On page 183, Mattie says "I feel like a turncoat, a traitor". A turncoat is a historical reference to someone who switches polit
ical sides, like Benedict Arnold in the American Revolution who joined the British after serving in the Continental Army. Explain why Mattie feels like a turncoat. Do you think she is being a traitor? Why or why not?
She feels like a turncoat because she is taking Nell to the orphan house.
Explanation:
She feels like a turncoat because she is taking Nell to the orphan house. Mattie is not a traitor because Nell is not her child and is going to end up at the orphan house. It was Madam Smith who advised Mattie to take Nell to the orphan house, at first Mattie did not want to take Nell to the orphan house, she loved her and took good care of her and felt that at the orphan house no one would take good care of her.
This is a great line and sequence from this play. If you haven't already seen the film version with Daniel Day-Lewis, please do so. Day-Lewis delivers the above line in such a way that it is the part that I remember the most.
At this point in the play, John Proctor has already admitted to the court that he committed adultery with Abigail Williams. In essence, he has intentionally hurt his reputation in the community. Many people looked up to Proctor as a good, strong, and moral man, but the adultery will taint that image.
The court asks John to sign his name and admit to witchcraft, and John refuses to let the court keep the paper that he signed. John is okay with his reputation being hurt because he was trying to save others, but he is not okay with his name (and his family's name) being tainted by...
