In this case, the obvious meaning is the Salem witch-hunt and the hidden meaning is McCarthyism. The Crucible was seen as a parallel of a modern-day witch hunt, such as McCarthyism. 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. The allegorical suggestion of the The Crucible is that McCarthyism and the Red Scare had only as much validity as a witch hunt. In 1953, when Miller published The Crucible, it was clear that he was condemning McCarthy and his communist witch hunts. This pitted South Korea against the communist forces in North Korea. Arthur Miller articulates how the three themes of injustice, hysteria, and reputation are problematic factors for human nature. Miller writes, I want to open myself! This expresses how much a good reputation is for this time as one mistake that may not even be true can soil (Reverend Parris Act1 P.20). Characters like John Proctor, Abigail William and Hathorne represent Arthur Miller, Joseph McCarthy, and J.Edgar Hoover. 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. Although the actions taken against suspected communists were not as strict as those during the Salem witch trials, they were still vicious and shattered many reputations of well-liked men and women. Arthur Miller published the play during For a time, he and his House Committee on Un-American Activitieswielded the power to lift up or destroy names, reputations and careers by slinging innuendo and half-truths in the name of national security, a threat McCarthy felt came from the U.S. Communist party (a recognized political group) and its members, et al. They are both human tragedies that are driven by human fear., In the play The Crucible, Arthur Miller creates a tragic story of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 which parallel McCarthyism during the 1950s. When people are placed under an intense feeling of fear, they begin to commit actions they never thought they were capable over. 76) This is similar to the events that occurred in the 1950s, with the influence of Communism by the Soviet Union, Americans were hysterical over if one another was a Communist. Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. Perhaps Miller was particularly sensitive to this modern-day "witch hunt" because he had some fleeting associations with the American Communist Party. Similarly, americans were being blacklisted by McCarthy because they believed these people may have. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Chat with professional writers to choose the paper writer that suits you best. WebArthur Millers The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism during the red scare due to the near parallel events that confide in the plot and history such the accused confessing WebThe Crucible As An Allegory Analysis. One instance of this is shown on page 1324 when he tells Judge Danforth not to hang the respected accused individuals saying, You cannot hang this sort. Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/how-is-the-crucible-an-allegory-for-mccarthyism/. Copyright 2022 IPL.org All rights reserved. The events that took place during the time the play was written were very similar to the Salem witch hunts. 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. However, we have not only repeated it on various occasions, but through Arthur Miller's The Crucible, we also see the parallel of the event with the Salem Witch hunts that took place years before the hearings. Events like the people who were hanged, and people were accused of being witches were similar to blacklisted, The Crucible Analysis Paper What is an Allegory?. The allegorical meaning of the Crucible is that it can be a representation of the Red Scare, the HUAC, and McCarthyism., History is a "chronological record of events." WebThe Crucible is an allegorical play that mirrors McCarthyism as they use witchcraft and communism as primary factors to incite hysteria and fear (Garca, 2022). Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. This causes problems because one wants to always keep their reputation highly and clean to promote how they are perceived if one does make an error their reputation is decreased. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible as his own reaction to the injustice of McCarthyism. 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. He witnessed a trusted figure to lay accusations on people. During the Salem Witch Trials, according to Arthur Millers play The Crucible and the Red Scare, it focused on how much power a character could have, and that one character also can lead to convincing the community to be with them or against their personal thoughts. An error occurred trying to load this video. Proctor tries to save his wife by telling the truth, but he is accused by his wife when his wife lies in order to keep his reputation good, Proctor: God help me, I lustedbut it is a whores vengeance. Elizabeth is asked if John Proctor committed lechery, No, sir. (Act 3, pg 105) These quotes highlight how although both Proctor and Miller told the truths in each of their personal cases, they were still accused and tried. The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism, a period of time where officials were being accused of being a part of the communist party. 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. Arthur Miller was a playwright and a political activist speaking up addressing societal issues. The Crucible, a phenomenal play, written by Arthur Miller is an allegory to the McCarthy Trials of the 1950s. Following WWII and the rise of communism in China and Korea, Americans feared the influence of communist spies and sympathizers. Our writers can help you with any type of essay. In The Crucible the trials all started with one girl, Abigail Williams and her love for the married man John Proctor. There were many differences and similarities between these two topics. Logical Fallacies in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Examples & Quotes, ILTS English Language Arts (207): Test Practice and Study Guide, Praxis Middle School English Language Arts (5047) Prep, EPT: CSU English Language Arts Placement Exam, NYSTCE English Language Arts (003): Practice and Study Guide, Common Core ELA Grade 8 - Language: Standards, 10th Grade English Curriculum Resource & Lesson Plans, Study.com ACT® English Test Section: Prep & Practice, Study.com ACT® Reading Test Section: Prep & Practice, FTCE General Knowledge Test (GK) (827): Reading Subtest Practice & Study Guide, Create an account to start this course today. Similar to Arthur Millers book, the Red Scare was a period of time in the late 40s and 50s in which United States citizens were intensely paranoid of an opposing threat of communism in Eastern Europe and Asia and ultimately communists infiltrating the United States. For example, the use of pace throughout the, The Crucible was about the Salem Witch Trials which took place in 1692-1693 and the Red Scare happened in the late 1940s and early 1950s. I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus!I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! Shortly after the beginning of the Red Scare, a phenomenon which is known as McCarthyism appeared and shaped American politics. WebThe Crucible is an allegory. Senator McCarthy accused many people of being part of the communist party. Crucible Literary Essay So john proctor the hero of Arthur Millers story is the equivalent of a suspected communist and at the time was a cold war. 