Parris' argument with Proctor also symbolizes Parris' continual battle to obtain authority within Salem. Parris views Proctor as his primary opponent, demonstrated when he accuses Proctor of leading a faction against him. Parris’ anger stems from the fact that he feels that the inhabitants of Salem fail to recognize his authority when they refuse to acknowledge their "obligations toward the ministry." Just as Mrs. Putnam targets Rebecca because she is in the room and she is one of the mothers who has not lost a child, so Parris targets Proctor because he is there in front of him and, therefore, representative of the other undutiful inhabitants of Salem.
The end of Scene 4 reveals other animosities when Proctor and Putnam begin arguing over land rights. Proctor goes to leave and states that he must haul lumber back to his home. Putnam accuses Proctor of stealing wood from his land, even though Proctor states that he had purchased the land from Francis Nurse five months prior. Just as Scene 3 results in a new reason for Abigail to accuse others of witchcraft, so Scene 4 provides the Putnams with a lucrative motivation to accuse their neighbors of witchcraft. After Scene 3, Abigail's purpose is to accuse Elizabeth and obtain Proctor for herself. After Scene 4, the Putnams' purpose is to accuse anyone who "took" land that they believe should be theirs. Again, this shift foreshadows the arrest of Rebecca, as well as Martha Corey and numerous others in Act II.
