The Silver Lining of The Salem Witch Trials, McCarthy Era, and the Holocaust.
Introduction: History’s Silver Linings History is something that people study so we can learn to move forward and prevent the same mistakes from happening over and over again. While many historical events have very negative connotations attached to them, there can always be at least a slimmer or shred of silver lining found in such events, and the world can benefit from these silver linings. New ideas and concepts may even spring out of the aftermath of a devastating crisis, and lead everyone in a new direction. However, keep in mind that change doesn’t usually occur instantly, and that history may still repeat itself through several generations with slight variations each time. The Salem Witch Trials, Holocaust, and McCarthy Era were all similar historical situations for several reasons. Let us move forth and find the silver lining in these events, the light that came out of the darkness.
The Salem Witch Trials
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In fact, “The Salem Witchcraft Trials have taken on an iconic role in American history, and an unjust search for scapegoats is now commonly referred to as a “witch hunt”” (Billings). Now, during the McCarthy Era, an author called Arthur Miller wrote The crucible, a story “about witchcraft at Salem in 1692, and it was inspired by the social and political climate in the United States in the 1950’s” (Bloom 66) The 1962 Salem characters in Miller’s play represented the Americans that were accused of being communist or sympathizing with communists (Trevino). In conclusion, that is an example that shows how the silver linings in these connected events have created certain ideals in people, as well as a lesson for the people of the future to learn and
Cassidy Menard Mrs. Myllyla Comparison Essay 1 December 2017 Salem Witch Trials VS. McCarthyism Trials In both The Crucible and McCarthyism, we see that dishonest people get ahead by using distractions of other people. In both instances, falsely accuse other people of wrongdoing in order to divert attention away from their own wrongdoings.
Do you have any younger siblings who can blame anyone if they do something wrong and the person they accused will get in trouble? That's how the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism were. Neighbors and friends would be able to blame someone for something with false accusations. For instance, in the Salem Witch Trials it would be witchcraft and for McCarthyism it would be for being communist. McCarthyism and the Salem Witch Trials are related because they both were caused by fear and mass hysteria.
In Arthur Miller’s “Why I Wrote the Crucible.” talked about how the U.S.A was in such a state similar to Salem Witch Trials. “The Red Hunt led by the House Committee on Un-American Activities and by McCarthy was becoming a dominating fixation
In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, he is able to compare the events of the Salem Witch Hunt to the McCarthy period. Miller is able to compare these two because of the very similar events and how they were carried out. Many things are comparable and are very similar, in very different time lines. During the McCarthy period, congressman Joseph McCarthy would use the current events to his advantage.
Throughout history, society has pushed down certain groups of people. One daunting example is the Salem Witch Trials, which was a series of hearings and trials wrongfully accusing people of witchcraft. Those accused of witchcraft were either thrown into jail, hanged, or forced to confess a sin that they did not commit. In The Crucible, author Arthur Miller warns of the detrimental persecution of groups by society in order to avoid history from repeating itself.
Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, a play about the Salem witch trials, parallels well to McCarthyism of the 1950’s. The Salem witch trials and the McCarthy trials both highlight how people utilized mass paranoia
The Similarities between The Crucible and McCarthyism In 2009, the Swine flu epidemic brought fear and hysteria to the United States. The new and dangerous disease spreading into the U.S. sparked a fear of becoming infected. The epidemic had become so bad the CDC had opened its Emergency Operations Center to handle the situation. Many schools in the United States offered free vaccinations once one was created.
Occasion’s Effect The Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism are very similar even though they took place such a long time from each other. If someone was accused of witchcraft in 1692 they had to confess and lose all social standing or be executed, in the 1950’s if a person was accused of being a communist they would be fired and put on trial, if they would not confess they were blacklisted until they admitted to their “crime”. Arthur Miller used the Salem Witch trials to protest McCarthyism in a somewhat discreet way that proved to be a timeless comfort to the citizens experiencing oppression from their government (“Why I Wrote The Crucible”, 911).
The late 1600’s was a difficult time period for all member of Salem, and the neighboring cities that were drug into this mess. The executions of many accused witches had the whole community of edge. They were pitted against each other as the fight to survive was won by accusing others before you could be convicted. The winners of this battle were the children who initiated it including, but not limited to; Abigail Williams. The play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, was used as an allegory to express his feelings of his personal accusation of communist beliefs or practices during the 1940s and 1950s.
What a Horrible World In today 's day and age we have more technological, medicinal, societal, and worldly advancements than we did in either 1692 or 1947, but we are still just as easily corrupted by jealousy, power, and paranoia. The years 1692 and 1947 are perfect examples of prospering societies that became undermined through very similar processes. In 1629 the Salem Witch Trials and in 1947 the McCarthy Communist Trials- were both held unjustly, involving condemnation based on unfair trial practices. People desperately admitted to being a witch (1692) or to being a communist (1947) only because they didn’t want to die. Even if you were found innocent your life was virtually over because your career and livelihood had been destroyed
Can the similar type of instinctive prejudice and panic that seized a small Massachusetts settlement more than 300 years ago take over the thoughts in the prevailing society triggering “witch hunts”? The goal of these actions was to alienate particular members of our civilization, and arouse condemnation of those who may have diverse beliefs, attitudes and practices. Citizens of this community began to establish separate policies and condemnations of hostility for any person who does not go along with the existing social behaviors and trends. To get a better view on the matter, I would like to go review four separate eras in our history. The Salem Witch trials, the Holocaust, The Red Scare, and current Middle Eastern terrorist groups.
McCarthy and a Witch As high schoolers, students learn about the world of politics in their history courses. Makes since, right? Well, there is also a great deal of politics in English, though it is brilliantly hidden in the eloquent writings that are studied. A perfect example of this undercover political lesson can be found in Arthur Miller's, The Crucible; a brilliant piece of work that parallels the historical havoc of the Salem Witch Trials to the Red Scare of the 1950’s.
In history there have been many major events that have shaped the times we live in. Two of the major events of our time are the "witchunts" of the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism. The Crucible is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a drama and fictional story of the Salem Witch Trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692-1693. Miller wrote the play as a parable for McCarthyism, when the United States government ostracized people for being communists.
The McCarthy hearings and the Salem witch trials accurately represent the saying, "Desperate times call for desperate measures. " In the 1950s, the McCarthy hearings tainted lives by falsely accusing those in the film industry of being associated with Communism. In the 17th century, the Salem witch trials charged innocent villagers of practicing witchcraft. Victims from the McCarthy hearings were isolated and ruined, while victims from the Salem trials were hanged and shunned.
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were considered a dark period of time for the Puritans of Salem, Massachusetts. Accusations flew, and many were hung for false accusations of witchcraft. During the 1950s, a similar situation arose across the United States with the “threat” of communism. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible during that time as an allegory to draw parallels to the horrific events of the past. Times of trouble, like these two examples, have different effects on people.