This began the McCarthy Era, and this practice was later known as McCarthyism. Our writers can help you with any type of essay. In the 1940s and 1950s, many people in the United States were living in fear of communism; similar to those who feared witches in Salem. Lesson 3: Graphic Organizer - The Crucible Senator McCarthy accused many people of being part of the communist party. He refused to say whether he had ever joined the Communist Party and likewise refused to give the names of any other people he had associated with. Miller was tried and accused of being a communist sympathizer. The salem witch hunts and the Red Scare caused big problems and death in the U.S. One particular element from the historical account caught Miller's attention and led to the conflict between the central characters in the play. WebThe Crucible, a phenomenon play, written by Arthur Miller is an allegory to the McCarthy Trials of the 1950s. In the play, Abigail, the main culprit of accusations benefits from hysteria in a situation where naming those guilty will save themselves, I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! In act 4 of The Crucible, why does John Proctor decide to confess but refuse to sign a written confession? As Arthur Miller was reading Charles W. Upham's thousand-page account of the Salem witch trials to understand the historical event, he recognized the similarities between the hysteria surrounding the accusations of the witch trials and the hysteria of the Red Scare that the U.S. was currently experiencing. The Crucible is a story set in Salem in the 1692 witch hunts. There were many differences and similarities between these two topics. You are now seven month out of their house, and in all this time no other family has ever called for your service. (Reverend Parris Act1 P.20) The conflict between her and Elizabeth destroyed her reputation as a house maid. The belief of the integration of Communist spies into the country made the government question the loyalty of Americans. Another example of allegory in the play is the lives ruined in the book by the trails are similar to the people whose lives were also ruined due to McCarthyism. Even if the accusation was false and proven, In The Crucible after Elizabeth was accused by Abigail of witchcraft she had a warrant out for her arrest, in order to arrest her they only needed an accusation no evidence they also had arrested 16 other women with no evidence. In McCarthyism, it was the same thing, except for with communism. Joseph R McCarthy made false accusations about certain people in the government being communists. Justice in the court was perverted by fear and delusion (Johnson 9). An allegory is a story with an obvious meaning but if you look deeper into it, there is another meaning. The general outline of the play corresponds to the events of the Witch Trails of Salem in 1692., It was a time of military and political tension between the United States capitalists and the Soviet communists. Arthur Millers 'The Crucible' is an extended metaphor representing the parallels between the Salem witch-hunts and accusations of communism during the McCarthyism era. The Crucible takes two of the worst moments in American history and uses them to demonstrate the pressure on people from society to conform. She is certifies to teach English Language Arts and Reading and English as a Second Language in Texas for grades 6-12 . With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. The two time periods were more than two and a half centuries apart, yet they had many factors that overlapped. In 1951, as playwright Arthur Miller watched these communist "witch hunts" play out in the government and even among his friends in the entertainment industry, he felt compelled to write a play that captured the hysteria of the moment. The Crucible is, on the surface, a retelling of the Salem witch trials. In both The Crucible and the Red Scare, false allegations increased fear and led to the detainment of many people on unsubstantiated evidence. Abigail has a growing jealousy and rage toward John's wife Elizabeth. The practices were paralleled in what is known as McCarthyism, which did much the same thing, except this time, children did not control the madness: Senator McCarthy and his "minions" carried on a twentieth century witch hunt. This quote shows how when Proctor was asked to confess and name others to save his life, he confessed himself but refused to accuse others so he could live, his wife understood his noble sacrifice and fulfilled his wish to be an honorable man. The accusations of communism led to a nation-wide hysteria and fear of who was going to be named next. Is the accuser always holy now? The Salem Witch Trials was a witch hunt in Salem, they hung anybody who they thought were witches. In the early 1950s, Americans became fearful that their friends, neighbors, or co-workers might be communists attempting to undermine American democracy and spread communism throughout the world. Another example written in his work is when Proctor was accused of witchcraft when he told the truth. Citizens lost respect and trust in the government and other civilians, due to several threats within the country and worldwide. And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! What Miller is trying to say in The Crucible is that he is against condemning others with no legitimate reason. Abigail and a number of the other girls in town are seen common dancing as the girls claim, when they were actually casting spells and love potions. We witness the lives of people she impacts, what happens to them, and how many times she lies to get her way. Although both situations include different causes, their effects are strikingly similar. