Mccarthyism In The Crucible

McCarthyism is a term used to describe the actions of US Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House of Un-American Committee during the span of the Second Red Scare. Lasting from 1947 to 1956, this movement was characterized by political oppression as well as a campaign led by Senator McCarthy spreading fear that America was under serious influence from the Communist party. He convinced a majority of the nation that many of those in impactful positions such as governmental figures or even the local media could possibly be Soviet secret agents. While McCarthyism ran rampant crippling the politics of America, playwright Arthur Miller displayed the unsubstantiated assertions of communism through the claims of witchcraft in his play set in 17th century New England. Arthur Miller, a victim of …show more content…
The play exemplified the “witch-hunt” affirming that of McCarthyism in numerous ways such as paranoia insinuating from the strict religious community, the unfair analysis of those accused and the townspeople being unwilling to stand up against the court in fear of their own prosecution. It is evident that because of Miller’s personal experience with an accusation of being associated with communism, that he was able to mirror his play to the happenings of America so closely. Politics aside, the actions in the hunt for communism so closely represented the hunt for witchcraft and causing a fantastic metaphor in which each detail of the play can be broken down and related to a historical occasion. The Crucible so closely tells the story of the actual Salem Witch trials, while at the same time telling the story of what Arthur Miller and thousands of Americans experienced in the 1950s. This creates such an impactful platform for the play and is able to tell such a versatile story which will make it live on in American