Examples Of Mass Hysteria In The Crucible

Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible during a time of mass hysteria in the 1950's. During the
50's, a great fear of communism was very real within the United States. He connects this time with another period of mass hysteria, the Salem witch trials, by using ideas such as: fear is always based around a grain of truth, groups begin to form in search of the accused, and the best option for survival is to confess and accuse someone else.
During the witch trials, it was a near fact in society that witches walked among us. As was the 1950's with communism being a serious threat to world as we know it. This feeling that one of your closest friends could not be who they seem to be would be terrifying, as said by
Reverend Parris, "Let him look to medicine and put out all

This circumstance would take place in both accounts of mass hysteria described.
At times of distress, groups will sometimes form to look for accused criminals, or in this case, witches or communists. Becoming apart of a searching group can make people feel like they're in the bigger picture of things. Being in the bigger of picture of things makes people feel less isolated and less likely to be convicted themselves." And so this afternoon, and now tonight, I go from house to house." (Miller Act 2 pg 8). Reverend Hale, along with other members of the court, are in search for people claimed to be witches and bring them into custody. In Salem during the 1690's and the United States during the 1950's, citizens realized that nobody was safe from being incriminated. They also realized that their best chance for survival was to confess to whatever was claimed and give names of somebody else thought to be in the wrong as well. "Oh God protect Tituba!" ( Miller Act 1 pg 21) and, "And I look- and there was
Goody Good." (Miller Act 1 pg 21) are examples of this confess and accuse action taking place.
People (in this case Tituba) figured out that if they confess, they will be forgiven; and if