what is the crucible an allegory for

A quote by Edward R. Murrow states, No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices. During the Red Scare, Senator McCarthy did terrorize a whole nation, and Arthur Miller became a victim of McCarthyism. This began the McCarthy Era, and this practice was later known as McCarthyism. The kids that were hanged didnt really understand why the were being hung because they do anything wrong. Web400 Words2 Pages. Citizens lost respect and trust in the government and other civilians, due to several threats within the country and worldwide. 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. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Slideshow 3196964 by amber 2023 PapersOwl.com - All rights reserved. Latest answer posted November 22, 2020 at 10:36:50 AM. Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+! Latest answer posted April 17, 2020 at 1:25:04 AM. People who were accused of being communist or communist sympathizers were told that they had to name other people who supported the communist movement. McCarthyism in the 1950s was a panic-driven search for communists and communist sympathizers in America. 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. Similarities are shown between McCarthyism and the Salem witch trials in the way Senator McCarthy gained power and control by inducing fear and hatred of communists in America, comparable to the fear and hatred of witches in the late 1600s. The Crucible Study Guide 2022-10-26. He witnessed a trusted figure to lay accusations on people. On the other hand, Abigail uses fear and intimidation to make others back her up, Shell kill me for sayin that! Miller, among others, refused to surrender to questioning. In Arthur Millers The Crucible, John Proctor dealt with the corruption of power in his town when Abigail Williams and many other girls accused those, who were innocent, of witchcraft. You can order an original essay written according to your instructions. To conclude, in the 1940s to the 1950s, the Red Scare prompted US Senator Joseph McCarthy to accuse people to be communists. US Senator Joseph McCarthy entered the spotlight by accusing members of the State Department to be communists. On its surface, The Crucible is a play about the Salem witch trials of 1692. First, an allegory is a narrative that works as an long metaphor. In 1692, a fear of witchcraft led to the accusation of over 200 townspeople. What is an Allegory?. In his play The Crucible, he uses allegory to demonstrate the dangerous messages that he wanted the reader to be aware of. Arthur Miller was a playwright and a political activist speaking up addressing societal issues. Both The Crucible and the McCarthy trials have many parallels. 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. I have given you my soul; leave me my name! (Proctor, Act 4, pg 130-133). The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism and the Red Scare of the early 1950s. What is the relationship between Abigail and John Proctor in The Crucible by Arthur Miller? Abbyll charge lechery on you, Mr. Proctor! (Mary Warren, Act 2, pg. Turmoil and trepidation over the threat of the spread of Communism brought change into America. In it, young girls, and residents of Salem, begin accusing other people of practicing witchcraft in order to protect themselves from the same accusation or to receive a lighter punishment. He was drawn to the story of the Salem witch trials, and the more he learned about the trials, the hysteria, and the unfounded accusations made by the young women in Salem, the more parallels he saw between the contemporary events of the Red Scare and McCarthyism. Arthur Miller wrote this play to symbolize 1950s McCarthyism. McCarthyism started in the early 1950s and it was governmental accusations with no evidence. WebIt's no secret that The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism and communist "witch hunts" of the early 1950s. Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953, when Senator Joseph McCarthy accused dozens of people who worked for the US government of being communist infiltrators, without any evidence. When people are placed under an intense feeling of fear, they begin to commit actions they never thought they were capable over. He mainly criticizes the government. Also in 1950, the McCarren Internal Security Act was passed by Congress even though President Harry Truman vetoed the bill. The fear he spread among the people from the United States at that time is comparable to the fear for witches that the inhabitants of Salem spread in their own villages. The Salem Witch Trials and the 1950s Red Scare are easily relatable considering that the two events killed several innocent lives, when that individual did nothing wrong. Miller was soon later accused by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) who led the accusations with McCarthy. In the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, Miller uses allegory to recreate the events occurring in real life. In Salem the people accused were tried and Did you like this sample? By comparing McCarthyism to the, While Corey broke conformity to do what was right, Betty did quite the opposite. Millers purpose was to show how people accused each other with false denunciations because of their fear, jealousy and solely hatred of one another under McCarthyism. In the beginning of the play Arthur admits to altering the play for dramatic effect., Arthur Millers The Crucible is a very wise piece that perfectly explains the story of two time periods. Accessed 18 Jan. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Events like the people who were hanged, and people were accused of being witches were similar to blacklisted, The Crucible Analysis Paper Miller explained in his hearing that he could speak about his own actions but claimed that naming other people invalidated his First Amendment rights. We also saw this type of chaos during the Salem witch trials of 1693. Miller felt a state of depression as he wrote in the New Yorker, The Crucible was an act of desperation. Arthur Miller wrote this play to symbolize 1950s McCarthyism. When he wrote The Crucible, it served as an allegory, simultaneously retelling the story of the Salem witch trials and also presenting social commentary on McCarthyism and the Red Scare. A crucible is a severe test or trial, which is exactly what happens in the play. Various forms of propaganda advertised fears, causing panic to spread throughout the country. A brief intro to The Crucible by Arthur Miller. "What is The Crucible by Arthur Miller an allegory for?" Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Webarthur millers the crucible is an allegory for mccarthyism during the red scare due to the identical proceeds that divulge within not only the crucibles plot but also history, such as the accused confessing to a crime they did not commit to save their life, people rising to power by taking advantage of others, and accusations having There are many proven facts that some of the story is not true to the real life events and this confuses many people because Arthur Miller makes his characters so vivid and actually used the real names of the people that were in the trials(Salem Witch Museum). In. Because I lie and sign myself to lies! your personal assistant! The Crucible describes the Salem Witch Trials. 13) This quote emphasizes how later when he asks questions to the suspects, the testimony they give will be backed by him since he is an expert. 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. Inspired by reading a detailed account of the events written by Charles W. Upham in 1867, Arthur Miller saw parallels between the hysteria around the Salem witch trials and other public panics in history. When Abby tries to tell her to never say that, Betty replies by saying, "You did, you did! There is danger for me. Shortly after the beginning of the Red Scare, a phenomenon which is known as McCarthyism appeared and shaped American politics. The allegorical suggestion of the The Crucible is that McCarthyism and the Red Scare had only as much validity as a witch hunt. I dare not step outside at night! This quote shows that Parris is not concerned with the hanging of the accused individuals who are not as respected, nor is he concerned with his supposed mission to banish all evil from Salem. An allegory is a story, poem or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Find more samples: Related topics Miller explains the McCarthy trials through The Crucible by teaching peoples fears, faults, and politics, making the text both a metaphor to the trials and an allegory. One way in [] Find Free Essays In his criticism, Phillip Walker questions the purpose of Millers writing and is, Red scare allegory for the crucible There are two ways that stick out to me that The Crucible is an allegory for 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. Arthur Miller develops an allegory in The Crucible by comparing the Salem Witch Trials to McCarthyism by using ringleaders, persecuted couples, and hypocrisy in the government or legal system., There are still difficulties found when interpreting The Crucible as a strict allegorical representation of the 1950s McCarthyism. He uses the scenes and characters to represent the real-life occurrences. Senator McCarthy accused many people of being part of the communist party. 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. [See this link for an example of an extended metaphor in the epitaph Ben In response to the second Red Scare, prompted by the accusations of Senator Joe He refused to say whether he had ever joined the Communist Party and likewise refused to give the names of any other people he had associated with. 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 Convict communists were ordered to confess their crime and name others to avoid the retribution. He leveled charges of disloyalty at celebrities, intellectuals and anyone who disagreed with his political views, costing many of his victims their reputations and jobs. (History.com) Miller uses those events to establish a connection between real life and in his play. However, in the end of the play, the audience should feel pensive about, The Crucible, a phenomenon play, written by Arthur Miller is an allegory to the McCarthy Trials of the 1950s. Here are the links to the word lists for all four acts of The Crucible: Act 1 , Act 2 , Act 3 , and Act 4 . How may I live without my name? 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. WebEssay SampleCheck Writing Quality. The kids that were hanged didnt really understand why the were being hung because they do anything wrong. McCarthyism is a term describing a period of intense anti-communist suspicion in the United States around the 1950s. This was a time during which the fear for the growth in power of the Soviet Union was spreading in America. Hire a verified expert to write you a 100% Plagiarism-Free paper. Eugene O'Neill Biography, Plays & Influence | Who was Eugene O'Neill? This essay was written by a fellow student. The similarities were greed and self-preservation. To begin with, The Crucible is an allegory because the plot of the book closely resembles the events that occurred during the Red Scare. He took some creative license with the storytelling to make a stronger impact on the audience. The Crucible Vocabulary Words & Flashcards, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, The Crucible: Author & Historical Context, Irony & The Crucible: Dramatic, Verbal & Situational, The Crucible Introduction & Act Summaries, Common Core ELA Grade 8 - Writing: Standards, 10th Grade English: Homeschool Curriculum, Comprehensive English: Overview & Practice, FTCE Middle Grades English 5-9 (014) Prep, Praxis English Language Arts: Content Knowledge (5038) Prep, CSET English Subtests I & III (105 & 107): Practice & Study Guide, Praxis English Language Arts - Content & Analysis (5039): Practice & Study Guide, The Crucible by Arthur Miller: Characters, Themes & Analysis, Arthur Miller's The Crucible: Summary and Quotes, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. The characters of Judge Danforth and Reverend Parris both symbolize choosing good for one as opposed to choosing the good for the group. 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. I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus!I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! 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 Crucible is a story set in Salem in the 1692 witch hunts. The anti-communist movement reached its peak in February 1950, when Senator Joseph McCarthy capitalised the fear by claiming he had a list of more than 200 communists working inside the American government. I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! In salem 1692 multiple girls were out in the woods dancing and were thought to be possessed and working with the devil. 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. Eventually, the fear of communism faded, and President Eisenhower shut McCarthy and his communist witch hunt down. The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953, is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in Massachusetts in 1692. 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. These fears were not entirely unfounded as there had been Soviet spies discovered in the U.S. during WWII and after. Through all this ignorance and delusional fear, Arthur Miller was inspired to explore the similarities and parallels of the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism. Amelia Emery has taught high school English Language Arts for 9 years and University level writing courses for 3 years. 