How is the crucible related to the red scare. How does the crucible connect with McCarthyism and the Red Scare? 2022-10-27
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The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in the 1950s. It is a fictionalized account of the Salem witch trials, which took place in colonial Massachusetts in the late 17th century. The play is often seen as a commentary on the events of the Red Scare, a period of intense fear and paranoia about communist infiltration in the United States that took place in the late 1940s and 1950s.
One of the main themes of The Crucible is the destructive power of fear and the dangers of mass hysteria. This theme is closely related to the Red Scare, as both events were characterized by widespread fear and a willingness to believe in conspiracy theories without evidence. During the Red Scare, many people were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers, and some were even blacklisted or lost their jobs as a result. Like the characters in The Crucible, these individuals were often caught up in a spiral of fear and suspicion, and their lives were ruined as a result.
Another theme of The Crucible that is relevant to the Red Scare is the danger of groupthink and the importance of standing up for one's beliefs. In the play, the characters who refuse to go along with the Salem witch hunt are often ostracized or punished, while those who succumb to the pressure of the group are able to avoid punishment. This dynamic is also evident during the Red Scare, as many people who refused to name names or cooperate with investigations faced persecution, while those who cooperated were often able to avoid punishment.
Finally, The Crucible can be seen as a commentary on the dangers of using political power to suppress dissent and silence those who disagree with the ruling ideology. In the play, the authorities in Salem use the witch hunt as a way to persecute their enemies and consolidate their own power. Similarly, during the Red Scare, the government used the fear of communism as a justification for suppressing dissent and silencing those who disagreed with the ruling ideology.
In conclusion, The Crucible is closely related to the Red Scare in its themes of fear, groupthink, and the dangers of using political power to suppress dissent. Both events serve as cautionary tales about the destructive power of fear and the importance of standing up for one's beliefs in the face of persecution.
How does the crucible relate to the red scare?
It is a common belief that witch hunts are things of the past. In both of these events, the leaders that were extremely corrupted and used fear to gain power, were too foolish enough to realize that society would conceal the truth and blame others because they did not want to be subjected to death. Many people people lost their trust in others, causing a new outlook on life while relationships were destroyed. They were always wondering why everyone was getting tricked into believing that witches existed and it was because they were all just trying to get themselves out of trouble. Soon, people became obsessed with the Communistic threat coming from Russia following World War II, which led to violence and disregard of civil liberties.
The obvious connections between the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy era are illustrated throughout The Crucible, and one could argue Miller wrote the play to help Americans realize the wrong in accusing others without evidence. The Crucible and McCarthyism can be compared to other modern forms of rumor, persecution, suspicion, and hysteria such as: The AIDS scare in the 80Õs and 90Õs. This resembles how certain characters were accused of witchcraft in The Crucible. Failure to do so led to sanctions. Many never recovered their careers. The Crucible And Mccarthyism Analysis 867 Words 4 Pages The Crucible by Arthur Miller is based on the true events of the Salem witch trials.
Many people were executed by decision of the court because it believed in absurd false allegations. How The Crucible relates to historical events? One reason McCarthyism sparked paranoia is due to the rapid rate of communism spreading Dbq Essay On The Crucible 553 Words 3 Pages The times back then were terrible. The influencing popular opinion about America national security, in turn, connected to fear of the ability of the Soviet Union, carrying out an atomic-bombing on its territories, and fear of the United States of America Party of Communist contributed largely to the Red Scare. During the tense era of McCarthyism, celebrated playwright Arthur Miller was inspired to write a drama reflecting the mass cultural and political hysteria produced when the U. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692—93.
One of the biggest examples in history would be The Holocaust. Indeed, the Salem witch trials much more resemble the show trials of the Soviet Union than anything that happened in 1950s America. The media and Newspapers translated the political anxiety and fears into xenophobia, solely because an array of radical anarchism were seen to be the answers to poverty. As well as figurative demonic forces, examples of that would be reputation, intolerance, deceit, lies, and rumors. McCarthy, writer Arthur Miller, and FBI Director J.
