Final answer:
Reverend Samuel Parris in 'The Crucible' is worried that his daughter and niece have been involved with the occult, which is of high concern in Puritan society.
Step-by-step explanation:
The character of Reverend Samuel Parris in Arthur Miller's The Crucible is greatly concerned that his daughter and niece have participated in activities pertaining to the occult under the supervision of Tituba, who is part of his household.
These events are particularly alarming as they took place in Salem, Massachusetts, during a time of rigid Puritan beliefs, where any association with witchcraft was met with severe repercussions and could lead to hysteria, as in the Salem witch trials.
Parris is deeply troubled because the Puritan society sees the devil's work as a real and threatening presence, and his own household might be seen as the center of such diabolical practices.