The Crucible

Why Abigail and Parris do not want to Susanne to speak of the doctor's suspicious on the village on the crucible?

The Crucible Novel

Asked by
Last updated by jill d #170087
Answers 1
Add Yours

Parris and Abigail (particularly Parris) do not want to reveal the actions of the girls in the forest (they were dancing like heathens). Thus, they don't want Susanna to speak of what she knows because it would cause an uproar.

"Miller immediately establishes Parris as a man whose main concern is his reputation and status in the community, rather than the well-being of his daughter. It is Tituba who shows more concern for Betty than her father, but she is kept away from the girl's sick bed. When he discusses finding Abigail and Betty dancing in the woods, his concern is not the sin that they committed but rather the possibility that his enemies will use this scandal against him. Parris is distinctly paranoid, defending himself from all enemies even when they may not exist. The particular quality of Parris that renders him dangerous is his strong belief in the presence of evil. Even before the witchcraft paranoia, Proctor indicates that Parris showed an obsession with damnation and hell in order to strike fear into his parishioners. With the seeming presence of witchcraft in Salem, Parris now has a concrete, physical manifestation of the evil he so fears."

Source(s)

http://www.gradesaver.com/the-crucible/study-guide/section1/