The Crucible And Mccarthyism Analysis
Comparison Between the Salem witch trials and the McCarthyism period
In today's world, there are many ridiculous happenings that people blow out of proportion. Everything as frivolous as celebrities from anything as serious as 9/11 many go overboard in any given situations. Like in the play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller which is a comparison the ridiculous social paranoia of the McCarthy period in the 50’s and the salem witch trials. The play written by Arthur Miller shows how many has not changed from century to century. That there is many similarities from how people use to act to how we act now. Many of the same situations happened to both eras. Arthur miller wrote the crucible as a parallel to the communist scares in America; Both of which, had witches and communist trails which contained, loaded questions, personal power agendas, Or placing pressure on the accused to name others.
One similarity is that many random innocent people were brought to trial and …show more content…
asked loaded questions. Not only wear man random bought brought to trial ,but many of the trials were unfair because of the use of loaded questions. Such as, when questioning accused people of being communist they would say question such as how long have you been a communist. The courts would assume that the accused were communist. This also happened in the Salem witch trials. Such as, when Arthur Miller writes “ How high did she fly, how high?” (1132).The accuser immediately jumping into the accused being a witch instead of asking if that person was. These loaded questions made innocent people confess to crimes that they did not commit, or killed innocent who would not confess. In this way McCarthyism, and the Salem witch trails are very similar.
Another parallel, would be how some people had hidden power agendas.
Due to the severity of being accused of being a communist or being a witch one would be black balled or in the case of witch trials hung to death. This would allow people to come in and take their land During Salem. Or, in the case of communism, it would put people out of there jobs creating less competition allowing people to rise in a company.Or for the people of salem, allow them to buy the land of a witch because they lost legal ties to it. Many writers in the McCarthyism period were blackballed and struggled to find work. Like when in the crucible Miller says “why, abigail williams charge her.”(1176). Abigail charged john proctor's wife and many other townspeople. She accused john's wife because Abigail was obsessed with john. With john's wife out of the way abigail could be free to pursue john as she wished. This sort of hidden agenda was common among accusers who wanted something and decided to abuse the
system.
Another, Misjustice of the court was the pressure the applied to people to confess other names. Courts would sometimes offer lesser punishments for people that name other witches for Salem or, in the case of McCarthyism naming communist. Knowing this many people would begin to say names the court would want or make up people to say. This can be seen as a parallel when miller writes “I saw George Jacobs with the devil” (1157). Or even when miller writes later in his play “you will not use me”(1231). This second line coming from John Proctor. Like the many tried before him the court wanted him to confess to a crime he did not commit and to accuse other people of witchcraft. John refused to falsify for the court and was hung to death as his punishment of the court. Much like how people from McCarthyism were jailed had their passports revoked or were blackballed.
In conclusion, The hidden power agendas, Loaded questioning, and placing pressure on an accused to name conspirators are common to any society at anytime. One scare will lead to mass hysteria and an outbreak of panic and fear. As long as, something is being done even if it is wrong people are okay with it. The greatest questions are who will stand up for the common man and speak out against the injustice much like John Proctor and stand your ground or, give in society?
In today's world, there are many ridiculous happenings that people blow out of proportion. Everything as frivolous as celebrities from anything as serious as 9/11 many go overboard in any given situations. Like in the play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller which is a comparison the ridiculous social paranoia of the McCarthy period in the 50’s and the salem witch trials. The play written by Arthur Miller shows how many has not changed from century to century. That there is many similarities from how people use to act to how we act now. Many of the same situations happened to both eras. Arthur miller wrote the crucible as a parallel to the communist scares in America; Both of which, had witches and communist trails which contained, loaded questions, personal power agendas, Or placing pressure on the accused to name others.
One similarity is that many random innocent people were brought to trial and …show more content…
asked loaded questions. Not only wear man random bought brought to trial ,but many of the trials were unfair because of the use of loaded questions. Such as, when questioning accused people of being communist they would say question such as how long have you been a communist. The courts would assume that the accused were communist. This also happened in the Salem witch trials. Such as, when Arthur Miller writes “ How high did she fly, how high?” (1132).The accuser immediately jumping into the accused being a witch instead of asking if that person was. These loaded questions made innocent people confess to crimes that they did not commit, or killed innocent who would not confess. In this way McCarthyism, and the Salem witch trails are very similar.
Another parallel, would be how some people had hidden power agendas.
Due to the severity of being accused of being a communist or being a witch one would be black balled or in the case of witch trials hung to death. This would allow people to come in and take their land During Salem. Or, in the case of communism, it would put people out of there jobs creating less competition allowing people to rise in a company.Or for the people of salem, allow them to buy the land of a witch because they lost legal ties to it. Many writers in the McCarthyism period were blackballed and struggled to find work. Like when in the crucible Miller says “why, abigail williams charge her.”(1176). Abigail charged john proctor's wife and many other townspeople. She accused john's wife because Abigail was obsessed with john. With john's wife out of the way abigail could be free to pursue john as she wished. This sort of hidden agenda was common among accusers who wanted something and decided to abuse the
system.
Another, Misjustice of the court was the pressure the applied to people to confess other names. Courts would sometimes offer lesser punishments for people that name other witches for Salem or, in the case of McCarthyism naming communist. Knowing this many people would begin to say names the court would want or make up people to say. This can be seen as a parallel when miller writes “I saw George Jacobs with the devil” (1157). Or even when miller writes later in his play “you will not use me”(1231). This second line coming from John Proctor. Like the many tried before him the court wanted him to confess to a crime he did not commit and to accuse other people of witchcraft. John refused to falsify for the court and was hung to death as his punishment of the court. Much like how people from McCarthyism were jailed had their passports revoked or were blackballed.
In conclusion, The hidden power agendas, Loaded questioning, and placing pressure on an accused to name conspirators are common to any society at anytime. One scare will lead to mass hysteria and an outbreak of panic and fear. As long as, something is being done even if it is wrong people are okay with it. The greatest questions are who will stand up for the common man and speak out against the injustice much like John Proctor and stand your ground or, give in society?