Discussion Topic

Proctors' Church Attendance Reasons in The Crucible

Summary:

In The Crucible, John Proctor's irregular church attendance stems from his disdain for Reverend Parris's materialism and focus on hellfire. Proctor criticizes Parris for prioritizing wealth, as shown by his insistence on golden candlesticks, which disrupts Proctor's prayer. Additionally, Proctor mistrusts Parris, refusing to have him baptize his children. Elizabeth Proctor's absence is linked to her disdain for Abigail Williams, following Abigail's affair with John. These personal grievances highlight the community's deep divisions and contribute to the witch trial hysteria.

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In The Crucible, what are Proctor's two reasons for not regularly attending church?

In Act II when Hale questions John and Elizabeth Proctor about their faith, Hale raises the fact that John has not attended church very frequently. John responds with a number of different excuses before finally identifying what his problem with the church is. He firstly says that Elizabeth was sick over the winter and that when he was not able to go to church he prayed in his house instead.

However, the real reason emerges when Hale pushes John Proctor further, and he admits that his reasons for non-attendance are based around the Reverend Parris and how he insists on the trappings of wealth in his church, as evidenced through gold candlesticks. This is something that John finds difficult when he tries to pray:

It hurt my prayer, sir, it hurt my prayer. I think, sometimes, the man dreams cathedrals, not clapboard meetin' houses.

This quote identifies that there is a personal problem between Parris and Proctor, and that Proctor objects to the rather grandiose ideas and approaches of Parris. This is the real reason why he has not been attending church as frequently as was expected in that time.

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What reason does John Proctor give for not attending church regularly?

In act 1, Rebecca suggests that Parris send Reverend Hale back to Beverly in order to avoid conflict among the citizens, and she warns that there is "prodigious danger in the seeking of loose spirits." Thomas Putnam disagrees with Rebecca Nurse and demands that Reverend Parris send for Reverend Hale. John Proctor challenges Thomas Putnam, who brings up the fact that John Proctor has not attended a Sabbath meeting since the winter. Proctor responds by saying that he has trouble traveling five miles into town to listen to Reverend Parris only preach about hellfire and damnation. He also tells Reverend Parris that there are many other citizens who refuse to attend Sunday services because of his harsh, depressing sermons.

In act 2, Reverend Hale visits Proctor's home in order to search for evidence of witchcraft and to follow up on recent accusations. Hale also brings up the fact that John has only been to church twenty-six times in seventeen months and asks Proctor to explain his absences. Proctor responds by mentioning that his wife has been sick all winter and brings up the fact that Parris only preaches about golden candlesticks and hellfire. Overall, John Proctor admits that he does not go to church regularly because it is inconvenient for him to travel five miles to hear Reverend Parris preach about miscellaneous objects and hellfire.

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In The Crucible, why did John Proctor stop attending church?

In act one, John Proctor chastises Thomas Putnam for demanding that Reverend Hale look for signs of witchcraft when he arrives. Thomas Putnam responds by mentioning that Proctor has not attended a Sunday service since the winter, and Proctor mentions that he refuses to travel five miles to hear Reverend Parris preach "only hellfire and bloody damnation."

In act two, Reverend Hale visits John Proctor's home and questions John about his sparse church attendance record. Proctor responds by saying that he needed to stay home all winter to take care of his sick wife. John Proctor then mentions that he has no desire to listen to Reverend Parris preach about golden candlesticks, and he refuses to have Parris baptize his children. John Proctor believes that Reverend Parris is a greedy, selfish man who does not possess the light of God. Proctor also feels extremely guilty about his affair with Abigail Williams and does not want to listen to Parris preach about hellfire and damnation, which he believes are the consequences for his actions.

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In The Crucible, why did John Proctor stop attending church?

John Proctor was very much an individual, his own man and an independent thinker. He detested Rev. Parris and viewed him with complete contempt. John recognized Parris's vanity, greediness, and selfish nature. It grated on John, a hard working farmer, that Parris seemed most interested in wringing every penny he could get from his congregation--including the deed to the minister's house and golden candle sticks for the church. When John's religious habits were questioned, especially in regard to his youngest son's not having been baptized, John said that he saw no "light of God" in Parris and did not want the minister's hand on his baby. Instead of going to church, John spent his Sundays working his farm for the good of his family.

