In The Crucible, Reverend Parris fears that
his congregation is out to get him. Because his appointment was disputed by some, namely the
Putnams (they supported another candidate), and reviled by John Proctor (who won't attend because
he feels Parris is a materialist who uses scare tactics in his sermons), Parris suffers from
paranoia. Parris is insecure in his public reputation, and he should be: he expresses no
discernible charity or love of others.
Mainly though, Parris is
afraid that he will be implicated in the witchcraft accusations and scapegoating. After all, it
is his daughter, Better, who is vexed. His slave from Barbados, Tituba, is implicated by his
niece Abigail Williams. So, three of the four primary practitioners of supposed witchcraft in the
woods all live under Parris' roof.
At first, Parris wants a medical
explanation for his daughter's illness. But, after the doctor cannot find a cause, Parris goes
along with Hale's suspicions and Abigail's scapegoating of Tituba. In fact, Parris is overly
cruel to Tituba in order to deflect blame for bringing a tribal voodoo practitioner to
Salem.
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