Going on a quest
Again, in How to read like a literature professor, Foster mentions that every trip a main character makes is a quest. Even though it might seem like a simple task it is always a representation of a quest. In case of The Crucible, John Proctor’s goal to go to court and save his wife is a quest. As stated in the book, How to read like a literature professor, there are five elements that determine whether a character’s trip is a quest or not. Those are a quester, place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenges and trials along the way, and the real reason to go. First is that there is a quester, in this case, John Proctor. A place to go, which is the Courtroom. A stated reason to go is to save his wife from being persecuted as a witch and the challenges and trials along the way is Abigail’s pretending and the Judge;s illogical reasoning. In the court he is hindered by the girl’s pretending to see Mary Warren’s spirit and the Judge went along with the acting and made irrational decisions such as believing in the girl’s acting and sentencing John Proctor to hang. While he had failed in trying to save his wife, his real reason to go to the court was present when he was talking to Elizabeth privately before his hanging. It was to accept his sin, to forgive himself and to save everyone, including Elizabeth who were innocently accused of witchcraft. In the court he confessed that he cheated on his wife with Abigail and that she is a whore. In doing so John Proctor accepted his sin of adultery in public and forgiven himself when he talked with Elizabeth.
Author's purpose
The Author’s purpose in putting the symbolism of a quest is to represent the hardship that everyone went through during the McCarthyism period. Just like John Proctor, all those who were summoned to court was going to a quest, to prove their innocence. And everyone had to go challenges such as the stubborn judges who wouldn’t accept that these trials were meaningless and absolute madness. The quest of John Proctor shows what everyone had gone through in trying to prove themselves, and others innocent. While many unlike John Proctor gave in and named innocent names, still some stood their ground and was persecuted. All the toil is represent in this symbolism of a quest.