“Thirty-one pound is gone. I am penniless.”
Why it's great
A number, then a bare state of ruin; two short sentences make collapse feel factual.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
The funding is gone. We are penniless by Friday.
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Parris Reports Abigail Has Vanished, Explained
The Crucible · 2014
Chapter 25 of 29 · 4'30"
When Parris tells Danforth his niece has vanished, he is not just reporting a missing girl. "My niece... I believe she has vanished" arrives with a robbed strongbox and the fear that Andover's rebellion is spreading — the man who built his power on the trials is now frightened of them.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:45–1:51
Danforth Arrives at the Jail
66s - 2:31–3:16
Parris Reports Abigail Has Vanished
45s
Parris Reports Abigail Has Vanished, explained
What happens
Danforth arrives at the Salem jail before dawn, disgusted by 'a prodigious stench' and annoyed that Hale has been allowed in to pray with the condemned. Parris, nervous and weepy, reveals that his niece Abigail and Mercy Lewis have vanished, possibly onto a ship, and that his strongbox has been broken open with thirty-one pounds gone.
What's really going on
Parris opens with the mundane — that Hale is praying with the prisoners — but the real news is his own. Abigail, the star witness of the trials, has fled, and his strongbox is empty: "Thirty-one pound is gone. I am penniless." His worry is not for her soul but for his position. The trials are beginning to turn: Andover has thrown out its court, and Parris fears the same here, warning that hanging Rebecca Nurse "will wake a vengeance on you." Danforth answers the panic with contempt — "Mr. Parris, you are a brainless man!" — but even he cannot ignore a vanished witness and a region sliding toward revolt. The witch hunt is starting to consume its own.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Thirty-one pound is gone. I am penniless.”
- Parris reports the theft that explains his panic: the money is gone and he is left with nothing, a loss that hits him as hard as his niece's disappearance.
- “Mr. Parris, you are a brainless man!”
- Danforth's blunt contempt: he blames Parris for letting the trials' key witness escape with the money and for mishandling the crisis.
- “Contention make him weep, sir; it were always a man that weep for contention.”
- Herrick's dry explanation: Parris cries not from grief but from quarrels, over things like wandering cows and who owns them.
- “There is a prodigious stench in this place.”
- Danforth's first line, disgust at the jail's smell, setting a tone of decay and contempt before the real business begins.
Theme
- Power — Abigail's escape and Andover's revolt show the court's authority is cracking, and Parris fears it may collapse.
- Lies — The witch hunt's star witness runs off with stolen money, hinting the whole testimony was self-serving performance.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level1/7
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Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“Mr. Parris, you are a brainless man!”
Why it's great
One flat verdict in front of onlookers shows exactly who holds power here.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
You are a careless man, and this report shows it.
“Contention make him weep, sir; it were always a man that weep for contention.”
Why it's great
A folksy generalisation quietly turns Parris's tears into a performance of blame.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
It was always a man that wept when the numbers were bad.
“There is a prodigious stench in this place.”
Why it's great
A grand word spent on a bad smell makes the squalor feel official.
Register
Formal
Use it yourself
There is a prodigious mess in this room before every demo.
Up next · 26cast doubt uponThe scene: Hale Begs Danforth to PostponeTakeaways
What you walk away with- Reckon with means face something seriously.
- Calling a man brainless ends his standing on the spot.
- Weight here is influence, not kilograms.
- A prodigious stench is an ironic, official complaint.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy is Parris so anxious when he reports Abigail's disappearance?
He is losing control of the trials he helped start. Abigail was the star witness, she may have fled on a ship, and his strongbox is empty — so his authority, not just his niece, is at risk.
Why does Parris mention the thirty-one pounds?
The money is the part that hits him hardest. He says 'I am penniless' to explain why the theft, on top of the disappearance, leaves him desperate and defensive.
Did Abigail run away, or was she taken?
Parris believes she ran. Her and Mercy Lewis's talk of ships, the missing money, and the forced entry into his strongbox all point to a planned escape.
Why does Danforth call Parris a brainless man?
Because Parris let the trials' key witness slip away with stolen money. The insult shows Danforth blames Parris for a crisis that threatens the whole court.