Contents

1. Summary

2. Themes, Motifs and Key Ideas

3. Comparative Essay Prompt Example

4. Sample Essay Topics

1. Summary

The Crucible is a four-act play that portrays the atmosphere of the witch trials in Salem. As
an allegory of McCarthyism, the play primarily focuses on criticising the ways in which
innocent people are prosecuted without any founded evidence, reflecting the unjust nature
of the corrupted authoritarian system that governs Salem. It starts off with the girls dancing
in the woods and Betty’s unconsciousness, which causes the people of Salem to look for
unnatural causes. People start scapegoating others to escape prosecution and falsely
accuse others to gain power and land, facilitating mass hysteria which ultimately leads to
the downfall of the Salem theocracy. The protagonist John Proctor is one of those that
decides to defy the courts and sacrifices his life towards the end of the play, ending the play
on a quiet note in contrast with its frenzied conflict throughout the acts.

The Dressmaker shows the audience the treatment towards Tilly Dunnage upon her return
to fictional town Dungatar years after she was wrongly accused of being a murderess.
Rosalie Ham critiques the impacts of rumours on Tilly and Molly, also establishing her
condemnation of the societal stigma of this isolated town. Tilly starts making haute couture
outfits to transform the lives of the women in the town and help them present themselves as
more desirable and elevate their ranks. However, the townspeople still see Tilly negatively,
except for some individuals who are able to look past the opinions of others and get to
know Tilly themselves. Ham’s gothic novel garners the audience’s sympathy towards the
outcasts of the town and antagonises those who find pleasure in creating drama and
spreading rumours about others.  

2. Themes, Motifs, And Key Ideas

Through discussing themes, motifs, and key ideas, we’ll gain a clearer understanding of
some super important ideas to bring out in your essays. Remember, that when it comes to
themes, there’s a whole host of ways you can express your ideas - but this is what I’d
suggest as the most impressive method to blow away the VCAA examiners. We’ll be
adhering to the CONVERGENT and DIVERGENT strategy. While we don’t go into detail
into how to use LSG’s CONVERGENT and DIVERGENT strategy in this guide, I’d highly
recommend you get familiar with it by reading How To Write A Killer Comparative.

Similarities and Differences (CONVERGENT and DIVERGENT Ideas)

Social Class 

Both The Crucible and The Dressmaker talk extensively about class. By class, what I mean

is the economic and social divisions which determine where people sit in society. For
instance, we could say that the British Royals are ‘upper class’, whilst people living
paycheck to paycheck and struggling to get by are ‘lower class’.

Ultimately, both The Crucible and The Dressmaker are set in classist societies where there

is no opportunity for social advancement. Whilst Thomas Putnam steals the land of poor
Salemites accused of witchcraft, the McSwineys are left to live in absolute poverty and
never leave the ‘tip’ where they have lived for generations. Dungatar and Salem view this
social division as a ‘given’ and reject the idea that there is anything wrong with certain
people living a life of suffering so others can have lives of wealth and pleasure. As such, for
both Salem and Dungatar, the very idea that anyone could move between the classes and
make a better life for themselves is inherently dangerous. What we can see here is that
class shapes the way communities deal with crisis. Anything that overturns class is
dangerous because it challenges the social order – meaning that individuals such as
Reverend Parris in The Crucible, or Councillor Pettyman in The Dressmaker may lose all
their power and authority.

For The Crucible, that’s precisely why the witchcraft crisis is so threatening, as the
Salemites are prepared to replace Reverend Parris and deny his authority. Although Abigail
and the group of girls thus single-handedly overturn Salem’s class structures and replace it
with their own tyranny, Parris’ original intention was to use their power to reinforce his
authority. In The Dressmaker, Tilly is threatening because she doesn’t neatly fit in to
Dungatar’s class structure. Having travelled the outside world, she represents a worldly
mindset and breadth of experiences which the townspeople know they cannot match.