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. McCarthyism is the accusing of people without proper evidence. When Miller wrote The Crucible, it was his way of expressing himself and how he felt during the McCarthy Era. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is based on the true events of the Salem witch trials. There were definitely Communists in 1950s America, especially in the Massachusetts bay Area of New England where Salem would have been found, but there was no proof of any real witches or devil-worshipersThe Salem Witch Trials was Millers area of Study as an undergraduate when at the University of Michigan. In the early 1950s, many Americans were afraid that communists might infiltrate the American government and cause the U.S. government to fall. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is allegorical. In the 1940s to the 1950s, America was extremely concerned about the rise of Communism throughout Europe and China. WebIs a speech made by the preacher to his people usually about God Fire and brimstone Idiomatic expression for God's wrath Figurative and literal language Concrete and abstract ways of writing Puritanism Reformed Protestants Great Awakening A period where religion was increased and spread Betty Parris Rev. One of the plays main antagonists, Deputy Governor Danforth, oversees the witch trials and refuses to end them until everyone who he believes is guilty is punished. McCarthyism resulted in Americans turning against each other because of politicians greed for power, paranoia, and the fear of communist infiltration. Miller felt a state of depression as he wrote in the New Yorker, The Crucible was an act of desperation. I dare not step outside at night! This quote shows that Parris is not concerned with the hanging of the accused individuals who are not as respected, nor is he concerned with his supposed mission to banish all evil from Salem. What the Red Scare and The Crucible have in common is that accusations of witchcraft or communism were false, people were blind to the truth, and the accusers werent very tactful and. In the play The Crucible, Miller has used allegory to convey the themes of injustice, hysteria, and honor/reputation. On top of this fear of mutually assured destruction, certain parties in the U.S. believed that communist spies and sympathizers had infiltrated all aspects of American life. The last main reason to falsely accuse was greed. Pointing the finger away from her and on to others. McCarthyism was used to a accuse communist during The Red Scare. (2021, Apr 13). Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. The Crucible, a phenomenal play, written by Arthur Miller is an allegory to the McCarthy Trials of the 1950s. 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. Miller writes with a very strong and somewhat emotional tone. Arthur Millers The Crucible, a piece on the Salem Witch Trials of During the red Scare people were being. An allegory refers to the story that possesses an obvious meaning but with other hidden connotations. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is a good example of an allegory for it tells of a significant event in history in which a small town of Massachusetts named Salem had been controlled by a paranoia of witches after watching a few of the town girls showing off odd behaviors and participating in occult activities. So Arthur Miller uses this character as a spokesman of his own beliefs about these but uses the book of The Crucible as an allegory for what happened in the USA during the red scare and uses his beliefs in this world In The Crucible by using hidden undertones in it. In Arthur Millers The Crucible, women are somewhat able to successfully gain power from society due to the fact that they use manipulation, deceit and their sexual desire (especially the character of Abigail) to acquire positions of power in their largely patriarchal society. Danforth s statement of a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it , there be no road between clearly demonstrates the Puritans prospective of seeing everything in black and white. As mentioned in the Background page of the test, since, Judge Danforths aforementioned quote on page 1324 shows his concern for himself and his reputation rather than the lives of the multitude of innocent Salem civilians whose lives depend on his verdict. In 1956, when Miller applied for a new passport, he was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee to testify about his activities related to communism. a container that can withstand high heat in order to purify metals. While most people use the book to study the Witch Trials, with closer examination it is easy to conclude that it is a direct allegory to the Red Scare and the McCarthy era of 1950s America. Rough Draft Includes allegory, mccarthyism, biographical info and character lists. