Rev. Parris refuses to consider witchcraft the reason for Betty's illness is simple: as the town preacher, he does not want his holiness cast into doubt as a result of his daughter being a witch. Add to this his already poor reputation among many of the townsfolk, including John Proctor, and he would do anything to make sure he would keep his job. Historically, the place of the preacher in these Puritan towns was always tenuous. This is the...
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