DOUBLE PORTRAYED: TITUBA, RACISM AND POLITICS

Racism, as a social discourse, has permanently been treated by the American writers, critics, politicians, intellectuals, and has often made American political and social history quite busy. Racist attitudes and policies have sometimes led to the formation of a variety of reactions; and have been most of the time turned into a political material, and ultimately, has invaded the American literature. This study examines how racist discourse and behaviors are reflected on the works of two different authors, and how these reflections are interpreted. Ann Petry, in her novel Tituba of Salem Village, introduces a black woman who appears intelligent but sometimes foolish; brave but sometimes a victim; a stranger but a survivor; a slave but at the same time a black heroine. In a way, Tituba reflects a self-resistant portrayal of woman, with her strong desire to survive and her versatile aspects as a “good and skilled black woman”. The same character is portrayed by Arthur Miller in his play The Crucible as somebody who is an outsider in search of survival; she is a maid who is accused of witchcraft. This paper aims to foreground the remarkable struggle of a black woman who is portrayed from different points of view by two different writers. Her struggle does not come just from her color but also from being accused of witchcraft. Thus, the character’s way of life will be illuminated from two different perspectives: the same character playing different roles in different genres will be portrayed.