Mccarthyism in the Crucible/1984
McCarthyism in The Crucible / 1984
Throughout history millions of people have found themselves to be guilty for crimes they
did not commit , with little to no evidence, and suffered the consequences of being scorned,
arrested, and tortured , also known as McCarthyism. One can clearly see that McCarthyism is
evident in both the play “The Crucible” and the novel 1984 by George Orwell, although
conveyed a bit differently, one can also find similarities between The Crucible and 1984
regarding McCarthyism.
The Crucible and 1984 share some similarities when it comes to McCarthyism. Both in
Salem, Massachusetts and the country of Oceania, it’s residents had to follow strict laws without
question. For example, in Salem everyone was expected to know their Ten Commandments and
to not know it would be counted as being a non-puritan. When John Proctor is asked to recall his
Ten Commandments, he forgets adultery. Reverend Hale at this point while having a deep
thought and with a worried face lets Proctor know that even something like that cannot be
counted as a small thing and excused as it is the duty for every puritan to know this. Things like
this were not accepted in a superstitious society like Salem. This made the society of Salem no
different to the society of Oceania as both societies thought that to have a perfect society meant
that the people had to sacrifice their free will in exchange. The people of Salem woke up, went to
church, worked, and slept as an everyday cycle of life. In Oceania, where people are
controlled and oppressed by the Party, led by the Big Brother, free speech, rebellious and
independent thought are forbidden. People who fail to abide by the strict laws are taken away by
the Thought Police and punished severely for disobeying the Party. In 1984, the main character
Winston Smith, is employed as a records editor. Disliking the current government, he starts a
journal of his
Throughout history millions of people have found themselves to be guilty for crimes they
did not commit , with little to no evidence, and suffered the consequences of being scorned,
arrested, and tortured , also known as McCarthyism. One can clearly see that McCarthyism is
evident in both the play “The Crucible” and the novel 1984 by George Orwell, although
conveyed a bit differently, one can also find similarities between The Crucible and 1984
regarding McCarthyism.
The Crucible and 1984 share some similarities when it comes to McCarthyism. Both in
Salem, Massachusetts and the country of Oceania, it’s residents had to follow strict laws without
question. For example, in Salem everyone was expected to know their Ten Commandments and
to not know it would be counted as being a non-puritan. When John Proctor is asked to recall his
Ten Commandments, he forgets adultery. Reverend Hale at this point while having a deep
thought and with a worried face lets Proctor know that even something like that cannot be
counted as a small thing and excused as it is the duty for every puritan to know this. Things like
this were not accepted in a superstitious society like Salem. This made the society of Salem no
different to the society of Oceania as both societies thought that to have a perfect society meant
that the people had to sacrifice their free will in exchange. The people of Salem woke up, went to
church, worked, and slept as an everyday cycle of life. In Oceania, where people are
controlled and oppressed by the Party, led by the Big Brother, free speech, rebellious and
independent thought are forbidden. People who fail to abide by the strict laws are taken away by
the Thought Police and punished severely for disobeying the Party. In 1984, the main character
Winston Smith, is employed as a records editor. Disliking the current government, he starts a
journal of his