One's Responsibility in a Community

     After finishing reading The Crucible by Arthur Miller this past week, we discussed the roles that the characters play in the community of Salem. John Proctor is a good, honest man who contributes to society by pointing out its flaws. In my opinion, one's responsibility in a community is to make an effort to improve it, and John Proctor does just that.
     Proctor pointing out Salem's mistakes is an effort to improve his community because he is trying to make everyone understand the terrible flaws of the witch trials and learn from them. He is continually trying to make things better in Salem, for example by exposing that the girls were just pretending to be possessed by the devil. Also, even though he knows it will ruin his good reputation, he admits to having an affair with Abigail in attempt to stop her rampage and to calm the hysteria. Proctor speaks up when he sees injustice, and he openly disagrees with Parris throughout the play. When in court, he refuses to blacken others names because he knows that it wouldn't be of any help to the community. Proctor has fulfilled his responsibility through all these attempts to improve the crazed community of Salem. Even though these efforts led to his death, he left an impact on the people of Salem by keeping his integrity with him as he died.
     John Proctor shares many similarities with Martin Luther King Jr. Both seeked to improve their community and made efforts to achieve their goals by speaking up against injustices. Although Martin Luther King Jr.'s cause was a bit different than Proctor's, as he was standing up against racial discrimination, they both were searching for the same outcome: a better world around them that doesn't punish the innocent or victimize without the right to do so. They both ended up improving their communities through all their hard work and left positive impacts that will be remembered forever.