Sunday, February 6, 2011

How does Rebecca Nurse from The Crucible show integrity?

Integrity refers to a person's ability to be honest and have high moral values. Rebecca shows that she has these qualities by speaking her mind and not being afraid of what others think of her, as indicated in Act 1 of the play when she comments about the rumors of witchcraft going around the village. She displays this quality specifically when she refers to the conditions suffered by Betty Parris and the Putnam's daughter, Ruth.


In her comments, Rebecca expresses her honest opinion about what the girls are experiencing. She explains:



...Pray calm your-selves. I have eleven children, and I am twenty-six times a grandma, and I have seen them all through their silly seasons, and when it come on them they will run the Devil bowlegged keeping up with their mischief. I think she'll wake when she tires of it. A child's spirit is like a child, you can never catch it by running after it; you must stand still, and, for love, it will soon itself come back.



The common sense advice she gives is based on her extensive experience as a mother and a caregiver. Advice that Mr and Mrs Putnam as well as the reverend Parris do not seem to relate well to. They rather turn to superstition to find answers. She is also surprisingly direct when she tells reverend Parris that she hopes he is not out 'looking for loose spirits.'


Rebecca displays more of her honesty and her genuine belief that the truth is much less complicated than everyone else believes. She is forthright in the instructions that she gives the reverend that he should send reverend Hale back to Beverley. She believes that they should seek answers from the doctor and from prayer. They should ignore the supernatural, lest such beliefs set the villagers to arguing again.


When Mrs Putnam mentions that the doctor has no clue, Rebecca asks that they should turn to God for answers since she fears the idea about loose spirits being around. She sincerely believes that they should rather blame themselves for what has happened to the girls.


A further display of Rebecca's virtue lies in the fact that she advises John Proctor not to break charity with reverend Parris, when he threatens to find the faction the reverend believes is against him, and join it. She beseeches him to take the reverend's hand and make peace with him. Her actions are as those of a saint for she is concerned about the goodwill of others. Even Reverend Hale, when he arrives, acknowledges her goodness by saying:



It's strange how I knew you, but I suppose you look as such a good soul should. We have all heard of your great charities in Beverly.



In the end, the Putnams, driven by their greed for the Nurse's land, manage to convince the court that Rebecca is a witch. Mrs Putnam blames her for having killed her babies by sending her spirit out to them, whilst Ruth testifies that she had seen Rebecca's spirit coming to harm her. The court demands that Rebecca confess her sin and so win redemption, but she bluntly refuses. She is steadfast in her belief and will not confess to something she has not done. She is incarcerated and chained but refuses to budge even though she could gain freedom by confessing.


She shames John Proctor by refusing to give in to the court's demands after he has confessed and he, probably encouraged by her resilience and the depth of her character, later decides to tear up his confession so that his name remains untainted and he can leave behind a respected legacy. He, Rebecca, Martha Corey and others, are eventually hanged, innocent of the crimes they were supposed to have committed. 

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