Arthur Millers The Crucible In connection to McCarthyism

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. History is a chronological record of events. These events, whether positive or tragic, often repeat themselves. The McCarthy Hearings that took place in the 1950s are a good example of this. The accusations of communism led to a nation-wide hysteria and fear of who was going to be named next. When this was over, the hope would be that nothing like it would ever happen again and nothing like it had ever happened before. However, we have not only repeated it on various occasions, but through Arthur Millers The Crucible, we also see the parallel of the event with the Salem Witch hunts that took place years before the hearings. The connection between The Crucible and the†¦show more content†¦This made his claims very convincing and much more believable than the allegations made by children. Another difference was that the McCarthy hearings were on much larger scale than the Salem Witch hunts. In the McCarthy hearings nearly 10,000 people were affected, many of whom lost their jobs and their lives ruined. (Schrecker) The Salem Witch Trials were on a much smaller scale; only about 140 were affected. (Boyer) A third difference was that anyone who was accused of being a witch and did not confess or expose someone else was hung. Although more people were affected, no one was ever killed during the McCarthy Hearings. Hysteria is defined as behavior exhibiting excessive or uncontrollable emotion, such as fear or panic. The McCarthy Hearings and the Salem Witch Trials were both hysterias. McCarthy did not create the communist problem, but he exploited it shamelessly for political ends, accusing the Democrats in general with baseless, sweeping, shotgun allegations. He was a master of the sound bite, and played the press like a harp. (Pinto) This was a time when people were afraid of war and the spread of communism. Because of this, they were easy victims to be caught up in the hysteria. McCarthy accused people to have ties with communism based on little evidence and thousands of people were wrongly accused. Joe McCarthy was nosier, more impulsive, and more skillful in gaining publicity than the rest of the anticommunist network. (SchreckerShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between The Crucible And Mccarthyism812 Words   |  4 Pagesprominent: they both incite hysteria. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a n allegorical play mirroring 1950’s America during the Red Scare. â€Å"McCarthyism† is the act of accusing someone of an act of treason without substantial evidence. It relies on the uncertainty and the fear of the unknown among people, which in turn, incites hysteria. Joseph McCarthy accused many people of being communists without much evidence or reason. The accusations in The Crucible also are proposed without evidence and causeRead MoreSimilarities Between The Crucible And Salem Witch Trials1079 Words   |  5 Pages The Crucible is a play that explains the story the Salem Witch trials. Arthur Miller, is the author of this play. McCarthyism played a big role in the creation of The Crucible. Many differences and similarities were drawn between the play and the Red Scare. The horrors of history are passed on from generation to generation in hopes that they will never happen again. People look back on these times and are surprised at how terrible the times were. Yet, in the 1950s, history repeated itself. DuringRead MoreArthur Millers The Crucible And The Second Red Scare1293 Words   |  6 Pages In Arthur Miller’s â€Å"Why I Wrote The Crucible†, Miller connects The Crucible and the Second Red Scare by highlighting his process of writing which in return displays the two different time era’s similarities. He states, â€Å"[W]hen I began to think of writing about the hunt for Reds in America, I was motivated in some great part by the paralysis that had set in among many liberals who, despite their discomfort with the inquisitors’ violations of civil rights, were fearful†¦of being identified as Communists†Read MoreThe Themes Of Mccarthyism In The Crucible By Arthur Miller1685 Words   |  7 Pagesoneself. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller emphasizes mass hysteria caused by people accusing innocent people to save oneself from death. Even though the Salem witch trials and the McCarthyism era took place in different time periods, they both show the reoccurring theme of chaos caused by lying and accusing others to save oneself. The Crucible, which illustrates the time during the Salem witch trials parallels McCarthyism because of the similar theme during both time periods, Miller’s personal experienceRead MoreHow Does Fear and Hysteria Play a Significant Role in Creating and Driving the Conflict and the Chaotic Events That Take Place in Arthur Millers the Crucible?1450 Words   |  6 Pagescreating and driving the conflict and the chaotic events that take place in Arthur Miller’s ‘ The Crucible’? Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil or pain, whether the threat is real or imagined.1 It causes feelings of dread and apprehension. Fear can lead to hysteria- a condition where community wide fear overwhelms logic and ends up justifying its own existence. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, fear and hysteria are the foundation and antecedent behind the bedlam andRead MoreThe Crucible by Arthur Miller1085 Words   |  5 Pagesthe character and the society. Arthur Miller in ‘The Crucible,’ deals with the internal/external conflicts of protagonist John Proctor, during the witch trials of Salem; showing the effects of â€Å"an individual opposed to the will of the majority.† Through the mass hysteria caused by Abigail, corruption of justice and weakness of man; we see clearly the effects of fear and how Miller’s work translates into his own situation, during the introduction of McCarthyism. The most dominant outward humanRead MoreAllegory For Mccarthyism In Arthur Millers The Crucible767 Words   |  4 Pagesto no evidence, but people were forced to confess or they would be prosecuted. Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible† is an allegory for McCarthyism during the red scare due to the near parallel events that confide in the plot and history such the accused confessing to a crime they did not commit to save their life, people rising to power by taking advantage of others, anda accusations having merit with no evidence. â€Å"The Crucible† was written in 1952 just two years after the start of the McCarthy era. WithRead MoreArthur Millers The Crucible : An Allegory For Mccarthyism750 Words   |  3 Pagesworks and is paid according to their abilities and needs.† Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible† is an allegory for McCarthyism during the red scare due to the identical proceeds that divulge within not only The Crucible’s plo t but also history, such as the accused confessing to a crime they did not commit to save their life, people rising to power by taking advantage of others, and accusations having credibility with no affirmation. â€Å"The Crucible† was published in 1952 just two years after the start of theRead More Arthur Miller Essay1170 Words   |  5 PagesArthur Miller Arthur Miller, in his plays, deals with the injustice of societys moral values and the characters who are vulnerable to its cruelty. A good majority of these plays were very successful and earned numerous awards. According to Brooks Atkinson, a critic for the New York Times, Millers play Death of a Salesman was successful because the play is so simple in style and so inevitable in theme that it scarcely seems like a thing that has been written and acted. For Mr. MillerRead MoreThe Human Lust For Power By Arthur Miller1689 Words   |  7 PagesHistorians and philosophers alike constantly analyze its corrupting influence and recursive nature. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, however, highlights a different facet of power: the means by which individuals strive to obtain it. In particular, he focuses on social power and the use of accusatory labels, such as â€Å"witch,† to obtain this power. The story is also a clear extended analogy for American McCarthyism, compari ng the absurdity of the Salem witch trials to the equally ridiculous accusations of â€Å"communist