The Crucible Suffering and Difficulty A crucible is a severe test, like that of patience or faith; a process. Other definition of the word melting pot is a place, time, or situation characterized by the confluence of powerful intellectual, social, economic, or political forces. The title indicates the suffering and difficulties that the city goes through. The city where the story takes place is ruled by a theocracy. A quote from The Crucible says: "For good, even noble, purposes, the people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combination of state and religious power whose function was to hold the community together and to prevent any kind of disunity that might tear it apart ". to destruction by material or ideological enemies." All the events that led to the execution of innocent people also led to the disintegration of the theocracy. The story is set in Salem, Massachusetts in the year 1692. It begins after a couple of girls are caught dancing in the woods by Reverend Samuel Parris, the town minister. Two of the girls are related to him. Abigail is his granddaughter and Betty is his daughter. When Betty becomes ill, rumors begin to spread that witchcraft is involved in her illness because they were out in the woods alone. Salem is a very sheltered town that is pretty much run by the church, which is against the devil and all forms of the devil like witches, and is also against pleasurable acts like dancing. Not only that, but in the book the city is described as follows: “They had no novelists and would not have allowed anyone to read a novel if it had been within reach. Their creed forbade anything resembling theater or 'vain enjoyment'. They didn't celebrate Christmas and a holiday from work just meant they had to focus even more on prayer." The city was very strict when it came to following the church. This is why when the girls were caught dancing in the woods, they lied to protect themselves and their reputations by saying that the devil had taken possession of them and influenced them to dance. The girls also say they saw many other members of the town standing by the devil's side. Abigail says, “I want to open up! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the devil; I saw it; I wrote in his book; I return to Jesus; I kiss his hand.