Both texts explore villages trapped by fear. Discuss.

Both authors examine how rigid societal conventions within communities generates fear as
individuals become fearful of deviating away from society’s norms. In both towns, individuals who
do not conform to society’s mores are viewed as “outsiders”, as a result become marginalised and a
subject of derision. Hence, while Parris in The Crucible is entrapped by fear due to his reputation
being comprised for witchcraft -an act that was considered as opposing Salem’s puritanism- , Horatio
Farrat in The Dressmaker is fearful of his unorthodox “secret” being known in the conservative town
of Dungatar. In the text’s opening, Ham showcases Farrat “dressing in his police cap” and “striding”
to his “shiny police car”, as if attempting to maintain a masculine appearance in order to conform to
Dungatar’s conservative values. This is a community that strictly adheres to stereotypical gender
roles and resists “new ideas’, and hence, Farrat can only indulge his obsession “inside [his] house”,
away from the eyes of conservative Dungatar. In this way, Ham illuminates the fearful atmosphere
Farrat is confined by, as the prospect of his “unique” interest being exposed would cause him to be
reprimand by society as he does not match the “masculine” image typically ascribed to men.
However, during Molly’s funeral, Ham presents him in a “knee-length wool-crepe frock”, an act
capturing his rejection of Dungatar’s intolerant attitudes as he decides to not conform to society’s
dictated view of men. Claiming his “beyond caring of what other people think anymore”, readers
witness Farrat liberating himself from the fear of deviating away from Dungatar’s norms as he
chooses to prioritises his own individuality over the town’s rigid beliefs. Through this, Ham posits the
need to challenge the confining fetters of insular societies, utilising Farrat’s initial insecurities to
reveal the constricting atmosphere conservative societies create and the harm they can do to
individuals. Parris in The Crucible shares the same sense of apprehension like Farrat. However, unlike
Farrat’s fear of deviating away from society’s traditional values, Parris’ fear is engendered by the
strict Puritanism in Salem. Salem is bounded by a religious dogma which contempt and opposes
anything that is against “The bible.” Hence, as Parris, who is solely concerned on his “name and
character”, discovers “unnatural causes” in his own home, he turns bent on fear as such a cause is
condemned by puritanism and will “blackened [Parris’] name”. Unlike Ham’s novel structure, The
Crucible’s play format allows Miller to accentuate his characters’ emotions through stage directions.
Described as “scrambling to his feet” and “quaking with fear” as Betty lies “inert” due to dancing in
the “Devil’s last preserve”; this fearful atmosphere Miller establishes reveals how Parris is consumed
by growing a sense of paranoia. Allegations of witchcraft, similarly to Farrat’s crossing-dressing, is
frowned upon by society, and as result sends Parris into a spiral of religious panic as he becomes
fearful of not only being punished , but losing the reputation which his “minister status” has earned
him. To this end, both authors depict how rigid beliefs system entrap individuals with a fear of
deviating away form the norm.
Furthermore, the fact that Farrat can only “enjoy” his interests freely in “Melbourne”, speaks of the
suppressive atmosphere of Dungatar; thus conveying the fear rigid society inflicts on individual as
they must physically escape from it in order to feel a sense of safety with expressing their true
selves.

o Salem: Entrap by puritan beliefs

o Dungatar: entrapped by conservative beliefs
- Fear stems from transgressing societal boundaries or deviating away from what is
considered normal. Fear from adherence to strict rules
- Fear stems from “the other” entering society
- Fear stems from intolerance

Setting can reflect the stifling nature of the towns’ respective beliefs

- Close-quarted nature of Crucible reflects the town’s rigid, oppressive puritan beliefs
- Dungatar is located at the precipice of Australia, and therefore geographically distant from
progressively-minded suburbs. Thus, their location is shown to be a product of the town’s
conservatism, gender stereotypes and roles; reinforcing fear for deviating away from the
town’s strict boundaries

Dressmaker
- Fear of change, industrialisation:
Hamish’s fear of diesel trains becoming
mainstream; he is a strong advocator
for steam trains
- Sergeant Farrat conceals his cross-
dressing and scared of his secret
surfacing as people will ultimately
judge/contempt him
o This fear stems from
Dungatar’s strict conservatism
and inherent conventional
structures
Crucible
- Abigail and the girls fear, incriminating
others in order to avoid punishment as
they know dancing in the forest, which
was considered the Devil’s domain and
the antithesis to puritan ideals, was
punishable by death.
- People of fear of being accused of
witchcraft/punished so they
incriminate others
o This fear stems from the town’s
puritan orthodox
Impact: innocent people being persecuted,
people are punished, downfall of a society,

- Impact: causes people to repress their
emotions, which is self-destructive
In TD, fear is shown to have an effect on the
individual rather than the community (select
individuals like Farrat, . In TC, fear is shown to
impact the entire community (everyone starts
The paranoia and deep hatred that they hold
within can cause them to make assumptions
and accusations with no actual evidence other
than their own belief
The loophole they find in the Bible (the ability
to fight for revenge without actually doing it)
accusing one another) allows for accusations based on spectral
evidence and past history rather than
legitimate, incriminating information.

- While Ham suggests that people can In a moral panic, a group of people will try to
liberate themselves from society’s purify the community by disposing the
boundaries and dissolve their fears malevolent people or ideas that haunt them
(Farrat at Molly’s interview), Miller
suggests that an adherence to inherent
beliefs (puritanism) is inescapable. He
demonstrates that anyone who strays
away from the orthodox will be a target
of suspicious, ultimately contributing to
the fear rifed in the town.

Conservatism
- Conservative society which resists the
idea of social change,

- Pentheus’s dialogue is laden with violent imagery and threats….[quote]….. which paints him
as a ruthless, inexperienced and brash ruler.

- The physical and psychological exhaustion implied by Callan’s complete lack of agency as he
“sagged forward in the chair” indicates Barker’s deep criticism of the way men are forced to
conform.

- “The tactile sensory imagery of Robbie’s prison’s “Victorian chill” and his “thin prison
blanket” creates an atmosphere of isolation and sterility in which human comfort and
warmth are denied.

- The dark imagery of „the black avalanche‟ further captures Charles‟ damaged state of mind,
as he is weighed down by the bleakness of his past
- His imagery of „grimy scraps‟ and the sibilant „stale smells‟ and „smell of steaks‟ conjures a
pervasively sordid metropolis that overwhelms the individual with its visual and olfactory
decay.
Sentence starters

Chinua Achebe explores what it means to be an African man in a tribal society whose very existence
is under threat from colonisers

the novel Pride and Prejudice follows the setting up and unravelling of misunderstandings between
the spirited Elizabeth Bennet and the wealthy Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Ham explores the way in which Farrat navigates expectations imposed by self and society,

The vibrant characterisation and rich detail of the narrative allows the reader to reflect on the
resilience of the human spirit, the horror of war, the shared humanity that connects people even in
the worst circumstances, and the roles of destiny and free will.