The American Heritage Dictionary defines McCarthyism as “The political practise of publicizing accusations of disloyalty or subversion with insignificant regard to evidence.” Arthur Millers ‘The Crucible’ is an extended metaphor representing the parallels between the Salem witch-hunts and accusations of communism during the McCarthyism era. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in response to the unwarranted persecution of many Americans‚ who were accused of communist ties or associating with Communist
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The world at the present is always the inspiration of a work. This idea is manifested in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. He incorporates the political drama of the era into the play about the Salem Witch Trials. Therefore‚ The Crucible is a mirror image of the McCarthyism that occurred during the 1950s. This fact is reflected through the various connections in characters‚ themes. First‚ there are characters in the play which represent the actual people involved and affected by the McCarthy era.
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What happened during the Salem Witchcraft Trials? The Salem Witch Trials started in Spring of 1692 and lasted until September of 1692. It was believed that people were possessed by the Devil. There were over 150 people accused. The first conviction was in June. As a result‚ 19 people were hanged. There was weird behavior coming from some of the girls. According to the History Channel‚ they “began having fits‚ including violent contortions and uncontrollable outbursts of screaming”. The odd behavior
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McCarthyism: Differences The main difference between McCarthyism and the Crucible is that McCarthyism was a real political period in the United States when Senator McCarthy tried to scare people that communism was leaking into our government but as for the crucible it was a group of people that was just accusing other people of witchcraft. While the Salem witch trials occurred in the late 1600’s‚ a similar unfortunate situation occurred in the 1950’s with McCarthyism. The Salem witch trials shared
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whole story to cause hysteria with the witch trials. He took Abigail’s side in claiming a large majority of the townspeople are witches. He had the motive of keeping his materialistic personality under the radar‚ by doing that he is saving the little reputation he has and more importantly keeping him the job in which he acquires all of his money. Thomas Putnam had a bigger motive for starting these witch trials. Thomas Putnam helped spread the witch trials because he was bitter towards the Nurses
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In Maryse Conde’s novel‚"I‚ Tituba‚ Black Witch of Salem‚"Tituba went through various hardships in her life her witchcraft and being black got her into a lot of trouble. Also being with a man who turned on her. She ended up being hanged just when she finally got a chance to go back to Barbados she dies. Most stories of Tituba are always like this. But in article "The Further Transformation Of Tituba‚" we find that in Ann Petry’s book‚ "Tituba of Salem Village‚" she goes through little or no hardships
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him. The political foundation of this poem derives from the author’s aversion toward the act of bystanders who witness acts of evil or injustice. This poem is known as a great attack on McCarthyism. The townspeople who were too afraid to object the acts of the hangman symbolize the idle bystanders of McCarthyism that allowed innocent people’s lives to be ruined because they were too afraid to put their own reputations at stake by objecting the false accusations of Communism in America. After witnessing
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The knowledge of the English witch trials comes from the original procedural documents preserved in historical archives and the collection of dozens of accounts of witch trials in the form of prints that circulated in hundreds of copies among the interested readers from the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the eighteenth century. At the end of the 16th and early 17th century‚ people of high and low status believed in the ubiquity of witches. They were believed to be everywhere‚ a threat
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audience sympathizes with John Proctor not only because he has been falsely accused‚ but also because he is a representation of the human condition. In contrast‚ Miller causes the audience to despise the accusers in order to exemplify the injustice of McCarthyism. John Proctor is the primary character in the play that evokes pathos in the audience. Proctor made the infamous mistake of committing adultery and lechery with Abigail. “Abby‚ I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my
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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
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