john proctor/david merrill

john proctor/david merrill

Every tragic hero goes along a road where his strength and moral character are put to the test.   Protagonists John Proctor of The Crucible and David Merrill of Guilty by Suspicion were faced with the decision of whether or not to give in to the established authority.   Mass hysteria overcame the general population around the two, preventing an easy choice.   Farmer Proctor and director Merrill were of different time periods and settings, however both were wrongly accused and would not give names to the authorities in order to retain their integrity.
John Proctor was a 17th century farmer in Salem, Massachusetts.   He cheated on his wife Elizabeth Proctor.   In addition to marital problems, Proctor was accused of witchcraft.   He was eventually hanged.   On the other hand, David Merrill was a famous and successful Hollywood director in the 1950s.   Merrill devoted his life to movie making, resulting in a divorce with his wife Annette.   He was accused of being a member of The Communist Party.   While Proctor actually lost his life, Merrill lost his figuratively when he got his studio taken away, blacklisted and became seemingly alone.
Both John Proctor and David Merrill were well-liked men in their community.   Hysteria surrounded them, they became accused of actions they did not do, and were on trial for them.   For the sake of their pride, integrity, and loyalty to their friends, neither Proctor nor Merrill would give up names of others to the authorities.   Both were even given “a way out.”   All they had to do was name people who were thought to be a Communist or witch.   Neither of the two took that way out, and was punished harshly.   And in the end, it was their wives who stood by their side.
David Merrill and John Proctor were very similar, although they lived on opposite sides of the country, and in two different centuries.   Both men had family problems.   They were wrongly accused and were on trial for actions they did not do.   The integrity of the two men did...