For this theme, there’s a DIVERGENCE of ideas too, and this is clear because the way
that class is expressed and enforced in both texts is vastly different. For The Crucible, it’s
all about religion – Reverend Parris’ assertion that all Christians must be loyal to him
ensures the class structure remains intact. More than that, to challenge him would be to
challenge God, which also guides Danforth in executing those who don’t follow his will. In
the case of The Dressmaker, there’s no central authority who imposes class on Dungatar.
Rather, the people do it themselves; putting people back in their place through rumour and
suspicion. However, by creating extravagant, expensive dresses for the townspeople, Tilly
inadvertently provides people with another way to express class.  

Isolated Communities

CONVERGENT:

The setting forms an essential thematic element of The Crucible and The Dressmaker.

Both communities are thoroughly isolated and, in colloquial terms, live in the ‘middle of no-
where’.

DIVERGENT:

However, what is starkly different between the texts is how this isolation shapes the
respective communities’ self-image. For Salem, its citizens adopt a mindset of religious and
cultural superiority – believing that their faith, dedication to hard work and unity under God
make them the most blessed people in the world. Individuals as diverse as Rebecca Nurse
and Thomas Putnam perceive Salem to be a genuinely incredible place. They see Salem
as the first battleground between God and the Devil in the Americas, and as such, construct
a grand narrative in which they are God’s soldiers protecting his kingdom. Even the name
‘Salem’ references ‘Jerusalem’, revealing that the Salemites see themselves as the second
coming of Christ, and the fulfilment of the Bible’s promises.

Not much of the same can be said for The Dressmaker. Dungatar lacks the same religious
context, and the very name of ‘Dungatar’ references ‘dung’, or beetle poop. The next part of
the name is 'tar', a sticky substance, creating the impression that Dungatar's people are
stuck in their disgusting ways. The townspeople of Dungatar are acutely aware of their own
inadequacy, and that is why they fight so hard to remain isolated from the outside world.
Tilly is therefore a threat because she challenges their isolation and forces the men and
women of Dungatar to reconsider why their community has shunned progress for so long.
In short, she makes a once-isolated people realise that fear, paranoia, division and
superstition are no way to run a town, and brings them to acknowledge the terribly harmful
impacts of their own hatred.

On top of that, because Salem is literally the only Christian, European settlement for miles,
it is simply impossible for them to even think about alternatives to their way of life. They are
completely isolated and thus, all of their problems come from ‘within’ and are a result of
their own division. For Dungatar, it’s a mix of societal issues on the inside being made
worse by the arrival of people from the outside. The township is isolated, but unlike Salem,
it at least has contact with the outside world. All Tilly does, therefore, is show the people of
Dungatar an alternative to their way of life. But, for a community used to the way they have
lived for decades, it ultimately contributes to its destruction.

3. Comparative Essay Prompt Example

The following essay topic breakdown was written by Lindsey Dang. If you'd like to see a
completed A+ essay based off this same essay topic, then check out LSG's A Killer
Comparative Guide: The Crucible & The Dressmaker, written by 50 study scorer and
LSG tutor, Jordan Bassilious!

Compare the ways in which outcasts are treated in The Crucible and The

Dressmaker.

Step 1: Analyse

Before writing our topic sentences, we need to look at our key words first. The keywords in
this prompt are outcasts and treated.
So, who are considered outcasts in the two texts? Outcasts can be those of traditionally
lower classes, they can be characters with physical flaws, those that are different to others
or those who do not abide by the standards of their respective societies.

 In The Crucible: Tituba, Abigail, John Proctor or even Martha Giles can be

considered as outcasts.

 In The Dressmaker: We can consider Tilly, Molly, The McSwineys, etc.

We also need to look our second key word ‘treated’. How would we describe the treatment
towards these characters? Are they treated nicely or are they mistreated and discriminated
against? Do ALL members of that community have that same treatment towards those
outcasts or are there exceptions? Remember this point because we might be able to use
this to challenge the prompt.

We’re going to skip Step 2: Brainstorm today, but if you’re familiar with LSG teachings,
including the THINK and EXECUTE strategy discussed in my How To Write A Killer Text
Response ebook, then you’ll be good for this part.

Step 3: Create a Plan

ARGUMENT 1

Both texts portray outcasts as victims of relentless accusations or rumours, seeking

to engage the pathos of the audience towards those who are marginalised.

