This Resource is for Year 12 English students studying Unit 4 AOS:1 Reading & Comparing Texts in the Victorian VCE Curriculum for 2023. Judgement is an important theme comparison between the play ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller and the novel ‘The Dressmaker’ by Rosalie Ham.
What Kind of Judgement is in Both Texts?
- Legal judgement in insular and conservative societies
- Religious judgement in The Crucible and the role of punishment
- Social judgement is a pervasive and destructive force in Salem & Dungatar
- Self-judgement with both protagonists harshly judging themselves based on their pasts
- Inter-personal judgement of protagonists with blame, guilt and need for atonement
Who is Judged in The Crucible?
- Tituba, Goody Osborn = lower class, vulnerable women
- John Proctor = by the court, by himself, by his wife Elizabeth
- Innocent individuals = Rebecca Nurse
Who is Judged in The Dressmaker?
- Tilly = by herself, by the community – blamed for Stewart Pettyman’s death
- Molly = by the community – for having an illegitimate baby (Tilly)
- Dungatar community – for secrets & fashion
Who Judges Others?
| The Crucible | The Dressmaker |
| The Court / Danforth = the law | Sergeant Farrat = the law though he is lax |
| The Church / Reverend Parris / Puritism | Mr Almanac / Beula Harridene = self-appointed judges |
| Salem society judges each other = outcasts are judged first then no one is beyond judgement | Dungatar = the towns people judge each other by secrets kept, fashion and appearances |
Who is Not Judged in The Crucible?
- The Court in Salem is above reproach = Judge Danforth used black & white hypocritical thinking hanging innocent people “a person is either with this court or must be counted against it, there can be no road between” (Danforth)
- Arthur Miller’s authorial intent is to point out the hypocrisy of the Court in Salem in an allegory for the Communist witch hunts in 1950’s America
- Innocent people were hung in Salem like Rebecca Nurse who sacrifices her life for moral integrity that was lacking in the witch trials “another judgement waits us all” Rebecca is judged by her Christian beliefs
Character Focus Similarities of Protagonists Regarding Judgement – Note Different Endings
| The Crucible – John Proctor | The Dressmaker – Tilly Dunnage |
| Protagonist of the play | Protagonist of the novel |
| Non-conformist – farmer against strict Puritan rules | Non-conformist – outcast where she lives & through fashion & born illegitimate |
| Religious judgement – can’t say 10 Commandments / works on the Sabbath – all counts against him in Salem’s Puritan society | Legal judgement – as a child allegedly murdered Stewart Pettyman |
| Social & self-judgement – had indiscrete affair with Abigail – but trying to redeem himself & atone | Social & self-judgement – blames herself for Stewart’s death – her guilt is a ‘black thing’ inside her she cannot escape it (p.184) |
| Self-judgement & atonement – ending is honourable & noble | Self-judgement & revenge – ending is destructive & justified punishing the town |