Abigail Williams is presented as one of the main antagonist in The Crucible. Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," a partially fictionalized play that depicts the Salem witch trials, is similar to the "Red Scare," a series of government's actions which were provoked by Senator McCarthy's paranoia about the presence of communists within the American government. (C) an operator of machinery He was a target for Senator McCarthy. Even though he is not a character in the play, his role in history is important to Millers story. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. She's 17 but, in real life is 11 to 12. -The theory was created by Joseph R. McCarthy-Occurred during the Cold War (1950s) . Many of the townsfolk, especially John Proctor, dislike him, and Parris is very concerned with building his position in the community. Paranoia ensued. McCarthyism: McCarthys unsubstantiated claims ruined lives and led to increased hostility. Abigail manipulates Mary into accusing John of witchcraft. The servant in the Proctor household and a member of Abigail's group of girls. Elizabeth is supremely virtuous, but often cold. Synopsis. Thomas Putnam's wife. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! Learn who Aleister Crowley was and what influence he had on counter-culture with this article. eNotes Editorial, 9 June 2017, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/who-represents-whom-in-the-crucible-and-why-69913. He adds, "The more I read into the Salem panic, the more it touched off corresponding ages of common experiences in the fifties: the old friend of a blacklisted person crossing the street to avoid being seen talking to him; the overnight conversions of former leftists into born-again patriots; and so on. Already a member? NOBODY WINS! He uses the witch trials to increase his own wealth by accusing people of witchcraft and then buying up their land. This was a time of much hypocrisy in the people of the town of Salem. This persecution of alleged subversives became known colloquially as "McCarthyism.". The puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th century. Arthur Miller's play The Crucible displays the hysteria that took place in Salem in 1692. All Rights Reserved. Communist infiltration of the US government and the Devils infiltration of Salem are both disastrous scenarios that must be prevented at all costs, even if it means throwing innocent people under the bus. He announces to the people of Salem that near to four hundred are in jails from Marblehead to Lynn, upon [his] signature (The Crucible page 87), which is reinforcing his power to everyone to ensure that they know that he is their superior and has much power over them. Francis Nurse's wife. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Members of the committee were convinced that disloyal communists had managed to infiltrate the US government, educational system, and entertainment industry. She uses threat and violence to get her ways and does not stop until she achieves her goal. McCarthy was, in effect, conducting "witch hunts". Was protective of his land, manipulates his daughter by making her say that people are witches so that her father could buy his neighbors' land, wealthy influential, holds a grudge against Francis Nurse for preventing his brother in law from being elected to the office of minister, He sits aside Danforth over witch trials and thinks that the trials are going to far. The Crucible: Those who are accused are assumed guilty, put on trial, expected to confess, and expected to accuse others of being witches. Initially, it was known as The Chronicles of Sarah Good. The Crucible explores the destruction of the Salem community caused by mass hysteria. Danforth claims that there is "a moving plot to topple Christ in the country!" The forest, therefore symbolizes the evil present in all humans. each sentence. His arrival sets the hysteria in motion, although he later regrets his actions and attempts to save the lives of those accused. The other seven died before they were a day old, and Ann is convinced that they were murdered by supernatural means. The Crucible, directed Alex Segal. He adamantly refused to provide names and was convicted of contempt. Miller also felt that many of the accusations of communism were motivated by politics, fear, and personal vendettas that were given a "just" playing ground. Many people would agree that they no longer exist today; however Arthur Miller, author of the play, "The Crucible", points out that society has not come very far from the days of the Salem witch trials. The Crucible and McCarthyism can be compared to other modern forms of rumor, persecution, suspicion, and hysteria such as: Now that you've read the article, you can try your hand at answering some of these discussion questions. In 1946 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and in 1950 he publicly charged that 205 communists had infiltrated . The Army sent inside information about McCarthys abuses of power to his critics, and a storm of bad PR finally led to the loss of his position as chairman of the investigatory committee. It's not too much to ask. