Context: This part of the text is included at the beginning of the play, telling the audience about Salem and its people. The author explains how a theocracy would lead to a tragedy like the Salem witch hunts. This is the initial setup and is based on the principle that some people should be included and others excluded from society, depending on their religious beliefs and actions. This is basically the idea that religious passion, taken to extremes, results in tragedy. Miller is saying that even today extremes end badly: communism, like the strict Puritans, was restrictive and extreme. It just made people suffer. Fearful of communism, Americans looked for "hidden" communists, just like secret "witches". Here he also addressed his audience of the 1950s, explaining today's paradox: "It is a paradox in whose grip we still live [...]". “Keeping the community together” also refers to Americans in the 1950s, when the government tried to cleanse America of communism to keep Americans “together.” Answer: I think that neither communism nor puritanism is good, because both are restrictive in many ways: anyone who steps outside of established frames becomes guilty. This can only lead to trouble. It is so trite to say that by purifying a nation, people would stay together. I think the point should be to let people have different opinions, but not allow extreme actions like communism. Context: This comment can be found in Act 1, where Miller explains the theocratic nature of Salem society. In Salem, heresy was punishable by prison or death. Just like in Salem, the lack of patriotism in the United States automatically made people think of communists. When people were accused without any evidence to support their claim, not even… middle of paper… or whether or not to confess to witchcraft. His reluctance to sign his name to the confession is due to a desire not to dishonor his fellow prisoners' decision to stay put. Proctor focuses on his name, because his signs would be destroyed. In the end he truly understands what a good reputation means and defending his name allows him to find the courage to die heroically. This shows us how important reputation and good name were back then. But even in the 50s people wanted to maintain their good name. That's why people were afraid of being accused of communism. Answer: This quote is my favorite and was the one that stuck in my mind long after I finished reading the book. It's very emotional and shows us how important a person's name is and how we shouldn't attach false statements to it, because we really can't change it.