goal, Proctor vows to surpass any o... ...to die rather than succumb to the falseness of the authority. John Proctor is dead, but he is buried with the honor regained from trading in his life. With determination, strong-values and independence, Proctor makes his voice heard and does not succumb to the unjust authority, and because of that, he grasps in his hand the triumph of overcoming societal repression. As for Libby, she finally understands she does not have to be repressed to succeed in the white world, but instead, she can balance both her identities. She will take advantage of the privilege she is offered in the white world while she can easily slip back into her back skin at other times. So Libby overcomes societal repression as well with ambition, strong-values and fickleness, allowing her to at last skate on the black ice she has heard so much about.