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. He highlights how these particular themes are problematic for human nature. Yet, one life lost in the result of millions after that seems like a sensible thought., The McCarthy Era and The Crucible can relate in many ways, in both of these times people were accused for wrong doings. While at first glance you may wonder how McCarthyism and The Crucible are intertwined. Reverend Hale is called in to Salem to examine Parris's daughter Betty. undergraduate, Miller composed The Crucible in the early 1950s. Paranoia ensued. House of Un-American Committee was an investigative committee in the house of reps which is intentions were to uncover citizens with Nazi ties within the U.S but later after WW2 changed to investigate citizens with communist ties. In an allegory the character, events, and instances("Definition of Allegory" R104). Many people were brought before the government and questioned about being a communist. Hated the fact that John and Abigail had an affair. Weak, servant to the Proctor's she makes dolls and people believe she makes vo do dolls , is easily influenced, timid, and tried to expose the hoax but ultimately recanted her confession. The Crucible was set in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts. While the Salem witch trials occurred in the late 1600s, a similar unfortunate situation occurred in the 1950s with McCarthyism. ~John Proctor chooses death rather than lose the last shred of goodness he believes he has, Something that represents something else It was also published in 1953, at the height of the Second Red Scare, or the heightened fear of Communist influences in America. It takes place during the times of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. Why did Arthur Miller write The Crucible? People were put to punishment and the only way out was to confess and give the names of your accomplices. The crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953. Internal To be fair, Miller had less at stake than many others who were called before HUAC to testify. So, in "The Crucible" the courts and the judges would represent Senator McCarthy (who led the red scare in the senate) and the others in government who questioned people and blacklisted them from working, just like Danforth and others jailed "witches". The fact that Salem was a Puritan community did not help matters either. "Who represents whom in The Crucible, and why?" Senator, made unsubstantiated claims that more than 200 card carrying members of the Communist party had infiltrated the United States government. People who refused to answer these questions or name any names were arrested for contempt of Congress and even sent to jail. He argues that, in the 17th century, "the existence of witches was never questioned by the loftiest minds in Europe and America" because the Bible spoke of their existence. During the early 1690s in Salem, Massachusetts, witch trials took place. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Lets start off with some background on who Joseph McCarthy was and what role he played in American politics. In The Crucible the children of Salem were running the courts as said by John Proctor Ill tell you what's walking in Salem - vengeance is walking in Salem. A wealthy, influential man in Salem. Senator, made unsubstantiated claims that more than 200 "card carrying" members of the Communist party had infiltrated the United States government. Elizabeth Proctors Pregnancy: Elizabeths execution is stalled on account of her pregnancy. Who are the main characters in the Crucible? The fear of witches only seems archaic because most of society no longer holds serious beliefs in the supernatural. This sort of behavior is one of the biggest contributors to the panic that grows throughout The Crucible. "The Crucible," a dramatization of the 1692 Salem witch trials, was written as an allegory for the "witch-hunt" atmosphere that pervaded America when Joseph McCarthy, a Republican representative . What happened to the city during the war in Fahrenheit 451? An allegory is a story with two levels of meaning- literal and symbolic. It is said to have. Bridget Bishop, Sarah Good, Sarah Osburn, Isaac Ward, etc. As a result of this, Arthur Miller created the character in his play, "The Crucible" who is a McCarthy-like character named Judge Thomas Danforth, who spread the fear of witchcraft among many people while encouraging his own power in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials. Many members of the Federal, Many people look back on the events of the Salem witch trials and laugh at the absurdity of the allegations. She is a strong, well-known rep for being honest. In Arthur Millers play The Crucible, there is evidence of parallels between the Salem of 1692 and America of the 1950's, the American Government of the 1950's and its misuse of power, and the high court depicted in the play, using its power to impose a misguided ju! Mary Warren's poppet that was found inside the Proctor house with a needle inside it. A virtually unkown senator by the name of Joseph McCarthy was propelled into infamy when while at a speaking engagement at thee Republican Womens Club of Wheeling, West Virginia he charged 205 persons in the U.S. State Department of being members of the Communist Party (Martine 8). -"He sits like some great bird; you'd not know he lived except he will take food from time to time", Speaking against religious beliefs or irreverent words behavior toward anything held sacred ~John Proctor experienced internal conflict when deciding to tell the court about the affair, A reference to a famous work or famous literacy or historical character or event (bible references) Literature Study Guides and Chapter Summaries, Similarities between McCarthyism and The Crucible, This post is part of the series: The Crucible Study Guide, Characters in The Crucible by Arthur Miller, A Summary of Arthur Millers, The Crucible, Symbolism in The Crucible & Similarities to McCarthyism. While Arthur Miller was writing The Crucible, Senator Joseph McCarthy was conducting a campaign to root out