NCTE Impromptu Writing (1 hour, 15 minutes)
Throughout life, there is but one true goal: to develop static morals. To ascertain absolute “rights” and “wrongs”. To make black-and-white the fuzzy gray of universal beliefs. Other aspirations exist, but none with such urgency as this.
In his quest to belatedly uphold morality, Arthur Miller’s John Proctor sacrifices his life. The choice is not easy, nor will it be in our own lives. His reaction to injustice is not immediate, but unlike most, he does react.
Though the good citizens of Salem are being slaughtered by a ruthless, blind theocracy, he does not step out. Though the harbinger of disaster is his own affair with Abigail, he does not step forward. Though his servant, Mercy, admits to the fallaciousness of the witch-hunting scandal, he does not act.
He erred, and his later actions are repentance for this lethargy. In stark contrast with most tragic heroes, he recognizes the cowardice and contentment that had pinned him to inaction and is redeemed through pride instead of being destroyed by hubris. Instead of denying morality for life, he foregos life for morality – sinless, at last, in his noose.
While John Proctor proved that retaining individuality and being faithful to morality are causes worth death, few others can claim such dedication. Escalating complacency is deterring moral commitment and rendering the world honor-less. As Schlesinger argues, we are becoming too similar – unwilling to change and incapable of standing out. There is no longer space for heroes: they are called dissidents or vigilantes and are abhorred as different, or worse, politically incorrect.
In a rapidly homogenizing society, it is Proctor who is the voice of sanity. It is Proctor, who knew that to retain his panache and reinforce the bulwark of his morality he had to oppose Salem’s corrupt authorities. It is Proctor, who, like the Transcendentalists, knew that a man is measured through adherence to his beliefs.
Only if, in America, we stand like Proctor and condemn the moral discrepancies of our time will we be able to rest at peace with our consciences. Only if, as individuals, we choose to follow our hearts regardless of legal consequences will we have honor. And only if, as a people, we defend that which is “right” will we ever be able to die with our panache still fluttering a stainless white.