The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter: Proctor and Dimmesdale's Sacrifices In many works of literature, a character makes a sacrifice that can affect his life in order to achieve something more important. In the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the character John Proctor sacrifices his life, while in the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorn, the character Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, sacrifices his reputation. Both characters, Proctor and Dimmesdale, respectively, gained something more important than their life and reputation. In order to redeem himself from the sins he has made, John Proctor sacrifi