communists in American public life. Miller writes, "There was magic all around; the politics of alien conspiracy soon dominated political discourse and bid fair to wipe out any other issue." He had no proof. The insanity that came about was an indication of the fear of individual freedom (Miller 6). Has some morals with John and has justice and reason. In studying The Crucible, you will inevitably be faced with questions about the play's connections to the "Red Scare" of the 1950s and the phenomenon known as McCarthyism. How did his own experiences shape his writing? ", Latest answer posted October 02, 2020 at 10:46:39 AM. In The Crucible, hysteria and hidden agendas break down the social structure and then everyone must protect themselves from the people that they thought were their friends. Here, Giles Corey is being pressured by the court to provide the names of others in Salem who have practiced witchcraft, but he refuses to do so. Delusional girls make unsubstantiated claims about the existence of witches in Salem. A wealthy, influential citizen of Salem, Putnam holds a grudge against Francis Nurse for preventing Putnam's brother-in-law from being elected to the office of minister. He was sentenced for Contempt of Congress and was to be imprisoned for 1 month and to pay a $500 fine. How is the Crucible connected to McCarthyism? What is a quote said by John Proctor in Act 3 in which he reveals his sin of adultery? HUAC was a congressional committee originally established in 1938 with the primary goal of investigating communist and fascist organizations that had become active during the Great Depression. What are the major themes in The Crucible? Although The Crucible was written because Miller considered many of the emotional and power dynamics of the Salem Witch Trials similar to the persecution of communists and fellow travelers by. Joseph McCarthy was born on November 14, 1908, near Appleton, Wisconsin. Another congressional group called the House UnAmerican Activities Committee played a similar and, some would argue, even more dramatic role at the same time. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar. The book was written as a reaction to a tragic time in our countries history. The Historical Context of 1984 Essay. There were, of course, communists in the US in the 1950s, but the vast majority of them had no designs on overthrowing the US government or becoming Soviet spies. (pours, pour). These connections are important because they demonstrate that The Crucible is not merely a (highly adapted) retelling of historical events but also an allegorical reference to the timelessness of certain central human flaws. Hale is a committed Christian and hater of witchcraft. Miller, however, says he viewed the analogy as perfectly sound. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Essential Quotes by Character: John Proctor, Critical Context (Masterplots II: Juvenile & Young Adult Literature Series), Critical Context (Comprehensive Guide to Drama), http://www.17thc.us/docs/fact-fiction.shtml. After reading playwright Arthur Millers The Crucible, my interest in the social, cultural and religious context of the time was enhanced. Failure to do so led to sanctions. In 1956 Miller was subpoenaed to appear before HUAC. President Eisenhower, who never liked McCarthy and had great respect for the military as a former commander, decided things had finally gone too far. ~ Gods name in vain. Download Unit Unit Summary In The Crucible, innocent people were in danger of being accused of witchcraft and during the reign of McCarthyism innocent people were being accused of communism. Many were subsequently denied employment opportunities in their industries because they were universally "blacklisted" or shut out by employers who feared that hiring them would be a public relations nightmare. Betty falls into a strange stupor after Parris catches her and the other girls dancing in the forest with Tituba. Is this a timeless cautionary tale. Miller was fascinated by what happened in Salem because of the parallels he could draw to the events of his life amidst the Red Scare. The similarities include continuous accusations, leading politicians, and the reaction to witchcraft and communism., Initially, I aimed my research at allowing myself to attain a sense of the atmosphere that pervaded Salem, Massachusetts in 1962, as I was unsure about the focus of my project. Because he worked mainly in theater, he didn't have to worry as much about the effects Hollywood's unforgiving blacklist policy would have on his career. This lead to many accusations that people were communists. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a young group of girls commit witchcraft which eventually leads to the arrest of over 100 women. The public, in the throes of a communist hysteria, demanded an investigation of these supposed agitators within the government. Many of the accused were blacklisted or lost their jobs, even though most did not in fact belong to the communist party."The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, was written during the time McCarthyism took place which explains the major similarities between the two. Who caused the Salem Witch Trials in The Crucible? Joseph McCarthy, U.S. In Millers play, Abigail and all the other girls used the mass hysteria to their advantage. I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Therefore, the three townspeople mentioned in Arthur Millers, The Crucible, will be punished for their sins whether they seek penitence or not., One of the first life lessons a child is taught growing up is that lying can only ever make a situation worse.