Midterm Task III Essay

The excerpt from The Crucible Act II and the poem "To My Dear and Loving Husband" illustrated two different feelings of husbands to their wives. In Act II of The Crucible, Elizabeth showed distrust toward her husband; in the poem, the narrator showed unlimited love and confidence toward the husband.

In both selections, the wives have to face the dishonesty of husbands, challenges from other women in their relationships. Their responses to these challenges are quiet different, though. Elizabeth in the Crucible Act II does not believe in her husband, but nothing she could do but just complain in an indirect way. The narrator in the poem "To My Dear and Loving Husband" bravely accepted competition between her and other women, and refuses to give up.

In the excerpt of the Crucible Act II, Elizabeth showed distrust toward her husband. The author uses intensive details in his characterization. The words describing emotions are helpful for us to understand the theme of the story: "hurt, and very coldly", "suddenly lost all faith in him", "a little loftily"… These words shows Elizabeth was hurt, and angry, and disappointed at her husband.

The poem "To My Dear and Loving Husband" showed the unbreakable love toward the husband. the narrator uses metaphors to describe the love between she and her husband: "I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold". They must have a very deep relationship to resist any problems. "MYlove is such that Rivers cannot quench, Nor ought but love from thee give recompetence". In another word, their love would not end, and would survive the challenge. the last word of lines are the same as the next line, that would be easier to remember the poem.

In the two selections, each narrator described the wives' feeling toward husbands when their relations were in crisis. Elizabeth was angry and does not trust her husband n the Crucible, and the narrator in the poem believes they would endure.