The stage is set, 1953, the second red scare provoked mass hysteria through the country. Friends turned to enemies, neighbors turned to strangers, and people couldn’t even trust those in their own government. Panic ensued and at the center was Joseph McCarthy with the House of Un-American Activities Committee. Arthur Miller was a popular writer who found himself among the accused during this time. Through his own experience he used The Crucible to connect parallels of the injustice created through the trials, the abuse of power that is created by Joseph McCarthy, and Arthur Miller’s own experience. A parallel that Arthur Miller conveys between the crucible and McCarthyism is the unfairness of the trials and treatment of the persecuted. Traditionally, …show more content…
One parallel of figures is Abigail to Joseph McCarthy and how they used the hysteria and crisis that occurred to further their own agendas. Abigail, who sought to win over John Proctor, used the events that ensued after being caught performing in the woods. The tactics that Abigail used followed that of Joseph McCarthy when it came to seeking political gain. Both also wrongfully accused those in the society for such crimes. During Act 1, Abigail uses the events happening with Tituba to cause panic by naming even more accused than originally stated which ressembles such naming as that of the list of people Joseph McCarthy claimed to have in his speech in Wheeling, WV. It is of such panic and hysteria that both Abigail and McCarthy are able to bring about power. Not only do they both share common methods for achieving power, but they share a sense of control by being at the center of the herd. In Act three Abigail is brought in front of the high court and discredits the statements that Proctor and Mary Warren had against the herd. This same herd syndrome is seen with the events during the second red scare inorder to gain fame and …show more content…
Arthur Miller uses John Proctor as a parallel to his own involvement in the HUAC trials. During these trials Miller states, “ Mr. Chairman, I understand the philosophy behind this question and I want you to understand mine. When I say this I want you to understand that I am not protecting the Communists or the Communist Party. I am trying to and I will protect my sense of myself. I could not use the name of another person and bring trouble on him. These were writers, poets, as far as I could see, and the life of a writer, despite what it sometimes seems, is pretty tough. I wouldn’t make it any tougher for anybody. I ask you not to ask me that question.” In which he describes his view in which he uses to keep a good face and not bring trouble to the others. John Proctor uses such similar language during act four. “I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. - I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough!” (Miller 142) In which Proctor claims that he is of his own and that he cannot give of that of his friends. Not only does Aurthr miller resemble that of proctor with giving up just himself for what he has done but also in the sense of his feeling towards the events that took place and the
Proctor’s actions have taught us to put others before us. Through John Proctor's developments from a confused man to a conscience stricken man and ending in a town role model, Arthur Miller illustrates the ability of overcoming one’s past mistakes. John Proctor overcame his past challenges but he was a
Arthur Miller wrote the Crucible in 1953 several years into the Cold War. Arthur Miller book the Crucible is a not so well hidden allegory for McCarthyism. McCarthyism is named after Senator Joseph McCarthy and his witch hunt for communists, during the Cold War. This was done in order for McCarthy to gain political power similarly to what Reverend Parris and the girls did during the Salem Witch Trials. The time of McCarthyism is now called The Red Scare.
The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953, is a powerful depiction of the events that took place during the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts in the late 17th century. At the same time, it can be seen as a story from the McCarthy era, which was a time of political repression and anti-communist hysteria in the United States in the 1950s, it was also known as the Red Scare. The Red Scare was a period of time where people were scared of Communism since after WWl, the Russian leaders were overthrown and they encouraged other countries to rise up and do so as well. The parallels between the events in The Crucible and the McCarthy era are numerous and striking, and they reveal the dangers of fear, mistrust, and false accusation.
Arthur Miller fell victim to what many labelled McCarthyism. Miller wrote “The Crucible”, with the intention of showing how unethical these accusations were. The expectation that Miller had for his
The Crucible Essay In America during 1953, the fear of Communism was at its peak. Many people falsely accused and prosecuted during this time, being labeled as communists, losing their jobs, and harassed because of rumors and fear mongering. This stretch of time was labeled the “Red Scare” or the McCarthyism Era because of the witch hunts being spearheaded by Joseph McCarthy. Many people saw this as wrong and one of those people was an author by the name of Arthur Miller.
