ipl-logo

Similarities Between The Crucible And The Great Gatsby

1006 Words5 Pages

Time Period In Literature The time period in which a book is written or set in is a very influential factor in determining how it is perceived. It is important in all three of the works How The World Was Made, The Crucible, and The Great Gatsby. How The World Was Made is an early Native American myth which follows creation of the earth and its inhabitants. The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller in 1952 during the Red Scare, in which he related the fear of communism to the paranoia of witches during the Salem Witch Trials, almost 300 years prior. Lastly, The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald during the 1920s. It is set in this time period as well. It reflects America during the 1920s and follows the decline of the …show more content…

During this time, there was a widespread fear of communism throughout American society. Neighbors would turn in and arrest neighbors. Someone even accused Miller of being communist! Miller felt that once again, America was on a witch hunt- but this time, it wasn’t for witches. The time period of The Crucible and the Red Scare have many similarities, mainly being the attack on the innocent, damnation without concrete evidence, and mass hysteria and fear. During the 1690s in Salem, the ultra-devout community purged itself of anyone accused of being a witch. If a group of little girls so much as mentioned your name, even without evidence to back themselves up, you would be tortured or killed. Again, neighbor turned against neighbor and paranoia spread. “There is a misty plot afoot so subtle we should be criminal to cling to old respects and ancient friendships. I have seen too many frightful proofs in court- the Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points!” (Miller, 68). Spoken by Rev. Hale, who was supposed to be saving the town of Salem, this quote shows what a downward spiral the community was on, and how its citizens were mindlessly turning against each other without even slightly questioning their crazy

Show More
Related

  • What Did The Red Scare Symbolize In The Crucible

    257 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the Red Scare in the 20th century, there was mass hysteria. It was an era full of accusations and panic, much like "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller. The Red Scare was essentially a bombardment of accusations. McCarthyism was abundant and people were accusing eachother of being communists, or "commies" in fear that was motivated by the war. Similiarly, during the Salem Witch Trials in "The Crucible", the townspeople began to accuse eachother of witchcraft.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Crucible And Salem Witch Trials

    876 Words  | 4 Pages

    “I tell you what is said here, sir. Andover have thrown out the court, they say, and will have no part of witchcraft. There bea faction here, feeding on that news, and I tell you true, sir, I fear there will be riot here” (Miller 127). The Crucible and the real events of the Salem Witch Trials are similar because they both are based on the same event: The Salem Witch Trials.

    Read More

  • What Are The Similarities Between The Crucible And Salem Witch Trials

    696 Words  | 3 Pages

    Both events occurred around the 1950’s. The Crucible was a play written by Arthur Miller that was related to the movement led by Senator Joe McCarthy. Trying to seek and identify members of the communist party, a movement that hunted and ruined innocent people’s lives. When it came to the Witch Trials even if you were accused of witchcraft you

    Read More

  • What Are The Similarities Between The Crucible And Lord Of The Flies

    1280 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Crucible gives a firsthand account of the Salem witch trials in 1692. Although the characters are fictional, the story is not. One thing that can be learned from The Crucible is that nobody is safe when it comes to paranoia. Paranoia is the first step into societal failure.

    Read More

  • Relationship Between Elizabeth And John Proctor

    957 Words  | 4 Pages

    In colonial America, Puritan society was a theocracy, which means there was no separation of church and state. The Ten Commandments prescribed the proper decisions for the society, and the Puritans took religion extremely seriously. Whenever such a great societal emphasis is placed on religion, people have the tendency to believe the citizens live out perfect lifestyles. In the case of The Crucible by Arthur Miller, however, human nature became an overwhelming force and sin reigned supreme. Miller formulated this particular play to outline the toll that an emphasis on perfection has on a society.

    Read More

  • Who Is Abigail Williams Responsible In The Crucible

    577 Words  | 3 Pages

    He was explaining how if anyone stood up to the witch trials in Salem, 1600s they would face immediate arrest, the hardest interrogation and possibly even the rope. People who were even thought to be communists would be trialed with un-American activities. Miller wouldn’t have written The Crucible if he wasn’t trialed on un-American activities. Witchcraft is the beliefs and practicing of magic spells to create unnatural happenings. A crucible is a metal container that is used to melt metals and separate valuable metals from the less valuable ones, it can also be a severe test of life.

    Read More

  • Red Scare Vs The Crucible

    749 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cameron Oldfield Mrs. Brincks English III 15 November, 2015 The Crucible and Red Scare Imagine being thrown in jail, blamed for something that you didn't do .The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a story about how certain propaganda and false accusations can ruin lives, just like in the case of the Red Scare. Although 1692 the Salem witch trials and the Red Scare were over 200 years apart, The similarities are striking. both trials used intimidation, fear, hatred, and false accusations to ruin innocent lives. Both trials resulted in terrible outcomes, with both ending with innocent people being put to death and shunned from society.

