The Role Of Mass Hysteria In Arthur Miller's 'Timebends'

In his autobiography, Timebends, Arthur Miller claims it is only when observing the “break of charity” within the human community that one can fully understand the true meaning behind the outbursts of mass hysteria, which later result in a loss of sanity and civility. Miller’s historical-based play, The Crucible, validates his belief and subtly draws attention to the similarities between the response of the people in 1690 Salem and 1950 America to witchcraft and McCarthyism, respectively.
Fear is the main perpetrator of mass hysteria. Fear is what causes a society to tremble and become fragile—easily apt to manipulation or propaganda. Miller describes multiple situations in which members of the Salem community feel pressure to follow the crowd.