The Crucible And Its Parallels With Mccarthyism And Salem Witch Trials

The Crucible is a play about the Salem Witch Trials and how it played out. Communism is a society where the government gives property and work based on what they actually need. What are the parallels or mirrors between The Crucible and McCarthyism? The parallels between The Crucible and McCarthyism are blacklisting, false accusations, and blackmailing.

Document A is about Mr.Kazan and how he testified before the HUAC twice. The first time he didn't give the information he should have so he went back a second time.

The information he gave was a list of names of believed communists. Mr.Kazan state ?I have come to the conclusion that I did wrong to withhold these names before, because secrecy serves the Communists, and is exactly what they want?. Doc A relates to Doc B in the way that people are getting accused without proper evidence. Doc B is about Hale trying to names of possible witches from Tituba but instead Abigail and Betty began to yell out names.

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Hale exclaims ?Glory to God! It is broken, they are free!? when Abigail and Betty begin to yell names. The parallel between The Crucible and McCarthyism is the naming. Peoples names are being called and blacklisted for something they probably aren't even a part of.

In Document C Joseph McCarthy claims to have a list of 205 people that are known Communists but still work in shaping the policy of the State Department. Over the next few weeks McCarthy drastically changed that number to 57 then up to 81 then back down to 71.

Joseph McCarthy's exact words were ?I have here a list of two hundred and five that were known to Secretary of State as being members of the Communisy Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department?. Doc relates the Doc D in the way that people are being put on a list that most likely doesn't even relate to them at all. Doc Dis about Hale and Danforth discussing the fate of Rebecca Nurse. Hale states ?I have this morning signed away the soul of Rebecca Nurse, Your Honor?. The Parallels between The Crucible and McCarthysimis people's fate being decided by others only because of the accusations of someone else.

Document E is Einstein's letter in which he speaks about the problems intellectuals face in the country and Mr.Seeger taking Einsteins advice. In his letter Einstein states ?Reactionary politicians have managed to instill suspicion of all intellectual efforts into the public by dangling before their eyes a danger from without?? Doc E relates to Doc F by the fact that people need to watch what they do and hope they don't get involved in problems. Doc F in about Giles and how he died by press after not giving names of believed witches. Elizabeth told Proctor ?Great stones they lay upon his chest until he plead aye or nay?. The parallels between The Crucible and McCarthyism here is if you dont give information people want to hear, even if it is false, you would have to suffer the consequences for it.

So there are many parallels between The Crucible and McCarthyism. These parallels include blacklisting, false accusations, and blackmailing. Blacklisting occured when someone mention your name as a believed witch or communists. The false accusations occured when you were placed a witch or communist just because someone else said it. Blackmailing occured when people were threatened with their lives if they did not give people information even if it was false information.

Works cited

1. Arthur Miller. (1953). The Crucible. Penguin Classics.
2. Kazan, E. (1952). Testimony Before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/elias-kazan-house-un-american-activities-committee-testimony
3. Hale, J. (1953). The Crucible. Penguin Classics.
4. McCarthy, J. (1950). Speech on Communists in Government. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/joseph-mccarthy
5. Miller, A. (1952). The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. Viking Press.
6. Einstein, A. (1949). Letter to the New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1949/08/14/archives/einstein-deplores-smear-campaigns-against-us-intellectuals-says.html
7. Moss, R. (1987). McCarthy. Random House.
8. Fried, A. (1952). The Witch Trials of Salem. John Wiley & Sons.
9. Miller, A. (1996). The Crucible: A Screenplay. Viking Press.
10. Schrecker, E. (1998). Many Are the Crimes: McCarthyism in America. Princeton University Press.