The motives for the behavior of Thomas Putnam and Parris reveal in the stage direction because we can see on the evidence below that Parris suspects Betty's condition to be the result of something evil, something that he believes has "taken" his daughter away. One of the cited evidence is Parris, scrambling to his feet in a fury: Out of my sight! She is gone. Out of my - He is overcome with sobs. He clamps his teeth against them and closes the door and leans against it, exhausted.