We might also infer, perhaps, that John avoided church because of his guilt over his adultery with Abigail Williams. Until the very end of the play, he saw himself as a terrible sinner, a man with little goodness in him. Going to church under these circumstances would have made him feel very hypocritical, no doubt.

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Why does Elizabeth Proctor rarely attend church in The Crucible?

Early in the play, in the first scene of Act I in fact, a rumor is discussed regarding Elizabeth Proctor's reasons for staying away from church.

Parris is speaking with Abigail about Abigail's troubled reputation in Salem. She has been fired from the Proctor house, raising questions about her character, and soon afterwards Elizabeth Proctor stops coming to church - the purported reason being that she cannot be so close to Abigail as to share the same church building with her.

When Parris questions Abigail’s character, he mentions that she was dismissed as the Proctor’s house servant. Rumor has obviously circulated in Salem that she was dismissed for unseemly behavior and that Elizabeth will not come to church and sit near “something soiled.” (eNotes)

We discover soon afterwards that Elizabeth is upset with Abigail because of the affair Abigail was having with Elizabeth's husband, John Proctor. 

Thus the antagonism between Elizabeth and Abigail is articulated early in the play. This interpersonal history is important in that it demonstrates that many of the accusations of witchcraft that are eventually made (like the one Abigail makes against Elizabeth) are based on personal grudges and not actual fears of witchcraft. 

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In The Crucible, how does John Proctor explain his absence from church?

It is clear that Salem is a place full of deeply divided groups of people, and John Proctor makes this clear when he responds to Hale's question regarding his lack of attendance in church. After trying to avoid answering the question, finally he admits that one of the principal reasons he has for not going to church is the way in which Parris seems to focus more on money and his own personal comforts rather than on the austere simplicity of religion. Note what he says to Hale:

Since we built the church there were pewter candlesticks upon the altar; Francis Nurse made them y'know, and a sweeter hand never touched the metal. But Parris came, and for twenty week he preach nothin' but golden candlesticks until he had them. I labour the earth from dawn of day to blink of night, and I tell you true, when I look to heaven and see my money glaring at his elbows--it hurt my prayer, sir, it hurt my prayer. I think, sometimes, the man dreams cathedrals, not clapboard meetin' houses.

Thus John Proctor in his honesty clearly reveals some of the divisions that are present in Salem, and will come to influence the witch trials that are occurring. Clearly, Parris is a man who is more concerned with worldly affairs than heavenly affairs as he is a man that "dreams Cathedrals," and it is this that annoys John Proctor so much and makes it difficult for him to go to church.

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Why hasn't John Proctor been attending church in The Crucible?

Proctor says that he does not like the methods of the preacher and that is why he does not go to church.

Proctor stands up for what he believes in, and is not afraid to speak his mind.  He does not approve of the witch trials and thinks the community has gone crazy.  When Putnam asks him why he does not go to church any more, he gives a reasonable explanation.

I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. There are many others who stay away from church these days because he hardly ever mentions God any more. (Act 1)

Reverend Parris does seem to have a hold over the citizens of Salem, and he cares more about the devil and witchcraft than worshiping God.  Proctor prefers to avoid him at all costs, even if it means raising eyebrows for not going to church.

Parris defends himself and his preaching.

I am your third preacher in seven years. I do not wish to be put out like the cat, whenever some majority feels the whim. You people seem not to comprehend that a minister is the Lord‘s man in the parish; a minister is not to be so lightly crossed and contradicted… (Act 1)

Definitely more interested in defending his name, Parris agrees with the witch trials and supports them.  The trials used the excuse that they were defending God and eliminating people who were ungodly.  However, the methods they used were predatory.

Proctor never allied himself with the court, and it is no surprise that he ended up its target.  Proctor had a way of making enemies because he would not follow the party line.  Even when he was accused, he refused to sign his name to a confession because he was not going to lie.

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