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.