    Read More

  • Essay Comparing The Crucible And Mccarthyism

    906 Words  | 4 Pages

    When people are placed under an intense feeling of fear, they begin to commit actions they never thought they were capable over. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a young group of girls commit witchcraft which eventually leads to the arrest of over 100 women. This is similar to a time in the 1950s when Joseph McCarthy accuses government officials of communism and that ultimately leads to hundreds of citizens losing their jobs. The Crucible reveals the similarities between The Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s and McCarthyism of the 1950s because it demonstrates how a society can be tremendously impacted by the feeling the fear.

    Read More

  • The Salem Witch Trials In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

    1257 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Salem witch trials proved to be one of the most cruel and fear driven events to ever occur in history. Many innocent people were accused of witchcraft, and while some got out of the situation alive not everyone was as lucky. Arthur Miller the author of The Crucible conveys this horrific event in his book and demonstrates what fear can lead people to do. But the reason as to why Arthur Miller felt the need to write The Crucible in the first place was because the unfortunate reality that history seemed to have repeated itself again. In the article “Are You Now or Were You Ever”, Arthur Miller claims that the McCarthy era and the Salem witch trials were similar and he does this through his choice of diction, figurative language, and rhetorical questions.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And The Crucible

    1391 Words  | 6 Pages

    James Truslow Adams defines the American Dream as the “dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” (The American Dream). An idea sought after by millions of people is the American Dream; they believe there is a reward for hard work and that that reward is happiness and prosperity. The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, and The Crucible are all works, which portray the pursuit and destruction of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby’s American dream was to marry the woman he loved. This is evident throughout the novel; Gatsby is determined to transform his life from dirt to diamonds all to be a suitable man for Daisy.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Heroism In The Crucible

    609 Words  | 3 Pages

    The witches are on the hunt for the innocent souls of Salem with Hale stating, “The Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points” (Miller 1251). Hale is determined to use God’s mighty hand against the “evil witches”. This shows that Hale is faithful to Abigail’s accusations against the common people of Salem. At first, Reverend Hale is eager to prosecute, but as more innocent people are condemned, his compliance turns into distaste. His dissatisfaction eventually turns into rage when Hale shouts, “I denounce these proceedings!”

    Read More

  • Reasons Behind The Crucible Essay

    624 Words  | 3 Pages

    Reasons Behind The Crucible Arthur Miller’s main purpose in writing The Crucible was to show the similarities between the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Trials and to warn against government propaganda. At the time that The Crucible was published, America had a huge fear of communism. Anyone accused of having ties with the communist party was shunned. It much resembled the Salem Witch Trials in how the government, or leader of the time, used fear against the people to gain power. For example, Joseph McCarthy can be compared to Reverend Parris in how they both lead the people into the belief that there were intruders in their mists that had plans to sabotage the community.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Crucible And Mccarthyism

    1035 Words  | 5 Pages

    Also, since The Crucible was written to be parallel to McCarthyism, the same idea is shown. The same situation can be seen in The Crucible as Arthur Miller was influenced by the events that occurred during McCarthyism. In the Crucible, anyone whose name that had been mentioned underwent an investigation and was asked to prove that they were not partaking in witchcraft. Because this task was impossible, the court made rash decisions such as sending people to jail or sentencing them to be hanged. This scenario is seen in the crucible when Rebecca Nurse is accused.

    Read More

  • The Crucible Comparison Essay

    847 Words  | 4 Pages

    Miller believed that there was an “element of the marvelous in it” that he had to make into a play (Miller 96). Since there was so much going on in America with mass panic, it made Miller think of other points in history when Americans were put into a great panic over something so inane. He had studied witchcraft slightly in college, so once he went back to it and read a book by  Charles W. Upham he “knew (he) had to write about the period” (Miller 96). Once Miller had researched enough about the people surrounding the events, he began writing. The witch trials are a perfect comparison to the HUAC trials of Miller’s time.

    Read More

  • Criticism And Mccarthyism In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

    719 Words  | 3 Pages

    Arthur Miller constructs his play upon the famous Salem witch trails. Miller's Crucible was written in the early 1950s. Miller wrote his drama during the brief reign of the American senator Joseph McCarthy whose bitter criticized anti- communism sparkled the need for the United States to be a dramatic anti- communist society during the early tense years of the cold war. By orders from McCarthy himself, committees of the Congress commenced highly controversial investigations against communists in the U.S similar to the alleged Salem witches situation. Convict communists were ordered to confess their crime and name others to avoid the retribution.

    Read More

More about Similarities Between The Crucible And The Great Gatsby

Open Document