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Personification
Definition of Setting
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Setting
Explanation and Analysis:
The Crucible is set in Salem, Massachusetts, which was a small Puritan town during the early days of American colonial settlement. The cultural context of the play revolves around this 17th-century Puritan society. Towns like these were governed by strict religious beliefs, a deep-seated fear of the devil, and a rejection of anything perceived as unknown. This cultural backdrop is an effective breeding ground for topics to become forbidden and resentments to bubble away below a calm façade. Issues like theft, infidelity, and jealousy couldn’t be discussed in polite society but happened just as often as they do nowadays. Despite the outward display of piety and rejection of sin, everyone in Salem is acutely aware of their neighbors' affairs, leading to a climate ripe for suspicion and gossip.
