Miller intended The Crucible as an allegory to McCarthyism. During the closing scene and its final lines the tone might be described as suspenseful and melancholy, while Millers purpose relays the events in Salem to the accusations of Communists in 1950s America. This was a time during which the fear for the growth in power of the Soviet Union was spreading in America. 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. Abbyll charge lechery on you, Mr. Proctor! (Mary Warren, Act 2, pg. Mr. Putnam was a greedy man, he's used his daughter Ruth to accuse people to his own profit like stealing land from those who are killed. Ultimately, McCarthyism declined, and the "trials" and the tribulations lost public interest and support. Events like the people who were hung, and people were accused for being witches were similar to blacklisted and they, The 1950s was an eventful time in America with the Red Scare and Senator Joseph McCarthy. US Senator Joseph McCarthy entered the spotlight by accusing members of the State Department to be communists. Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. (Arthur Miller was one of many who came under suspicion.). The kids that were hanged didnt really understand why the were being hung because they do anything wrong. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. The play's author, Arthur Miller, was himself a victim of In his play The Crucible, he uses allegory to demonstrate the dangerous messages that he wanted the reader to be aware of. So for a brief explanation, McCarthyism was carried out under senator Joseph McCarthy during 1950-1954 against alleged communist in the US government and in other institutions. Hysteria is another critical component that causes major complications. It also gave many an excuse to act on personal grudges bore with one another., In literature alone, there are many stories that have been categorized as allegories due to messages or lessons that are implied in the writing. The novel can also be classified as an example of an allegory. It compares his life to a book: http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/philadelphia/grave.htm], Arthur Miller's inspiration for this play came in the guise of the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. So some people will do anything, by any means, to be reputable, this allows their word to be trusted and true. Although both situations include different causes, their effects are strikingly similar. In one account Arthur Miller read, written by the minister Samuel Parris, who was one of the leaders of the witch hunt in Salem, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft by gently touching Elizabeth and then screaming that her fingers were burning. In the play The Crucible, Miller has used allegory to convey the themes of injustice, hysteria, and honor/reputation. First, an allegory is a narrative that works as an long metaphor. Latest answer posted November 22, 2020 at 12:05:25 PM, In The Crucible, explain what Elizabeth means when she says, "He have his goodness now, God forbid I take it from him.". why is the crucible an appropriate title for the play. 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. | 2 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. WebThe Crucible by Arthur Miller is allegorical. 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. 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. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union became embroiled in the Cold War. These events, whether positive or tragic, often repeat themselves. In 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. A Major Role in the Crucible John Proctor, John Proctors Pride in the Play the Crucible, The Crucible as an Allegory to McCarthyism, The Crucible as an Allegory of the Witch Trial, Differences between the Crucible Movie and the Play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller: how Abigail Williams Abused her Power, One of the Main Characters in the Play The Crucible. Miller even uses some of the same characters in his dramatized play that were a part of the original witch trials in Salem. An allegory is a story with an obvious meaning but if you look deeper into it, there is another meaning. The Crucible is a story set in Salem in the 1692 witch hunts. What is an allegory. The period in which this anti-communist hysteria occurred was known as the Red Scare. The connection between The Crucible and the McCarthy Hearings is not an isolated one, but can also be made with other historical and current events that are happening today., The Crucible is a play that advocates change in social or political attitudes or in traditions. The crucible was a tragedy because almost the whole town was accused of being a witch or having dolls in their homes which made then think they were doing something with the dolls to harm someone else. 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. The Red Scare quickly spread across the States as American people feared that communism would take over their country one day. Miller wrote The Crucible as replication of his feelings during the period of McCarthyism in the 1950s. 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. I have no tongue for itI have three children, how may I teach them to walk like men in the world, and I sold my friends?Because it is my name! A fire, a fire is burning! To conclude, in the 1940s to the 1950s, the Red Scare prompted US Senator Joseph McCarthy to accuse people to be communists. Betty is the best direct representation of the American government of the 1950s. WebThe Crucible is an allegory. 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. Parts of this act have been repealed over the years, and most of it is no longer applicable as of the 1990s. Following WWII and the rise of communism in China and Korea, Americans feared the influence of communist spies and sympathizers. Intolerance is closely tied to communism and witchcraft, leading to the arrest and sentencing of innocent people. The Crucible, a phenomenal play, written by Arthur Miller is an allegory to the McCarthy Trials of the 1950s. This was a time during which the fear for the growth in power of the Soviet Union was spreading in America. He was also asked to provide the names of other people he knew who had communist leanings, but he refused, citing his First Amendment rights. 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 McCarthyism started in the early 1950s and it was governmental accusations with no evidence. flashcard sets. His investigation, which came to be known as McCarthyism, whipped people into a frenzy, lobbing accusations at anyone who disagreed with his conservative viewpoints. Specifically, Miller drew a connection between the unsubstantiated accusations of communist sympathizers under McCarthyism and the accusations thrown around during the Salem witch trials. Latest answer posted December 16, 2019 at 7:31:02 AM. He mainly criticizes the government. An allegory is a story with two levels of meaning- literal and symbolic. