I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character.
– Arthur Miller
The Crucible, Act 1. An insecure Parris, who says this to his niece Abigail, is obsessed with being highly regarded by the people of Salem. For him his status and authority in the town is more of a priority than serving his parishioners and preaching the word of God. He is fearful that Abigail and his daughter’s involvement in a ritual in the woods may destroy his reputation.