Intolerance to Difference in The Crucible, The Guest, and The Old Chief Mshlanga

Introduction: Social Norms and Intolerance

Human societies have, throughout the years, established norms, values, and artifacts that are collectively agreed upon by their members. The culture of a society can be both advantageous and disadvantageous to its people. Norms and values held important by members of a society are advantageous in that they provide people with social structure and order. They become disadvantageous when members of the society grow intolerant of individuals or groups that deviate or differ from the majority. When this happens, social conflicts and destabilization occur, leading to the marginalization and eventual displacement of some members from their society.

Intolerance of social deviation and difference is the central theme explored across three works of literature. The Crucible by Arthur Miller, The Guest by Albert Camus, and The Old Chief Mshlanga by Doris Lessing are literary works that reflect on the rigidity of social norms and illustrate their detrimental consequences — not only for the so-called "deviant," but also for the welfare of the society as a whole. Miller, Camus, and Lessing each center their work on a situation where an individual must decide whether to conform to socially dictated norms or to act according to personal conscience. Camus and Lessing address the issue of racial difference, while Miller focuses on the dominance of Christian religion over non-Christian practices — symbolized in his play through accusations of witchcraft.

Racial Difference and Internal Conflict in The Old Chief Mshlanga

A character analysis of the protagonists in all three works reveals that they share the same internal conflict: whether or not to conform to the strict rules and norms imposed by their society. This conflict is most explicitly shown in The Old Chief Mshlanga by Doris Lessing, where the protagonist is a young girl belonging to the European settler society living in South Africa. She experiences an internal conflict upon being exposed to two worlds within a single country: her place as a member of the dominant and powerful white class, and the co-existence — deeply unequal and non-peaceful — with the Africans, the original inhabitants who have been displaced and oppressed from their native land. The story ends without a clear resolution, as the protagonist is unable to reconcile the conflicting realities she inhabits.

Moral Independence and Social Condemnation in The Guest

A contrasting portrayal appears in Albert Camus's The Guest, where the main character Daru chooses to allow his "guest" — an Arab prisoner — to decide his own fate. Daru gives the man a choice between turning himself in to the police or escaping to live with nomads. The Arab's decision to walk toward the police station reveals that, unlike the townspeople around him, he understands the weight of the crime he has committed and is willing to accept the consequences. This makes him an honorable figure by the story's end — much like Daru himself — despite the townspeople's condemnation of Daru's unconventional handling of the prisoner. Daru's moral independence places him at odds with the expectations of his society, and he is punished socially for it.

Conclusion: Individual Conscience vs. Social Conformity

The characters in Miller, Camus, and Lessing's works collectively illustrate the different consequences that arise when societies refuse to tolerate difference. Whether the intolerance is rooted in race, religion, or cultural practice, each narrative demonstrates that rigid conformity carries a cost — for the individual who is marginalized and for the society that enforces that exclusion. Taken together, these three literary works make a compelling case that the health of any society depends on its capacity to engage with, rather than suppress, the differences among its members.