What is someone’s breaking point? I believe it’s when you have no way out of a problem. This seems like Mary Warren had one. Mary became a servant when her mother and sisters died early in her life. She became the Proctor’s servant. She renounced her witch claims after being threatened to be hanged. She had no money and no land. Therefore, forcing her to be a servant. Mary seemed to be a very misled, gullible, and a very fearful girl. Mary Warren represents some sort of truth in this story. She is the only one that really knows what’s happening in my opinion she’s just too afraid to come out with the truth.
All the threats and accusations surround her in great doses. The trials are too much for her to swallow. Mary starts to crack under the questioning in the court. That shows her weakness. Mary is very misled by the people surrounding especially John Procter and Abigail. John tells her to say one thing, “Proctor: You’re coming to the court with me, Mary. You will tell it in the court. You will tell the court how those poppets come here and who stuck the needle in. Mary Warren: She’ll kill me for sayin’ that! I cannot, they’ll turn on me—“, you can sense Mary’s fear already by her reaction. Abigail tells her to say another.
Mary’s confusion shows greatly through the whole play. As the trial goes on her weaknesses come out in the open. Gullible is another word to represent Mary. She seems to eat whatever they tell her. Mary has problems telling apart good and wrong. Truth and lies, “Mary Warren: That she– in horror — she sometimes made a compact with Lucifer, and wrote her name in his black book – with her blood – and bound herself to torment Christians till God’s thrown down– and we all must worship Hell forevermore”, Mary has no proof of this black book and by her reaction you can tell she is not being fully truthful.
Mary’s fear transforms anything that Abigail claims true. That is until Abigail turns against Mary in court, “Abigail: Mary, please don’t hurt me! Mary Warren, to Danforth: I’m not hurting her! ” This is ironic because in the court she ends up hugging with Abigail. To Mary if telling a lie gets her out of trouble she will do so. You can say she is like a people pleaser, “Mary Warren: I made a gift for you tday, Goody Proctor. I had to sit long hours in a chair, and passed the time with sewing. ”, She knows very well about the accusations in court and to me she seems to have done it on purpose to comply with Abigail’s wish of Mrs. Procter being arrested and hanged for being a “witch” And or she tries to avoid problems with people by doing what they ask, “Mary Warren: I’ll get up early in the morning and clean the house. I must sleep now. She turns and starts off. ” This is actually where i see Mary do something she wants and not get in trouble for it.
Mary is easily fooled into situations that she has no business in. Almost as if being a servant is what she is best as. Mary is a very fearful girl. She allows herself to be talked over and scolded “Proctor: I’ll show you a great doin’ on your arse one of these days. Now get you home; my wife is waitin’ with your work! she allows John to speak to her in this manner because of her fear of him punishing her. Much of with stuff that she did not do. Mary’s fear eats her inside because of all the things Abigail has threatened her with”Mary Warren, with hysterical fright: What’s got her? Abigail stares in fright at Betty. Abby, she’s going to die! It’s a sin to conjure, and we –“Abigail: I say shut it, Mary Warren! ” Mary is too afraid to stand up for herself. After Abigail and the girls’ fake possessive attitude and blame Mary does she actually speak up for herself in court. Her breaking point managed to get the best of her as well as the truth.
Mary greatly fears the thought of being sentenced to hang. Clearly so is everyone else. A lesson I learned from Mary Warren is that one should not be a follower but a leader instead. Know your right from wrongs and be mature enough to do what is right. I tend to be misled a lot like Mary is in the play. I also have a habit of wanting to please people knowing that some of my actions have. Reading Mary’s actions and reactions also show me that I need to become a stronger person. Mary’s character also reminds me to be a more truthful person because with lies I’m only blinding myself from the truth.
Also that throughout your whole life nobody will stand up for you as well as you can for yourself. In the end honesty is the best policy. Right? If Mary would have been truthful since the beginning she could have avoided fingers pointing at her. She would have not sent Elizabeth to jail. She would have saved proctors life. She would have put Abigail where she deserves to be, in jail. But since she believed what everyone was telling her and decided not to have a say so in court. Honest people died. Mary warren is a very misled, fear filled, and easily fooled young woman.
