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"These people had no ritual for the washing away of sins. It is another trait we inherited from them. and it has helped to discipline us as well as to breed hypocrisy among us" (20).

This quote presents the issue of what the religion of the people of Salem is fundamentally about, and how it has affected our lives today. The people of Salem like having sinners. They put down people who sin in very cruel ways. Not having sins washed away leaves a mark, and the people of Salem like keeping this mark on those who sin, and making sure they don't have it themselves They take sin very seriously, and take pride in themselves when they are not in a state of sin and someon else is. However, the people of Salem fail to realize that they themselves are sinners. They are told this whenever they go to Church, but it seems that they hold themselves to higher standards since they restrict their fun and replace it with solemness and prayer. This hypocrisy is still prevalent today. We are quick ignore or push aside our own sins but we can somehow point out the sins in others immediately.

"Proctor: I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr. Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God any more" (29).

This quote gives insight into the darkness of how the people of Salem live their lives and what their religion is now about, and it also gives hope that one day it will end. All the people hear about is sin, hell, and damnation. The people hear how awful everything is, and they do not hear about God. Their religion has become looking for the sins in others and marking them, instead of finding God's goodness inside everyone. This passage is hopeful because although almost entirely the whole town of Salem who believes in sin first and God second, Proctor represents at least one person who feels differently and a character who seems like a voice of reason and is more relatable to us.

1. What is truly the relationship between Abigail and John Proctor?
2. What were the girls doing in the woods, were they dancing, pretending, or really trying to perform witchcraft?