The Crucible

Do Thomas Putnam and his wife seem to have reasons to be bitter about the course their lives have taken in salem?

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Thomas Putnam isn't a very nice guy. He covets other people's farm land. I suppose we all get greedy from time to time but Putnam uses his daughter to accuse people of witchcraft. When they go on trial Putnam swoops in and buys their land for next to nothing. This isn't good karma. The villagers are onto his scam so he is not exactly popular. He is also cozy with another weasel, Rev. Parris. Even when Putnam is able to take his neighbour's land away, he never seems satisfied or happy. Ann Putnam, Thomas's wife, isn't so slimy. She is just really angry that her babies keep dying. I can't say I blame her. She had eight of them and only Ruth survived. Unlike her husband, I am inclined to cut Ann a little slack. Sure she is paranoid that the Devil keeps killing her babies but she certainly doesn't deserve her suffering. We have to keep in context that a Puritan farm woman's goal was to breed like a rabbit and be fruitful. This just wasn't happening for Ann. Thomas, however, is bitter largely because of his own doing.