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is an allegory for the Red Scare in the McCarthy Era because, The Crucible and McCarthyism Throughout history, authors have had a tendency to write characters that can follow general roles, called archetypes. In the early 1950s, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy from Wisconsin began leading the crusade to find any and all communists in America. In the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, Miller uses allegory to recreate the events occurring in real life. Turmoil and trepidation over the threat of the spread of Communism brought change into America. In Arthur Millers The Crucible, John Proctor dealt with the corruption of power in his town when Abigail Williams and many other girls accused those, who were innocent, of witchcraft. The era had significant impacts on American society during the early stage of the Cold War. Copyright 2022 IPL.org All rights reserved. By comparing McCarthyism to the, While Corey broke conformity to do what was right, Betty did quite the opposite. With its ability to relate to a number of political situations in many countries, even as far as 50 years past its creation, In this classroom you can see a teacher getting her roomed searched by state and local anti-subversive and they are seen searching the room, looking in trash cans, looking at the classrooms maps of russia and even looking at the picture of the us presents. He took some creative license with the storytelling to make a stronger impact on the audience. His investigation, which came to be known as McCarthyism, whipped people into a frenzy, lobbing accusations at anyone who disagreed with his conservative viewpoints. There was deceit, pain, greed, and more. They accepted that the Devil may be among them (Miller, 27) and would do anything to clean the town of such sins. The kids that were hanged didnt really understand why the were being hung because they do anything wrong. This fear, known as the Red Scare, led some Americans to believe that communists would take over America and replace its government with communism. [See this link for an example of an extended metaphor in the epitaph Ben Franklin originally wanted on his gravestone. Through all this ignorance and delusional fear, Arthur Miller was inspired to explore the similarities and parallels of the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism. A famous man once said, There is nothing to fear but fear WebThe Crucible is an allegory. When this was over, the hope would be that nothing like it would ever happen again and nothing like it had ever happened before. This sentence illustrates that the witch-hunt was the product of mass-panic, just as the hunt for communists, The McCarthyism period took place during the 1950s when The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller. While being arrested the Proctor's house was searched and asked if she'd had any poppet she had one from earlier, that day that her servant Mary Warren had given to her earlier they found a needle stuck in the stomach earlier that day Abigail had pulled a needle out of her stomach claiming it was Elizabeths spirit Had stabbed her, She was alone when she was supposedly stabbed this proves How bad the credibility of the evidence was. The hysterical rantings and ravings of McCarthy and his supporters, lost support when people got tired of the national upheaval, the black listing and investigations. Some communist spies were even found infiltrating the Manhattan Project. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. On its surface, The Crucible is a play about the Salem witch trials of 1692. The Review Of The Crucible Essay George Orwell's 1984 as a Historical Allegory Essay that is consistently dominant, is the theme of manipulation, and how even the most overt and simplistic forms of manipulation manages to keep the citizens of Oceania so loyal so successfully. A fire, a fire is burning! Many people were executed by decision of the court because it believed in absurd false allegations. Be careful, this sample is accessible to everyone. There is danger for me. WebIt's no secret that The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism and communist "witch hunts" of the early 1950s. The Crucible Study Guide 2022-10-26. An allegory is a story with two levels of meaning- literal and symbolic. Their reputations allow their judgment to be perceived as correct. WebIn this way, The Crucible stands as an allegory for McCarthy 's communist hunt, during which many people were also killed and imprisoned due to accusations of communism. I think that imagery can be a huge factor in the way things may be viewed, and in the way feelings may be expressed. The plot of the play focuses on a man, John Proctor, and his struggle to prove his familys and his own innocence. Webarthur millers the crucible is an allegory for mccarthyism during the red scare due to the identical proceeds that divulge within not only the crucibles plot 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 Miller saw with great clarity the similarity between the accusations of witchcraft in 1692 and the accusations of communism in the 1950s. Miller depicts this in the play as In 1692 nineteen men and women and two dogs were convicted and hanged for witchcraft (Introduction, pg vii) The quote symbolizes how the accused of both events suffered extreme consequences because of mere accusations that were taken too far. 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