Emilio Hernandez Equihua

Mrs. Storer
English 3H Block 5
September 23, 2019
Socratic Circle Reflection
Throughout my schooling at Mater Dei, I have only experienced two socratic
seminars, and I can say that this one about the Crucible was much more impactful than
the other one. I can say that I was pretty well prepared for the basics of the session,
other than reading the book, I prepared very well, filling out the questions that were
provided and using examples from the book. I would say that I contributed well, since I
spoke up at least once for every question. One thing that I could have improved on was
that I only backed up previously stated themes by other people and did not present new
ideas. The teamwork I displayed in the inner circle was good, because I never refuted
someone, I always backed up their ideas with new pieces of evidence. My feedback was
great with my first partner, since it was easy to follow along with what she was saying.
For my second partner I can not say the same; although I was able to give her the
feedback she needed, I was a little restricted since she did not speak loudly enough for
me to hear everything. One way that I could have improved what happened throughout
the session, was by challenging what some people pointed out, whether it was by saying
it was wrong or by simply saying I did not agree and I could have also prepared by
getting more quotes that agreed and opposed the question. These are my main goals
for the next session.
Along with my good performance, I can also say that the class did very well. They
were talking the whole time and even brought up some points that others had not
thought about. The conversations went very smoothly since we are comfortable with
each other, and although we might differ in opinions, we were respectful enough to
listen closely to one another. Along with this came the teamwork shown, which was
great. Whenever one of us was trailing off, we made sure to bring him back to the topic
or to let him know the question again. We also constantly praised each other and added
to what they were saying. When I was talking to the outer circle, I received good insight
on what I did well, and also what I did wrong.
In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the author is trying to convey the message that if
we let selfishness rule society, havoc will ensue. This is exemplified by the actions of
characters, most notably those from Abigail Williams, and John Proctor.
Abigail williams is a great example of how her selfishness caused great
destruction in the society. Since the beginning of the book Abigail has been victimized
by many people, and it is lying which she manages to control others. She knows that
lying is wrong but she fears what would happen if they caught her. The only one who
would be able to stop her would be John Proctor, but again, his selfishness gets in the
way. John did not want to confess his truth because he had an affair with Abigail. He
was too afraid that his reputation would be ruined that he omitted this information from
the public. They both put their reputation first before the prosperity of Salem.
This text has brought to mind many instances of personal interest to mind.
Throughout my schooling here at Mater Dei, I have noticed a great deal of trying to fit in.
When we are in groups, many people tend to lie in order to be more liked. Although
these are simply white lies, they are meant to disguise one’s reputation, just like Abigail
and Proctor’s, and make them seem like someone they are not. Another instance is
Professor Lockhart from the Harry Potter series. He is a narcissistic wizard celebrity
which everyone looks up to. It is later revealed that he is actually a fraud, and has lied
his way to the top. This was a very shocking discovery and left everyone feeling mad
and lied to. All in all, the text, seminar, and these experiences brought me to a deeper
understanding of the message Arthur Miller tried to convey to his audience.