__What_Do_Author's_Descriptions_of_Places_Contribute_to_Our_Understanding_of_Their_Stories,_Plays_or_Poems_

Essay Topic: What do author’s descriptions of places contribute to our understanding of their stories, plays or poems' All the novels and plays have a setting which plays a crucial role in the understanding of the literary work. This setting is usually selected for a particular purpose and is usually related with the major themes of the works. The setting also assists the authors to develop and support their ideas. In the play “The Crucible” which is written by Arthur Miller and in the novel “1984”which is written by George Orwell, the authors’ descriptions of places contribute to our understanding of their works and they are effective in recognizing the major themes. The Crucible is set in the spring of the year 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts. In Salem, there is theocracy, which means that the church and the state are one it is ruled by God through religious officials. Because of the theocratic nature of the society, moral laws and state laws are one, and the sin and the status of an individual’s soul are matters of public concern. There is no deviation from social norms, because any slight deviation is considered not only a threat to the public good, but also to the rule of God and true religion. In Salem, everything and everyone belongs to either God or the Devil. All these details are specifically described by the author who allows the reader to comprehend the underlying logic behind the witch trials. So the witch trials are the ultimate expression of intolerance (which is a major theme in the novel), which can be interpreted as restoring the community’s purity by eliminating the deviants. In The Crucible, this paranoiac atmosphere enables the people to express their repressed sentiments and to act on long-held grudges. The most concrete example is Abigail, who uses the situation to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft, because of her lust for John Proctor. She gains power rapidly over the society although the women occupy the lowest status of male-dominated Salem. There are several more examples like Reverend Parris who strengthens his position within the village by making scapegoats of people like Proctor who question his authority. Thus, all these examples are related with deception and quest for power which are two important themes in the play. In addition to these, in an environment where reputation plays such an important role, the fear of guilt becomes particularly harmful. In the play, various characters base their actions on the desire to preserve their respective reputations such as John Proctor. In short, the description of Salem contributes to the major themes of the play, such as intolerance, deception, quest for power and reputation. In 1984, Orwell portrays the perfect totalitarian society, the most extreme realization conceivable of a modern-day government with absolute power. Orwell portrays a state in which government monitors and controls every aspect of human life to the extent that even having a disloyal thought is against the law. The omnipresent telescreens are the book’s most visible symbol of the Party’s constant scrutinizing of its issues. The telescreens are everywhere and every corner; there is a telescreen in every citizen’s house as well as Winston’s. Thus the telescreens and the dark atmosphere which is described in Winston’s room lead him to hate the Party passionately and become aware of the dangers of the totalitarian regimes. In 1984, Oceania is described through Winston’s eyes, which enable the reader to observe and understand the cruel oppression that the Party, Big Brother, and the Thought Police institute. Throughout London, Winston sees posters showing a man gazing down over the words “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” everywhere he goes. The citizens are told that he is the leader of the nation and the head of the Party, but Winston can never determine whether or not he actually exists. However, these posters always remind the citizens the Party’s endless power as Big Brother is the symbol of the Party. There is another place in the novel which is really significant and which is called “the place where there is no darkness.” Throughout the novel Winston imagines meeting O’Brien in “the place where there is no darkness.” The words first come to him in a dream, and he thinks over them for the rest of the novel. Eventually, Winston does meet O’Brien in the place where there is no darkness; instead of being the paradise Winston imagined, it is merely a prison cell in which the light is never turned off. The idea of “the place where there is no darkness” symbolizes Winston’s approach to the future. Possibly because of his intense fatalism, he foolishly allows himself to trust O’Brien, even though inwardly he feels that O’Brien might be a Party member. Thus, all these descriptions were made for a specific purpose by George Orwell who witnessed firsthand the horrendous slaughters which are done by the totalitarian regimes, and these descriptions facilitate the reader to become aware of the dangers of the totalitarian regimes. As a result, the descriptions of places contribute to our understanding of the play “The Crucible” and of the novel “1984”. In “The Crucible” Salem is described particularly to reflect the major themes such as intolerance, deception, quest for power and reputation. In the same way, in “1984” Ocenia(or London) is described specifically with the purpose of warning readers in the West of the dangers of totalitarian government. To conclude, it can be said that the setting is the most vital thing in a literary work as it is directly related with the major themes and with the understanding of the literary works. Word Count:935