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. 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. How is the Crucible an Allegory for Mccarthyism, This example was written and submitted by a fellow student. Arthur Miller published the play during McCarthyism, so when he went to Salem and read the transcripts, he knew something could be made from the transcripts because of its similarity to McCarthyism. An allegory is a story with two levels of meaning- literal and symbolic. After The Crucible was published, Arthur Miller himself was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee and was asked about his activities writing for the American Communist Party. Set in the 17th century The Crucible told the story of a town that ensued a hunt for witches, caused by the accusations of Salem 's young girls and their ring leader Abigail Williams. Here are the links to the word lists for all four acts of The Crucible: Act 1 , Act 2 , Act 3 , and Act 4 . Their reputations allow their judgment to be perceived as correct. In the Crucible, there is multiple occasions where the events that happen are parallel to McCarthyism because the Crucible is an allegory to McCarthyism. Explore how Arthur Miller's play ''The Crucible'' is an allegory for McCarthyism and accusations of communist sympathies. Some communist spies were even found infiltrating the Manhattan Project. I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! Arthur Miller, disgusted and inspired by these events, wrote The Crucible as an allegory for McCarthyism and the Red Scare. Other similarities between The Crucible and McCarthyism are not only forced accusations but also false confessions. In The Crucible many people were forced to accuse others, if they didnt cooperate they would be arrested for contempt of court or they would be hanged. The motto on the Crucible was accused or be accused. The children were often accused if you were related to the person being accused then you were tried as a witch. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is an allegory for the Red Scare on the McCarthy era because in The Crucible multiple people were incorrectly blamed for being witches just like in the Red Scare where people were incorrectly blamed for being communists, in both The Crucible and the Red Scare approximately everyone believed, Erin Sheehy 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. Women are able to attain this power through using their intellect to express manipulation, and lying in order to receive attention that translates into power. There is danger for me. WebThe Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism, a period of time where officials were being accused of being a part of the communist party. An allegory is defined as a story, poem, character in a story, or picture with a hidden connotation. 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. (Arthur Miller was one of many who came under suspicion.). Miller's use of the Salem witch trials to highlight the panic of the Red Scare is an allegory. This quote shows that the accusations made by Joseph McCarthy lacked evidence and were entirely false. 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. In the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, Miller uses allegory to recreate the events occurring in real life. WebThe Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is an allegory, meaning it can be interpreted to reveal hidden meanings, usually political or moral ones. This connects to the 1950s, when to be accused of a communist Or a communist sympathizer all you needed to do is not report a communist. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, many rhetorical elements illuminate the meaning behind the text. 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. The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism and the Red Scare of the early 1950s. What Miller is trying to say in The Crucible is that he is against condemning others with no legitimate reason. 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. In an effort to find the communist spies who had infiltrated various U.S. institutions, including the government, Senator Joseph McCarthy began a campaign to weed out communists and their sympathizers in the U.S. 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. Miller's Crucible was written in the early 1950s. Pointing the finger away from her and on to others. Abigail Williams was John Proctor's niece and worked as a servant in John and Elizabeth Proctor's home. In the early 1950s, many Americans were afraid that communists might infiltrate Turmoil and trepidation over the threat of the spread of Communism brought change into America. WebThe Crucible is an allegory to the Red Scare and the McCarthy era drastically by its plot, characters, and the flow and outcome of the court trials. The basis for The Crucible came from the witch trials which occurred in Salem, Massachusetts during the puritan era. Miller, among others, refused to surrender to questioning. Betty is the best direct representation of the American government of the 1950s. WebThe Crucible tells a story about a little town in Massachusetts called Salem where false accusations and unjustifiable trials are happening, just like what was happening in the An allegory is a story with two levels of meaning- literal and symbolic. How is the Crucible an Allegory for Mccarthyism. WebThe Crucible, a phenomenon play, written by Arthur Miller is an allegory to the McCarthy Trials of the 1950s. People may have John and elizabeth Proctor 's niece and worked as a of... To recreate the events that took place during the puritan era Williams and love! 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