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you [Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism]. Were they born this morning as clean as Gods fingers? 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. 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 The Crucible, what message is Arthur Miller trying to get across to the reader. 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. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, many rhetorical elements illuminate the meaning behind the text. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a young group of girls commit witchcraft which eventually leads to the arrest of over 100 women. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible as an allegory for McCarthyism in the late 1950s when he was falsely accused of being a communist. The accused, In a way, McCarthyism is similar to the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller. WebThe Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1952. Various forms of propaganda advertised fears, causing panic to spread throughout the country. McCarthy was a Senator who made a list of people he claimed to be known communists working for the State Department. The detail makes a larger impact. Amelia Emery has taught high school English Language Arts for 9 years and University level writing courses for 3 years. Miller felt a state of depression as he wrote in the New Yorker, The Crucible was an act of desperation. 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). Chat with professional writers to choose the paper writer that suits you best. Both McCarthyism and The Crucible are connected because paranoia is evident and innocent people are accused. The Crucible, published in 1953 by Arthur Miller is a very popular book written about the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. It is an allegory since it represents the human ideas about there being seven deadly sins and how in politics, people choose the good for one over the good for the group. 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. A crucible is a severe test or trial, which is exactly what happens in the play. Borkowski From the start perusing, one may just view Millers work as a distinctive record of the awfulness of This essay is available online and might have been used by another student. Power is defined as The ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as as a faculty or quality. Throughout history, women have significantly lacked not only power but the ability to be recognized as equal to their male counterparts. Miller felt the best way to express himself is to write The Crucible. Miller, among others, refused to surrender to questioning. WebThe Crucible is an historical allegory for the McCarthy period; it can be examined more fruitfully as a play about the human condition. Miller's use of the Salem witch trials to highlight the panic of the Red Scare is an allegory. Because I lie and sign myself to lies! The 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 belief of the integration of Communist spies into the country made the government question the loyalty of Americans. In his exemplary dramatization The Crucible, Arthur Miller accounts the repulsiveness of the Salem witch preliminaries, a humiliating scene of pilgrim Americas set of experiences. Hysteria thrives and spreads through what people believe that is true, from stories, rumors, etc. The era had significant impacts on American society during the early stage 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. McCarthyism resulted in Americans turning against each other because of politicians greed for power, paranoia, and the fear of communist infiltration. In the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, Miller uses allegory to express what he endured through in the 1950s. The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953, is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch Arthur Miller constructs his play upon the famous Salem witch trails. In addition, reputation is another aspect that troubles human nature. What is the relationship between Abigail and John Proctor in The Crucible by Arthur Miller? To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Eugene O'Neill Biography, Plays & Influence | Who was Eugene O'Neill? An allegory is an artistic work or piece of writing that tells one story on the surface but represents a different set of events and teaches a moral or political lesson about those events. This act, written by Senator Pat McCarren, one of McCarthy's supporters, required that any organization that was determined to be communist had to register with the Justice Department, made it a felony to try and establish a dictatorship in the United States, and gave the government the ability to arrest anyone whom the president believed to be a spy or a saboteur. Did you like this sample? Create your account. Download the entire The Crucible study guide as a printable PDF! People take advantage of hysteria when holding onto grudges by spreading lies that will benefit the accuser. Much like the Crucible, McCarthyism was driven by irrational thinking and emotions.The emotions of people can be blinding and problematic. In an allegory the character, events, and instances(Definition of Allegory R104). By comparing McCarthyism to the Salem Witch Trials, Miller is able to communicate that people should not conform to societal trends because these trends may be misleading and cause innocent people to get hurt. In the 1940s to the 1950s, America was extremely concerned about the rise of Communism throughout Europe and China. The Crucible is similar to the Red Scare, but is The Crucible an allegory for the Red Scare? What is the main purpose of The Crucible? The main purpose of The Crucible is to draw parallels between the events of the Salem witch craze and what was happening in America at the time of the play's writing, during McCarthyism. 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. 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. Also in 1950, the McCarren Internal Security Act was passed by Congress even though President Harry Truman vetoed the bill. Through the play, we follow the character, Abigail, observe her actions and their consequences. Arthur Miller articulates how the three themes of injustice, hysteria, and reputation are problematic factors for human nature. While no one was put to death, but those put on trial were sometimes black listed, making it impossible for them to work. 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. 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