Thomas Putnam Quotes

PUTNAM: Why, her eyes is closed! Look you, Ann.
MRS. PUTNAM: Why, that’s strange. Ours is open.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. Both Betty Parris and Ruth Putnam are in a comatose state in the opening scene. While Thomas Putnam observes that Betty has her eyes closed, his wife Ann comments that her Ruth has hers open. The Putnams leap to the conclusion that both girls are in some sort of strange stupor because of witchcraft they have been involved in in the forest. While Ruth Putnam does not speak any lines in the play, there are many quotes showing her involvement, including evidence of her accusing individuals of witchcraft.

His vindictive nature was demonstrated long before the witchcraft began. A former Salem minister, George Burroughs, had had to borrow money to pay for his wife’s funeral, and, since the parish was remiss in his salary, he was soon bankrupt. Thomas and his brother John had Burroughs jailed for debts the man did not owe. The incident is important only in that Burroughs succeeded in becoming minister where Bayley, Thomas Putnam’s brother-in-law, had been rejected; the motif of resentment is clear here. Thomas Putnam felt that his own name and the honor of his family had been smirched by the village, and he meant to right matters however he could.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. This explanation about Thomas Putnam reveals his vindictive and vengeful nature. When his brother-in-law was rejected for position of town minister in favor of another man, he ensured that the man was jailed for debts he didn’t owe. This was in retaliation for what he felt was a smirch on the family name.

So it is not surprising to find that so many accusations against people are in the handwriting of Thomas Putnam, or that his name is so often found as a witness corroborating the supernatural testimony, or that his daughter led the crying-out at the most opportune junctures of the trials, especially when – But we’ll speak of that when we come to it.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. This excerpt from an explanation of Thomas Putnam’s character shows how he was one of the leaders of the witch hunt and even recruited his daughter Ruth to name people as witches. It shows the kind of vindictive and vengeful person he is.

There are hurtful, vengeful spirits layin’ hands on these children.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. There is rising hysteria in the room, as Thomas Putnam leaps to the conclusion that evil spirits have possessed his daughter Ruth and Betty Parris. A powerful man, he is trying to persuade Parris to accept that there are vengeful witches in town and they are to blame for the girls’ strange illness. Stage directions says that he is "intent upon getting Parris, for whom he has only contempt, to move toward the abyss."

There is a murdering witch among us, bound to keep herself in the dark. Let your enemies make of it what they will, you cannot blink it more.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. As Thomas Putnam says this to the Reverend Parris, the stage directions describe a "frantic terror rising" in the minister. The Putnams bear a lot of responsibility for the witchcraft hysteria surrounding the events in the forest with the girls and the two children’s mysterious illness. As far as Thomas Putnam is concerned, and he wields a lot of power in the town, a "murdering witch" and not natural causes is behind it all. The stage becomes set for Salem’s great battle between good and evil, which will result in the unjust condemnation and hanging of many innocent citizens.

PUTNAM: Now look you, sir. Let you strike out against the Devil, and the village will bless you for it! Come down, speak to them – pray with them. They’re thirsting for your word, Mister! Surely you’ll pray with them.
PARRIS: I’ll lead them in a psalm, but let you say nothing of witchcraft yet. I will not discuss it. The cause is yet unknown. I have had enough contention since I came; I want no more.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. Thomas Putnam exerts his considerable power in the community to persuade Parris to take spiritual charge and lead the battle against Lucifer. A cautious Parris, worried for his reputation, agrees to lead everyone in prayer and a psalm but refuses to accept any mention of witchcraft.

PUTNAM: There be children dyin’ in the village, Mister!
PROCTOR:I see none dyin’. This society will not be a bag to swing around your head.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. When Thomas Putnam says that there are children dying from witchcraft, Proctor snaps back at him with this sharp reply. John sees no evidence of this and uses a metaphor to suggest that Putnam is using claims of witches at work in Salem to further his own agenda. There is hostility and tension between Proctor and Putnam, with John determined that Putnam will not assume authority of the situation, despite his power and wealth.

PROCTOR: My lumber. From out my forest by the riverside.
PUTNAM: Why, we are surely gone wild this year. What anarchy is this? That tract is in my bounds, it’s in my bounds, Mr. Proctor.
PROCTOR: In your bounds! I bought that tract from Goody Nurse’s husband five months ago.
PUTNAM: He had no right to sell it. It stands clear in my grandfather’s will that all the land between the river and – .
PROCTOR: Your grandfather had a habit of willing land that never belonged to him, if I may say it plain.
GILES: That’s God’s truth; he nearly willed away my north pasture but he knew I’d break his fingers before he’d set his name to it.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. Here we get an insight into a land dispute between John Proctor and Thomas Putnam. It concerns ownership of a piece of land where Proctor harvests lumber. Proctor says that he bought the land from Francis Nurse, while Putname claims his grandfather willed it to him. But Proctor and Giles Corey say that Putnam’s grandfather had a practice of willing land not belonging to him. We see the theme of greed reflected in this exchange.

PARRIS: Will you look at my daughter, sir? She has tried to leap out the window; we discovered her this morning on the highroad, waving her arms as though she’d fly.
HALE: Tries to fly.
PUTNAM: She cannot bear to hear the Lord’s name, Mr. Hale; that’s a sure sign of witchcraft afloat.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. In this exchange we heard of a child trying to fly who cannot listen to the Lord’s name, and claims of witchcraft in Salem! A worried Parris looks at his ill daughter, while Thomas Putnam continues to stoke the fires of hysteria.

HALE: When did you compact with the Devil?
TITUBA: I don’t compact with no Devil!
PARRIS: You will confess yourself or I will take you out and whip you to your death, Tituba!
PUTNAM: This woman must be hanged! She must be taken and hanged!
TITUBA: No, no, don’t hang Tituba! I tell him I don’t desire to work for him, sir.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. The perversion of justice in the Salem witch investigations and trials is perfectly illustrated by this passage. Hale, Parris and Putnam repreatedly press Tituba to confess to communicating with the Devil. At first she declares her innocence to the charge, but then she is given a "confess or die" ultimatum. When they threaten to hang her a terrified Tituba falls down on on her knees and out of fear admits to a crime she did not commit. Salem-style justice means that in the eyes of the officials you are guilty before any trial or hearing of defense evidence. The abusive way the people of authority treat Tituba, a black slave, has a strong element of racism in it.

My proof is there! If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property – that’s law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Giles Corey interrupts the court proceedings shouting that Thomas Putnam is getting his daughter to accuse neighbors of witchcraft. This is so that the wealthy Putnam can buy their abandoned land, Giles reveals. He hands in a deposition as "proof." This quote shows the greed of landowner and opportunist Putnam who vindictively has people falsely accused in order to gain their property. It also speaks to his desire for power.
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