 In The Crucible, Tituba the ‘Negro slave’ is the first person to be accused by
witchcraft in Salem. Her ‘consequent low standing’ is also shown through her use of
language ‘You beg me to conjure! She beg me make charm’ which is fraught with
grammatical errors, compared to Judge Danforth who uses legal jargon and the
Putnams who are much more well-spoken.

 Similarly, the McSwineys are also those of lower class and are seen as the outcasts
of Dungatar. Their names show us their position in the social hierarchy because they
are associated with swines which are pigs. This is confirmed by Sergeant Farrat who
said ‘Teddy McSwiney was, by the natural order of the town, an outcast who lived by
the tip’. Even when Teddy McSwiney died, the townspeople still did not reflect on the
 impacts that their prejudice and bigotry had on him, eventually forcing the
McSwineys to leave the town because they could not find a sense of belonging living
there.

 Tilly is also poorly treated due to the fact that she is fatherless, being bullied by the
kids at school especially Stewart Pettyman and also used by William as a leverage
to marry Gertrude, threatening Elsbeth that ‘it’s either her [Gertrude] or Tilly
Dunnage’

 Also discuss Giles Corey’s death and the significance of his punishment as the
stones that are laid on his chest can be argued to symbolise the weight of
authority

ARGUMENT 2

Miller and Ham also denounce the ways in which outcasts are maltreated due to their
position in the social hierarchy through his antagonisation of other townspeople.

 There’s also a quote on this by Molly ‘But you don’t matter – it’s open slather on
outcasts'. Herein, she warns the audience of how quickly outcasts can become
victims of rumours and accusations as the term ‘slather’ carries negative
connotations.

 Similarly, the theocracy that governs Salem dictates the rights of their people and
children. He specifically states 'children were anything but thankful for being
permitted to walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, arms at sides, and mouths shut until
bidden to speak', which explains the girls’ extreme fear of being whipped. Salem is
very violent to children, slaves and helpers and it can be seen that this is the result of
the social hierarchy and the Puritan ideology.

 For The Dressmaker, also discuss the ways in which they name others in this quote
‘daughter of Mad Molly is back – the murderess!’ Likewise discuss how Goody
Osbourne the ‘drunkard half-witted’ and Sarah Good an old beggar woman are the
first ones to be named. You can talk about Martha who is accused of being a witch
just because she has been ‘reading strange books’, and Sarah Good due to the
mere act of ‘mumbling’. The normality of these actions underlines the absurdity of
 the accusations made against these individuals, furthering Miller’s chastisement of
the fictitious nature of the trials and also the ways in which outcasts are the first to be
scapegoated.

ARGUMENT 3

However, there are still characters that are driven by their sense of morality or
remorse instead of mistreating the outcasts of their community.

 Both Sergeant Farrat and Proctor are motivated by their remorse to make amends.
Proctor’s evasion of ‘tearing the paper’ and finding ‘his goodness’ is motivated by his
desire to atone for his sin (having committed adultery with Abigail), and Sergeant
regretted sending Tilly away. He, in his eulogy, says ‘if you had included [Tilly],
Teddy would have always been with us’, expressing his regret for the ways outcasts
are treated in Dungatar. Similarly, Teddy McSwiney also has a pure relationship with
Tilly and treats her differently instead of judging her based on the rumours about her
being a ‘murderess’.

 While those who can sympathise with outcasts in The Dressmaker are either
outcasts themselves or are remorseful (or both), there are those in The Crucible that
are purely and solely motivated by their moral uprightness. Rebecca Nurse is neither
an outcast (as she is highly respected for her wisdom) nor remorseful (as she has
remained kind and pure from the beginning of the play). She is always the voice of
reason in the play and tries to stop authoritative figures from convicting and
prosecuting outcasts. A quote you can use would be ‘I think you best send Reverend
Hale back as soon as he come. This will set us all to arguin’ again in the society, and
we thought to have peace this year'.
4. Sample Essay Topics

1. 'I say—I say—God is dead.' —John Proctor, The Crucible. Explore how communities
respond to crisis.

2. People must conform to societal expectations in The Crucible and The Dressmaker. Do

you agree?

3. Discuss how The Crucible and The Dressmaker use textual features to convey the

author’s perspective.

4. Gender repression is rife in both The Crucible and The Dressmaker. Discuss.