This post is a great read for anybody, but it will be especially intriguing for:
Teachers of Unit Four VCE English, Area of Study One
Students studying these texts as a part of VCE Reading and Comparing Texts
Those who enjoy either of the texts and would like to read something new.
What happens when our behaviour is tied more to the group we are a part of and less about our own desires?
How is human behaviour changed when people are aware that every action will be judged by those around them?
What is it within a society that can lead people to resort to absurd or abhorrent behaviour?
Contextually separated by centuries and continents, The Dressmaker and The Crucible find common ground in their exploration of the most awful side of human behaviour and the pressure felt by individuals within a society that sets a strict moral and social code. Students will find similarities in the isolation of Dungatar and Salem, as well as the herd mentality of their citizens. What may prove more challenging however, will be teasing out the differences between these texts and their comments on how individuals can be led to panic, fear, jealousy and denial.
The people of Dungatar are introduced in a manner which some students may find disorienting and difficult to grasp. However, as the novel continues, the interactions between the townspeople and their connections to each other are made more clear. Gradually, we begin to see them as a collective through the social events and the eisteddfod, as well as through the rejection of Tilly. By outlining each character’s personal experiences before bringing them together, Ham is able to convey the lack of privacy and the unspoken open secrets known by the people. Farrat refers to them as his “flock”, however other terms such as ‘mob’ and ‘herd’ may be more applicable in certain sections.
Tilly’s reemergence exposes the swift and lasting justice of the rural community as the townspeople won’t forget the past and continue to ostracise Tilly. Ham’s description of “The Hill” and the tip enhance this rejection as it is made clear that the people of Dungatar find comfort and solidarity within their tight knit community. The rejection and hatred opens an avenue for the venting of frustrations and the people are able to use Tilly and Molly as a scapegoat for all of the pressures they experience at the hands of their fellow townspeople and those within their own families. The unspoken acceptance of violence, control and abuse is tempered by their lashing out at the ones they reject - promiscuity becoming a sin that they can all stand in judgement of in order to help them cope with their own failings.
Further huddling for comfort can be seen as Tilly begins dressing them in beautiful gowns. Ham amplifies the group setting by commenting that the women of Dungatar had been “renovated” and the reader now sees them as a collective. The period of excitement for the town is temporary, as the social gatherings and delight in wearing such beautiful gowns culminate in a disastrous rendition of Macbeth. By the novel’s end, most characters have succumbed to the pressures of their personal lives or the expectations of those around them. The “costumes” and the gowns designed to work with their flaws are not enough for them to project who they wish to be in the eyes of others and both the social fabric, as well as the physical buildings of the town are destroyed.
Miller’s play also examines the tendency for individuals to seek confidence within the strength of a group. Similarly to the people of Dungatar, the families of Salem experience a period of immense pressure which heightens existing feuds and creates division amongst a terrified populace. In a scramble to find meaning for the hardships they’ve experienced, or to bolster their own sense of righteousness, the people of Salem turn on eachother and seek a scapegoat as a release for all of their frustrations.
It is worth examining the codes followed by both groups and the social structures that keep these in place. The theocracy that dominates the town of Salem is strong and can be felt by all of those within the township as they conform to the word of the church and collectively fear all that exists outside of Salem in the “virgin forest...the devil’s last preserve”. This strict moral code is much more prevalent in the daily lives of the people of Salem, yet it holds similar bonds to the code adhered to by the people of Dungatar. In the absence of a single religion or ideal to all fall behind, the characters from The Dressmaker still rigidly conform to the conservative values of 1950s Australia. The sins of the people are covered over, hidden from view or subtly ignored. As Molly points out to her daughter, “Everybody knows everything about everyone but no one ever tittle-tattles because then some else’ll tell of them. But you don’t matter – it’s open slather on outcasts.”
As readers, we can analyse the manner in which both Miller and Ham allow us to be removed from the people of their texts as we are disgusted, amused or distrubed by the goings on in Salem and Dungatar. Miller points out that “one can only pity them all” and when we view his characters in this manner, the play becomes a prism in which we can sympathise with the fear and hysteria and see how such strict expectations of behaviour and conscience can lead to such awful outcomes. In a similar manner, by the time the bus drives back to a scorched Dungatar, the reader views the residents as a collective of hypocritical, absurd individuals who have buckled under the pressure of social expectation and the struggle to conform to a society so full of expectation and judgement.
Where we can find differences in these texts is in the source of the pressure that leads to their downfall, as well as their ability or inability to heed the words of those who hold authority. The people of Dungatar are torn apart by their own actions and the pressures they place upon those close to them and others within the town. Through revenge, aspiration to prove one’s self and jealousy, the people of the town are led down a path of destruction. This pressure not only exists in the projection of an image towards the rest of the society, but also by the expectations (some absurd, some abhorrently evil) placed upon people by those in their own homes. The desire to be something more and to outdo rivals leads to an eruption of emotion amongst the people as the novel concludes. Amongst the destruction, Farrat stands hopeless as he is unable to save the town or it’s population from themselves and what they have created.
Whilst there is most definitely pressure within Salem and its households, the arrival of Hale, Danforth and the other judges introduces a dynamic of authority which aims to cleanse the town of evil. Under such a microscope, its people panic and hysteria ensues. The people find comfort in each other, however they succumb to a mob mentality that sees this validation come from the accusations of others and the blaming of all evil and wrongdoing upon those who are outside of their mob. The people’s trust in authority and fear of Danforth’s judgement leads them to become such a pakicked mob. Their adherence to the authority and fear of others can be seen differently to the people of Dungatar who have a leader in Sergeant Farrat who espouses messages of tolerance and love. Tragically, the people of the country town are completely deaf to his message and opt to continue in a cycle of hatred and jealousy. As Farrat aims to protect his “flock”, the people can not, or will not hear his sermon and their behaviour proves to be their own undoing.
Taking a step back and viewing Salem and Dungatar as stages with tragic characters playing out their lives can open us up to a critical understanding of the dangers of a herd mentality and why people seek comfort in the company of some and the exclusion of others. To see the fractured societies and the tangible and intangible destruction of the town and village allows students to analyse what led to such destruction. Whilst there are many similarities within these texts, the richest analysis and comparison will come from unpacking the differences in what leads people to act in such hysterical or plainly evil ways.
Ben Taylor - The English Lab
We’ve got lots more to say about this pair!
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In this presentation, teachers will be provided with a booklet of resources which push students to think about the texts in a conceptual manner. You'll be introduced to new ideas and points of comparison, before being taken through worked examples which utilise lessons about writing succinct, insightful and comparative pieces.
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