Theme of Red Scare in "The Crucible" Free Essay Example
The cognitive component of anxiety involves thoughts and worries that often take the form of ÒWhat if É? Read also Can type 2 diabetes kill you? Fear rose for government officials when there were constant threats of job loss with the slightest conviction of communism, so the government attempted to deny accusations for the preservation of their men in office, causing them to cover their real traitors as well as themselves. The Crucible: Those who are accused are assumed guilty, put on trial, expected to confess, and expected to accuse others of being witches. Most researchers conclude that anxiety is genetic but can also be influenced by environmental factors. A theme is a central insight into human nature provided by a piece of literature. The Crucible a play in which Arthur Miller changes some events of the Salem witch trials of 1692 to the problems that were happening in his own society.
Parallels Between the Crucible and the Second Red Scare
In other words, itÕs possible to have anxiety without it running in your family. The red scare led to many people fearing every one else, thinking they were communist. The Hollywood blacklist, associated with the House Committee on Non-American Activities hearings, and a range of anti-communist behavior of the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI , are key examples of McCarthyism. Since there was a lot of lying that arose from these accusation and confessions, it caused a sense of bewilderment to go on within these groups. Most of the punishments issued were because of trial verdicts and convictions based on laws that would be later declared unconstitutional.
A person had to watch what he or she said, and his or her words had to be chosen wisely as to avoid multiple interpretations of his or her opinions. The American communist party wanted to turn the United States into the version of the totalitarian state established by its patron, the Soviet Union. Similarly, in The Crucible villagers accused one another of witchcraft to avoid being thought witches themselves, and out of paranoia that the Devil was running around Salem taking over people. Read also How do I get rid of gnats on my hibiscus? It also encourages people to challenge certain social norms. Soon enough, the whole village believed the devil exists and lives within the fear of each person.
The Salem witch trials and McCarthyism have an uncanny relation to one another. Joseph Mccarthyism In The Crucible 635 Words 3 Pages Can the fear of people control the way certain things and events are looked at? Is anxiety a biological disorder? In both cases the antagonists influence their trials greatly. Although both situations include different causes, their effects are strikingly similar. What does a crucible symbolize in this drama? This is supported when during the Red Scare Joseph McCarthy easily accused people without any hard evidence, like when Cheever accuses Goody Proctor of witchcraft because she owns a poppet in The Crucible. Fueled by the anti-Communist actions of Congress, particularly a Senator from Wisconsin by the name of Joseph McCarthy, the movement escalated and many people lost their jobs as a result of various blacklists.
Similarities Between The Red Scare And The Crucible
As The Crucible began with an actual witchery incident, The Red Scare began with accounts of real communism and treason within the American government. In Salem witch trials, witchcraft is haunting the village. Her actions begin sending the small town into a panic as they throw people into jail and hang them in an effort to try and cleanse the town from any aspect of evil. Part of the crucible story, records that trouble in The Crucible started when Abigail Williams blamed Tituba for the actions of the girls who used to dance among the trees or woods. During WWII, the Holocaust was one of the greatest atrocities of all time. It is often characterized as political propaganda. Why was the fear of McCarthyism so strong? Ó They not only shared an artistic vision and collaborated on ÒDeath of a Salesman,Ó but also were involved with Marilyn Monroe, with whom Kazan had an affair and Miller later married.
How Does The Crucible Relate To The Red Scare Free Essay Example
Although the play is based on the Salem Witch Trials, it was intended to be an allegory for the Red Scare during the 1940s and 50s. The surge of power through the young women of Salem, who had never tasted power before complied with the struggle between good and evil are two main points in the play. How is The Crucible an allegory for the Red Scare essay? People were put to punishment and the only way out was to confess and give the names of your accomplices. Why Miller wrote The Crucible A connection Miller shows is how McCarthy accused people of being a communists on little evidence, similar to how the judges declared people witches based on spectral evidence. What is one theme that Arthur Miller challenged in The Crucible that influence the overall message of the play? As a result, a judge found Miller guilty of contempt of Congress in May 1957.