This essay is about some ideas portrayed in "The Crusible". It tells of different prejudices that are apparent in society of the past, present, and future. Mainly race, gender, and religion.

Essay by IronicParadoxHigh School, 11th gradeA, March 2003

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For many it is easier to follow the crowd then to plow a new path. In society, there have been many different portrayals of what a good person should be, dating back to the Puritan era. Stepping away from the mold always leaves room for fear and prejudice. For one to truly be unique, he or she must be willing to deal with this fear society holds for them. When one thinks of discrimination, usually three aspects come to mind: racism against people of another color, gender bias, and prejudice against cultures and their religious beliefs. Hating, judging, and attempting to change people and their views is the American way. Many have done it in the past, do it in the present, but hopefully this way of thinking will cease to continue in the future.

America: "Land of Opportunity." That is how many describe it today, but such was not always the case.

Years ago, the color of one's skin played a tremendous role in the life they would live and the opportunities this land would provide for them. Millions of men and women suffered the labors and torments of slavery, only to be treated like objects of possession, instead of actual people. Years passed, and African Americans began to stand up to the ignorance and racism of White America. Thus, the battle to make things fair commenced, only to find opposition on Congress's plan of segregation, "separate, but equal." Things were separate, but still far from equal. Many African Americans began to speak out against these so-called "equal living conditions." Others, such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks began to protest this subtle exile that White America called "segregation".

Now, nearly forty years later, the foundations of racism still appear in cultures and societies today.