Ghosts?

Do Abigail’s cronies think that they can truly see spirits? Does Abigail really believe that she can see witch’s spirits? Mary Warren seems convinced that she could see spirits, this much is evident when Danforth examines her. She claims that she could faint because she thought she saw spirits. If Mary Warren was not thoroughly convinced that she could see spirits, she would have been able to faint on the spot and provide solid evidence to Proctor’s claim. It is never clear as to whether the other girls think they see spirits or if they just follow Abby’s lead. I think this depends on whether Abigail believes she sees spirits or not. In the first act, she knows she is faking it. But, it seems that in act 2 scene 2, and in act 3 that she truly believes in her “ability” to see witches. She takes the bruises and cuts she could have easily made herself as proof. It is never perfectly clear that Abby believes she sees spirits or is acting this way to convince Proctor that what she does is legit. I however think that she has played this game for so long, that she has started to believe her own lies.

Changes

It is really interesting what Arthur Miller changed from the historical account to make this play really work. It seems to me that it would have gotten his message across just fine even if he hadn’t changed things, but this makes it more effective. For one, the entire Proctor/Abigail affair was added to truly involve Proctor in the witch trials and to give a motive to Abigail for accusing Goody Proctor. The real Abigail Williams was really 11 when all this took place, and being 11 did not have an affair with Proctor. But without this, Proctor would be more detached from the story. Goody Proctor was still accused and John Proctor would still argue in her defense, but he would have no inside information on the accusers (besides what Mary Warren says). He also changes the ethnicity of Tituba. She used to be a Native American, but Miller wrote that she came from Barbados. I imagine he did this to play on stereotype, because the rituals of Barbados would sound more devil-like to audiences than Native American rituals. Without the changes he made, the story would not be as effective as with his changes.

Oedipa is deperate

One thing I enjoy about The Crying of Lot 49, is that it is shown as if the entire thing could be in Oedipa’s head. That thought is always there in the back of her mind, and therefore the readers. She knows that she could have imagined all this business with the Tristero. Sometimes it seems that she wants it to be all in her head. She even goes to Dr. Hilarius so that he will tell her that she is crazy. She has no such luck there. This only adds to the confusing nature of the story. The protagonist doesn’t even understand or fully believe what is going on. She has nothing else to believe though, so she continues to chase this mysterious Tristero. If Oedipa had anything else in her life, she would probably never tried to take on this mystery. It is Oedipa’s lack of everything that leads her on. She has no one else to turn to and no one who will listen to her if she tried. All she has is the Tristero and the people connected to it. It is the desperate nature of Oedipa’s life that causes her to continue trying to solve the mystery, even if she is not sure there really is a mystery to solve.