The Result of People`s Fear

Throughout the history of the United States there have been different instances of fear and betrayal.Treatment of Japanese-Americans,the Salem witch trials, and the McCarthyism trials peoples´ fear and betrayal caused great deal of harm to the people involved.During these times in the United States people weren't able to trust anyone.McCarthyism was about the scare of communism in the United States during the cold war.The Japanese internment camp happened due to the fear felt after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Also Salem witch trials were based off the fear of witches in the town.First example is the Japanese Internment Camps during World War 2.

As said in “Farewell to Manzanar” ”Men who cooperated with camp authorities in anyway could be labeled inu,as well as those genuine informers inside the camp who relayed information to the War Department and the FBI”(J.W Houston and J.Houston 5).During this time in American history Japanese Americans couldn't even trust each other due to the fear about people working with the U.

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S government or even the Japanese Emperor.”I was hurrying back to the barracks when I heard a great commotion inside the mess hall,men shouting wildly,as if a fire had broken out”(J.W Houston and J.Houston 31).Due to the fear of either being sent to a high security camp or being drafted in World War 2 to fight against Japan.George Takei lived in multiple different internment camps and talks about his experiences.

George Takei says in his interview about his life in the internment camps.

”American citizens of Japanese ancestry, were looked on with suspicion and fear and with outright hatred simply because we happened to look like the people that bombed Pearl Harbor”(Takei 3).After the attack on Pearl Harbor,most if not all of American citizens were scared of the fact that they might attack America again.Due to the attack it scared people to discriminate against the Japanese Americans.As stated in the text”Young Japanese-Americans, like all young Americans, rushed to their draft board to volunteer to fight for our country. That act of patriotism was answered with a slap in the face. We were denied service, and categorized as enemy non-alien”(Takei 9).Japanese-Americans wanted to help the country that they live in but they were marked as an enemy to the country just because of their race.Japanese Americans weren't allowed to join the military due to their descent.Salem Witch Trials also caused mass amounts of betrayal in a little town.

As stated in Act 3.”I pray you, Mr. Parris. Do you know, Mr. Proctor, that the entire contention of the state in these trials is that the voice of Heaven is speaking through the children”(Miller 85).Danforth was betraying what the people were saying and making it seem like he is always in the right.If you go against the Judge you are in the wrong.In Act 2 of “The Crucible” it is stated that “Excellency,it is a natural lie to tell; I beg you,stop now before another is condemned”(Miller 425).Reverend Hale knew that the people were being falsely accused of being witches.People were betraying other people in the town to save themselves from getting jailed or hanged.The play “The Crucible” was an allegory to what was happening with the red scare.

The red scare caused a lot of fear and betrayal in America during the time.”There were certainly Communists in 1950s America, and many of those who were lionized as victims of McCarthyism at the time, such as the Rosenbergs and Alger Hiss (a former State Department official), were later found to have been in the pay of the Soviet Union”(Allegory 4).People in the U.S were worried about people being communists in the country.Some people were caught being a communist so it only raised concern over the matter of Russia spying on us.”The policy resulted in a whirlwind of accusations. As people began to realize that they might be condemned as Communists regardless of their innocence, many “cooperated,” attempting to save themselves through false confessions, creating the image that the United States was overrun with Communists and perpetuating the hysteria”(Allegory 3).

Citizens in the United States started blaming each other to keep themselves from being labeled a communist by the government.People who got accused of being a communist lost their jobs,blacklisted ,and were also fined even if they were innocent.People say fear can bring the best out of some people in the world.Fear has the ability to bring out the best in people due to them not knowing what is gonna happen.In the story “Farewell to Manzanar” “Mama kept pouring tea”(J.W Houston and J.Houston).Mama always kept calm and was caring even with the things going on in the camp and the world.Even with the fear of moving to another camp or her son going to war she was always caring towards people.“Had seen him cry a few times before.It only happened when he was singing or when someone else sang a song that moved him”(J.W Houston and J.Houston).Papa still had his soft spots even with his actions that he has done in the camp so far.Fear can also get the absolute worst out of people in certain situations.

Fear can still also bring out the worst in peopleIn “Farewell to Manzanar” it is stated that ”I was hurrying back to the barracks when I heard a great commotion inside the mess hall,men shouting wildly,as if a fire had broken out”(J.W Houston and J.Houston 31).Papa in the story happens to get into a fight because of the fear of what could happen depending on what each person ended up answering on the loyalty oath. During the red scare it is said that ”The policy resulted in a whirlwind of accusations. As people began to realize that they might be condemned as Communists regardless of their innocence, many “cooperated,” attempting to save themselves through false confessions, creating the image that the United States was overrun with Communists and perpetuating the hysteria”(Allegory 3). People in America were scared of someone accusing them of something they didn't do that they were willing to accuse other people who aren't communists to save themselves.

In Conclusion, throughout the history of the United States there have been different instances of fear and betrayal.Treatment of Japanese-Americans,the Salem witch trials, and the McCarthyism trials peoples´ fear and betrayal caused great deal of harm to the people involved.During the times of the Japanese internment camps during World War 2 fear of what was gonna happen to the Japanese Americans was at a all time high and people were worried about betrayal from their own people.George Takei talks about his experiences inside of the internment camps during World War 2.

Family ended up getting sent to the high security camps due to the answers they gave.During the Salem Witch trials people were scared of witches being in their town they blamed random people to save themselves from the court.In the Cold War people in America were terrified of the idea of Communists being in the country they blamed random people to help them stay in the clear.Fear can cause people to do irrational things to keep themselves safe from authorities that they were willing to betray people in their own country or town.