English 207 American Literature I Discussion Question 5

Discussion Question 5

Interactive Salem Witch Hunt
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller
The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson
Notes on the State of Virginia: Religion by Thomas Jefferson
Notes on the State of Virginia: Manners by Thomas Jefferson

Directions:

Choose one of the following questions and answer it as thoughtfully as possible, after reading the lectures. Then post your answer to the English 207 Message Board by the deadline. Your answer is due no later than Thursday, Mar. 23.

Your responses to other students' answers are due by midnight on Sunday, Mar. 26. in order to get the full 20 points, you MUST respond thoughtfully to at least 2 other people's postings.

We will be using the Canvas Discussion Board for this class. Click on the link below to get to the LACCD portal, sign in, and then click on the link for Canvas in the right column. This will take you to the Canvas dashboard. From there, click on the square with the name of our class. Once you've entered the class, you will find the "Discussions" link on the left side of the screen:

LACCD portal

Remember: This discussion question is worth a possible 20 points. Late answers will receive 0 points. Points will be assigned according to the thoughtfulness of your answers, not by whether they are "right" or not, since sometimes there is no "right" answer. Just be sure your ideas are supported by the material in the readings.

1. What would Bradford and Winthrop have thought of Jefferson's ideas, as they are expressed in The Declaration of Independence and Notes on the State of Virginia?

2. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller says, "It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions, and the balance has yet to be struck between order and freedom" (page 7, Act 1). Based on what he wrote in The Declaration of Independence and Notes on the State of Virginia, how did Jefferson attempt to balance order and freedom?

3. Historian Marion Starkey says that "the story of 1692 is of far more than antiquarian interst; it is an allegory of our times" (x). Do you agree that the Salem Witch Hunts are "an allegory of our times"? Explain.

4. One of the central themes of The Crucible is betrayal. Who and what is betrayed?

Remember: You need not answer all of the above questions. Just choose one.

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