A Dolls House - Symbols

The Doll

symbol of voodoo and witchcraft, also symbolizes the transformation of good to evil
o represents childhood innocence and bring happiness
o In Salem, dolls represent evil. This extends to the Puritan society and church,
as they are both present to protect its citizens, yet both do the opposite.

Why, thank you, its a fair poppet.

[] stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out. And demandin of her
how she come to be so stabbed, she testify it were your wifes familiar spirit pushed it in.

Light

to illustrate Noras personal journey

after the turning point of Torvalds claim to want to take everything upon himself and
while Nora is talking to Dr. Rank, the light begins to grow dark just as Nora sinks to
new levels of manipulation

when Dr. Rank reveals his affection, Nora is jolted out of this fantasy world into
reality and insists on bringing a lamp into the room, telling the doctor that he must
feel silly saying such things with the light on

light, enlightenment, and shedding light on something all function as metaphors or

idioms for understanding

Dress and Costume

Noras fancy dress for the party symbolizes the character she plays in her marriage
to Torvald

First changes into different clothes (when she leaves Torvald in the last act)
becomes a new woman

(take note of when Nora is supposed to be wearing it and for whom)

Religion

Discussed primarily as a material experience

Children, personal contact, religion subordinate to materialism and selfish motives

o Important values for people and their relationships

The Crucible - Symbols

The Stones

Giles Corey refuses to make an official plea in court. In order to persuade him to
make a plea, officials of the court stack concrete stones on him and eventually crush
him

o symbolizes the weight of Salem's sins that are crushing the good in its
society.
Great stones they lay upon his chest until he plead aye or nay. They say he give them but
two words. "More weight," he says. And died.

The Cows

roam Salem's streets represent the chaos that the Salem community is facing during
this time

symbolize the jailing of many Puritans during the witch trials, and as many people
were farmers and owned cattle, these cows that roam the streets are the cows of
people that are already in jail.

There be so many cows wanderin' the highroads, now their masters are in the jails, and
much disagreement who they will belong to now"

The Crucible

Miller chooses this title in reference to the second, lesser known definition, meaning
a severe test or trial; a direct reference to the largest plotline in the play, and that all
characters are involved in somehow

An analogy of the situation

o The actual container, the crucible the town of Salem Massachusetts

o Content in the container the people of Salem, the emotions and feeling of
these people are what change
o Fuel events that take place in the town, heat the peoples emotions and are
what affects their actions

Puns on the other meaning of a crucible a severe test or trial

o To tie in with the events that take place in the play

The trials of the accused witches and the extent of the consequences
(death by hanging)

o The extremity and extent of the trails shows the importance of religion in the
community

The people of Salem are deeply religious and to drift on to the side of
the devil is the most serious sin or crime imaginable in the
community

The Crucible.

Elizabeth Proctor's Pregnancy

Elizabeth's execution is stalled on account of her pregnancy

o represents hope that the future may be different.

"But if she say she is pregnant, then she must be! That woman will never lie, Mr. Danforth.

Forest

Puritans believed that the forest was the devils dominion

They failed to recognize, however, that Salems evil and destruction came from
within
o Symbolizes the evil present in all humans

The Boiling Cauldron

The controversy begins with Salem girls running wild through the forest around a
cauldron of boiling water
o Symbolizes the wildness of the girls their repressed sexual desire bubbling
over

Fortress

Reverend Hale: no room for forgiveness, tolerance, not even a minor fault is allowed

Perfectionist, protecting oneself

Links back to religion, theology rigidity of the Salem society

Theology, sir, is a fortress; no crack in a fortress may be accounted small.