Miller was able to relay these traits through John Procter who first and foremost is a representation of Millers personal ideology and embodiment of his aspirations. Through the use of exclamation, “In her life, sir she have never lied … my wife cannot lie!” we see that Proctors imperfections make him a relatable representation to his audience. His courage to not name his wife Elizabeth ironically demonstrates his goodness as by not naming names in essence equates to her not being guilty. This is representative of Millers political values of the law and 1950’s
In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, there are ancillary links between McCarthyism and the trials that show that fear can be used
Miller encourages deep contemplation about the importance of individual principles through his characterisation of John Proctor, who recognises the hubris of his false confessions in the metaphor, “We will slide together into our pit.” Miller’s representation of Proctor as the moral victim contributes to his dramatic form as Proctor forgoes his reputation for justice to be served, “I have rung the doom of my good name,” metaphorically
Thesis: As expressed in The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses the theme of intolerance as a stem from personal experience and strict religion, a premise of the witch trials, and the behavior regarding the accusations. Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, uses the very basis of a time of intolerance in his life as a parallel to the story. In a time period known as McCarthyism, which is anti-communist, a Senator named Joseph McCarthy makes hundreds of accusations against those he suspects to be communists that infiltrates the United States. Arthur Miller, along with numerous other writers and actors, is accused of communist sympathies, goes before a committee, and black-listed. Few are willing to stand up against McCarthy and thus those
This is demonstrated in this excerpt, “Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang!” (Miller 143). This quote shows the audience he thinks he is worth nothing. Proctor undergoes a transformation where he retrieves his dignity and respect for himself.
Mr. Miller’s story gives his audience a symbolic story for an historic event known as The Red Scare. The common themes of The Crucible that correspond with The Red Scare and McCarthyism include: hysteria, reputation, and intolerance. Mr. Miller also used the story to portray the similarities between The Red Scare and The Salem Witch Trial. Along with the influential power that Mr. McCarthy had as a senator a recent war contributed to the fear of communism. Another factor that led to Senator McCarthy’s rant of decade was his background.
He says, “… in Miller’s plays there usually comes a moment when the central character cries out his own name, determined to invest it with meaning and integrity” (Bigsby 12). John Proctor puts his needs behind in court. He can unwind when he confesses to his dishonest behavior. In death, he sees redemption. The shame he feels from damaging his own pride and reputation is not sizeable in comparison to the feeling of freedom.
The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller in 1953, is a play that depicts the Salem witch trials of 1692. The play is a commentary on the McCarthy era, during which Miller himself was accused of communist sympathies. The play uses propaganda to depict how the Salem witch trials were fueled by fear, hysteria, and the desire for power. This essay will explore the different types of propaganda used in The Crucible and how they serve to further the play's themes and messages.
Clear parallels are drawn between The Crucible and The Red Scare, which took place in the US in the 1950s and gave rise to the vehement campaign called McCarthyism. Miller’s defiance of McCarthyism and refusal to testify against communist sympathisers led to his arrest in 1956. Through John Proctor, the playwright mirrors his personal experiences to that of his characters. Due to the honest and ethical nature of his character, Proctor imposes solid morals and values that disregard his personal need for social validation; his righteousness restricts his ability to tie himself to treachery and corrupt his
Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953, as a response to McCarthyism, which is, in general, accusing people of crimes with little to no proof. It ran rampant through the United States during the Second Red Scare through the early 1950s (exactly when Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible). In The Crucible, Miller juxtaposes the leaders, who rationally think for themselves, and the followers, who believe what everybody else believes, through irony, imagery, and denotation. The Crucible is riddled with irony, and Arthur Miller utilizes situational and dramatic irony to show the difference between followers and leaders.