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. Miller even uses some of the same characters in his dramatized play that were a part of the original witch trials in Salem. Many people were targets of McCarthy's "witch hunt," as it was called, especially those involved with film in Hollywood, music in general, other members of the other arts including writers, etc., as well as government workers, union organizers, and even teachers. This is similar to a time in the 1950s when Joseph McCarthy accuses government officials of communism and that ultimately leads to hundreds of citizens losing their jobs. 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. 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. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is based on the true events of the Salem witch trials. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, many rhetorical elements illuminate the meaning behind the text. The salem witch hunts and the Red Scare caused big problems and death in the U.S. The Red Scare was when the people of the United States were scared that communism was going to spread to the United States since communism was becoming popular around the world. 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 Their evidence was, at worst, completely made up, and at best it was vague. Copyright 2022 IPL.org All rights reserved. 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. In the early 1950s, many Americans were afraid that communists might infiltrate the American government and cause the U.S. government to fall. The symbolism used Whether its be the treatment of a person or being put in a biased situation, injustice causes people to not be regarded in a respectful, equal manner. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. When people think of the play, The Crucible, they usually picture the witch trials and women being hanged, but Arthur Miller depicts the witch trials in a completely new light. 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. In both instances there was a climate filled with fear. Give us your paper requirements, choose a writer and well deliver the highest-quality essay! 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! (Proctor, Act 2, pg. The new decision led to a cyclone of accusations because people realized the possibility of their condemnation regardless they were guilty or innocent. Review the genre, learn about theRed Scare, and analyze Arthur Miller's play as a political allegory for McCarthyism. Explore how Arthur Miller's play ''The Crucible'' is an allegory for McCarthyism and accusations of communist sympathies. It has been proven that Arthur changed the story on purpose to use it as an allegory for the anti-communist Red Scare to get across to the government of what they were actually doing. The demand to name other collaborators is a direct reference to the Red Scare and McCarthyism. In the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, Miller uses allegory to recreate the events occurring in real life. Miller's use of the Salem witch trials to highlight the panic of the Red Scare is an allegory. What is an allegory. Whereas great pieces of fictional literaturesuch as satirewere written to draw attention to political injustices or ineptitude, as seen in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (which is a fantastical account of a giant in the land of tiny people, among other situtations), The Crucible is factually-based on witch trials that took place in this country, where close to 20 people were hung or pressed to death based on the hysterical ravings of mostlypre-adolescent oradolescent girls. This essay is available online and might have been used by another student. If you want a unique paper, order it from our professional writers. Government officials, actors, professors, scientists, and authors all came under the scrutiny of his "witch hunt" for communist spies in America. Miller's Crucible was written in the early 1950s. An allegory is an extended metaphor in which the characters or objects in the story represent an outside meaning. The two time periods were more than two and a half centuries apart, yet they had many factors that overlapped. Although both situations include different causes, their effects are strikingly similar. First, an allegory is a narrative that works as an long metaphor. In the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, Miller uses allegory to express what he endured through in the 1950s. McCarthyism & The Crucible by Arthur Miller | History, Impact & Analysis, Symbols in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Examples & Analysis, The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Literary Themes & Analysis, Mrs. Dalloway: Analysis of Characters and Style, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: Character & Epiphany, The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Summary, Quotes & Themes. In The Crucible Proctor is accused of doing devil's work, but he made it clear that, He wants his life, and He will have his life. The Crucible and McCarthyism were alike on this situation because if they confessed they would not die but if they didnt they would. 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. 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. Rough Draft WebThe Crucible is an allegory for what happened during the "red scare" in American in the 1950's. Ultimately, McCarthyism declined, and the "trials" and the tribulations lost public interest and support. With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. Miller expresses important messages specifically about injustice, hysteria, and reputation and highlights how these particular themes are dangerous. | 2 73) This quote elaborates on why the accusers were not suspected, Reverend Parris has a reputation of being a holy man of the church which makes him improbable to witchcraft and Abigail who has kept her reputation clean amidst of all the misdeeds she has done. For instance, throughout The Crucible, Abigail Williams is being shown repeatedly accusing innocent people of witchcraft. In an allegory the character,events, and instances(Definition of Allegory R104). Perhaps Miller was particularly sensitive to this modern-day "witch hunt" because he had some fleeting associations with the American Communist Party. Were they born this morning as clean as Gods fingers? In order to emphasize Reverend Hales credibility, Miller writes, He has much experience in all demonic artsHe has indeed; and found a witch in Beverly last year, and let you remember that. (Act 1, pg. There were many differences and similarities between these two topics. When Miller wrote The Crucible, it was his way of expressing himself and how he felt during the McCarthy Era. How is the Crucible an Allegory for Mccarthyism. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 In an allegory the character,events, and instances (Definition of Allegory R104).