The Drama Causer

Abigail Williams is the niece of Reverend Parris.  Abigail's social identity is her promiscuity.  Especially in the beginning when we read about the first interaction in the book with John Proctor.  Abigail says, "She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her.." She blames the situation on Goody Proctor, John Proctor's wife, but takes no responsibility in the role she played in her previous relationship with John Proctor. During this scene she approaches John a lot and tries to pressure him into giving in to his feelings for her instead of being faithful to his wife. Based on what she said she is looking bad in most social situations because of her open disregard for John Proctor's marriage.  Her individual identity compliments her social identity with her assertiveness.  In this scene she tries to control her relationship with John Proctor by bringing up their past and being suggestive. She says,” I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near.” The language she uses with him is inappropriate for an unmarried 17 year old girl to be talking to a married man.  She is very firm in what she thinks and believes especially in the case of what happened between her and John Proctor.  She is very assertive in the way she argues with him that they had touched before.  Abigail is sly in many ways and she knows how to perform in order to get people to think what she wants them to.