Can the fear of people control the way certain things and events are looked at? In 1950 a nationwide historical campaign called McCarthyism took place. The campaign was against alleged communist in the U.S government and other institutions and accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence which was carried out by Joseph McCarthy. The primary targets were usually union activist, government employees, educators, and entertainment industry. Many people people lost their trust in others, causing a new outlook on life while relationships were destroyed. McCarthyism was caused by the fear of the people due to past events. In every rebellion or event there is a leader, the person/or people that everyone believes and looks up to. In this case Senator Joseph the most visible face in the face and leader of this traumatic event. He carried out investigations questioning those targeted to expose them to the U.S government.“I have here in my hand a list of two hundred and five people that were known to the Secretary of State as …show more content…
In McCarthyism people were accused in many ways. Most of the victims were in a specific career section. They were targeted if they were government employees, entertainment industry, educators, and union activist. If those accused were found guilty, disloyalty, or treason were either deported,imprisoned, and/or lost their job. In “The Crucible” many people were accused without any specific evidence of their doing. The only evidence needed to be gained to prove that someone is a witch is accusations, spectral evidence, and that the person can’t recite the lord's prayer. The main reason of the witch hunts were to prevent the work of the devil.If the person accused doesn’t confess to witchcraft they were put to death. If the person does confess they would sign a document writing down their confession which will be shown to the
It was a campaign in which innocent people were accused of communism, that occurred over 200 years after the Salem Witch Trials. McCarthyism could have been prevented had people learned about the harmful effects of the Salem Witch Trials. Many similarities are shared between McCarthyism and the Salem Witch Trials that occurred in The Crucible. During McCarthyism, people feared the intrusion of Communism. Similarly, people in the Salem Witch Trials feared the Devil.
Albert Einstein once said,“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.” This quote shows the importance of human nature because most of the topics I researched all started by someone noticing something out of the ordinary and making it something it is not. Humans do not like change so when something happens that they are not use to, they do not know how to react. Some view it as stupidity, but to the person it is their only way to react.
There is a contagious sort of corruption rife amidst 17th century Salem, as depicted in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible. Salem, supposedly a pious, saintly township, is represented as everything but, as sanity and control is soon decimated at the hands of said corruption. “Judgement waits...all” once the villagers fall under varying forms of primitive lust - affecting their choices, actions, and moral senses - highly reminiscent of the lust for power that fuelled the McCarthy era. Keeping this context in mind, the rapid spread of lust amongst Salem, whilst not justified, is understandable, as The Crucible is Miller’s direct response to the trials and tribulations of the McCarthy era.
Fear and fear mongering was/is used to manipulate people into believing whatever one person or a group has to say. Arthur Miller portrayed fear and fear mongering excessively in his play The Crucible. Mike Kubic portrayed fear and fear mongering in a plethora of examples throughout his piece of Salem (and Other) Witch Hunts. McCarthyism provided an abundance of examples about fear
Fear, Isolation, and Lack of Courage Repeat Themselves in History It is often seen that history repeats itself. Although the events may seem different, the players new, many mistakes are often repeated throughout time. Fear appears in many historical events. It is usually earned by not knowing or understanding what is happening.
The hunt for communists affected his writing of The Crucible. Arthur Miller had written The Crucible as a reaction to the tense political climate. In the Article, “McCarthyism and The Crucible: What to Know,” by Samantha Lindsay its states, “Arthur Miller had a distaste for McCarthy’s investigations in the early 1950s, and he claims to have written The Crucible in 1953 largely as a reaction to this tense political climate.” Miller had a hatred for McCarthy’s investigations. Because of the power McCarthy had it would give the communist fear.
Between 1950 and 1954, Senator Joseph McCarthy investigated people suspected of being associated with communism. In the writing 'The Crucible,' Miller's purpose was to point out the similarities between the Salem witch hunts and
The times back then were terrible. The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953 about The Salem Witch Trials of 1692.McCarthyism was the “witch hunt” for the communist in 1953.the parallels between The Crucible and McCarthyism are naming names,lack of proof ,and reststance. The first reason they are parallel is because of naming names. Hollywood director Elia Kazan went in front of the HUAC twice. The first time he did not confess and names.
Fear, it causes people to be blinded by the truth. People can’t tell right from wrong. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible to show how no one could see what was right. During the 1950’s communism was spreading throughout Europe like a wildfire, then it slowly made its way over to the U.S. This was known as The Red Scare.
In both events, there was only one way to get out of being charged. In the Crucible, the accused would hang unless they confessed to witchcraft or gave a name of someone else who was a witch. During the McCarthy era, people put on trial for being a Communist were either expected to give names of other Communists, or they would be subject to
McCarthyism and The Crucible caused a feeling of hysteria and paranoia in all the people that were accused and others that were not accused. Abigail Williams and McCarthy had no evidence on the people accused except rumors that were
In the Crucible those who were accused of being guilty, put on trial, and who are expected to confess. Unsuccessful to that led to death. In McCarthy, the media were not disposed to stand up to Senator McCarthy for the fear of being accused of being a Communist. Fear is the main factor playing in both situations, terror of being accused or what people might say, or think.
Period4 The Crucible Essay Communism and Witchcraft have the same effect on humans, that effect is fear, when you hear fear you think of your worst nightmare or someone hiding in your closet, during the McCarthyism era and the salem witchcraft people had fear about whether their life is on the line or not. It all depended on one person in their community whether or not they choose to save their life. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is an allegory for the Red Scare in the McCarthy era because the girls feared Abigail just like everyone feared J.McCarthy, Elizabeth being accused is similar to McCarthy accusing the US Army, they are innocent just like Elizabeth.
Joseph McCarthy insisted communist spies were holding governmental positions when he discerned he could control the public with fear (Association, The Independence Hall). Reverend Parris, along with other members of the church holding high positions, insisted witchcraft was to blame for the young girls’ actions (Miller, Arthur). Both of these examples involved a situation where a member of the community that people trust used the power of their position to persuade and command the people. The weight of their opinion was abused to keep their high
Arthur Miller constructs his play upon the famous Salem witch trails. Miller's Crucible was written in the early 1950s. 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. 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. Convict communists were ordered to confess their crime and name others to avoid the retribution.