Illinois State University ISU ReD: Research and eData Theses and Dissertations 4-5-2021 Bewitching The Blame: The Crucible'S Legacy Of Appropriation And Sexual Shame In Popular Culture Hope Kristine Morris Illinois State University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd Part of the Theatre and Performance Studies Commons Recommended Citation Morris, Hope Kristine, "Bewitching The Blame: The Crucible'S Legacy Of Appropriation And Sexual Shame In Popular Culture" (2021). Theses and Dissertations. 1395. https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/1395 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ISU ReD: Research and eData. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ISU ReD: Research and eData. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. BEWITCHING THE BLAME: THE CRUCIBLE ’S LEGACY OF APPROPRIATION AND SEXUAL SHAME IN POPULAR CULTURE HOPE MORRIS 61 Pages In The Crucible Arthur Miller uses tropes of female characters, Abigail and Tituba, to tell a story of male heroism. In the process, he dismisses and appropriates the true stories of women who suffered during the Salem witch trials for his own political and personal gain. In this thesis, I argue that Miller’s appropriation and sexualization of women continues into contemporary popular culture depictions of the Salem witch trials including the movie adaptation of The Crucible and the television shows Salem and American Horror Story: Coven . These depictions appropriate and sexualize women’s stories in order to fulfill the male gaze. This thesis also explores how three contemporary women playwrights are writing new plays that address the sexism of Arthur Miller, show how The Crucible perpetuates abuse, and encourage women to confront sexism by creating their own works about the Salem trials.