Patricia Lam

English 3
Period 2
10 October, 2013
The Crucible
Integrity requires sacrifice. Integrity means having the quality of being
honest and having strong moral principles. Some time in your life, you will
come across a situation or a dilemma that will require the use of integrity to
guide you. Showing integrity is actually much more difficult than it really
sounds due to the many factors within the situation. Actions such as telling
simple lies or hiding the truth can expand and cause more chaos than others
seem to think. There are consequences for passing up an opportunity to
show integrity.
An important characteristic to possess is integrity, but sometimes its
hard to have moral uprightness. Although I was taught the importance of
morals since birth, Im not perfect. When I was in the third grade, there was a
very rude and obnoxious girl who nobody liked; instead of naming names, Ill
call her Jane Doe. One day during recess, I noticed that a group of about 6 or
7 younger boys were watching Jane Doe from afar. It had been raining all
morning and the concrete patio was filled with patches of puddles mixed with
worms. I remember standing there watching as that group of boys ran
around Jane Doe, tied her with multiple jump ropes, then proceeded to push
her into the largest, muddiest puddle on the blacktop. Thats all; I stood

there watching and didnt even think to stop the boys or help her up. I still
remember to this day that I did not show integrity.
In The Crucible, Mary Warren was faced with an important decision
that required integrity. She did not show integrity in her response to her
crucible. During the early 1690s, the people believed in theocracy, which is
a government ruled by religious authority. Because religion was such an
important factor within their Puritan community, they had strict sets of rules
and beliefs. At first, Mary Warren shows integrity by confessing the truth
behind the doll by telling Reverend Hale, Why-- I made it in the court, sir,
and-- give it to Goody Proctor tonight(1133) and let you ask Susanna
Walcott-- she saw me sewin it in court(1133). But because of all the chaos
that had already risen from such lies, Mary Warren played it safe by
committing fraud just like Abigail Williams and the other girls. As the entire
town is lured toward the ruckus, Mary Warren points to John Proctor and
screams, My name, he want my name. Ill murder you, he says, if my
wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court, he says! He make me
wake every night, his eyes were like coals and his fingers claw my neck, and
I sign, I sign...(1152). Her false accusations stripped many innocent people
of their lives. Although possessing integrity seems moral, Mary Warren did
not show integrity in her response to her crucible.
In the end, standing up and showing integrity will benefit you
more than it will hurt you. Submitting into outside pressure instead of
personal integrity has its consequences; which can range from mild to

extreme depending on the situation. Because of my experience, I regret that

I didnt do anything when I had the chance. When Mary Warren chose to
commit fraud, she sacrificed countless lives just to keep hers. The forces of
nature balance out the good with the bad. Therefore, if you perform a good
deed, a good deed will come to you.