The Crucible: Test (Essay)
The McCarthy trials of the 1950s were a troubling time for Americans. Trust had evaporated while paranoia flooded the population. Playwright Arthur Miller noticed a parallel between these trials and the Salem Witch Trials of pre colonial America. He authored a piece set in 1600s Salem, but the narrative’s purpose was to open people’s eyes to the atrocities being committed in present time. However, not only is the play itself an allegory for McCarthyism, but each character is treated in a similar fashion. Miller personifies different aspects of human conflict through each character in order to create a timeless narrative alerting readers to injustice in their own time period and encouraging them to speak out against it.
Reverend Samuel Parris is one of the more easily spotted examples of Miller’s technique. At the time of his introduction, he is merely a worried parent, steadfastly unbelieving in any kind of “unnatural causes” despite others’ persistence (Miller 9). However, this swiftly changes, as Parris realizes how the …show more content…
Because Miller’s characters are not simply characters, their actions and qualities can be seen in countless situations not targeted by him as well as within the Witch and McCarthy trials. It is important to know that there is always a risk of a conflict of this sort arising, so it is equally essential to know how to identify it. That is why The Crucible is such a vital piece of literature. Miller, in an effort to make aware the people of his own time to the actuality of their situation, has forged a tool that can be used by all future generations to prevent tragedies like the Salem Witch and McCarthy trials from befalling the world once
The McCarthy trials of the 1950s were a troubling time for Americans. Trust had evaporated while paranoia flooded the population. Playwright Arthur Miller noticed a parallel between these trials and the Salem Witch Trials of pre colonial America. He authored a piece set in 1600s Salem, but the narrative’s purpose was to open people’s eyes to the atrocities being committed in present time. However, not only is the play itself an allegory for McCarthyism, but each character is treated in a similar fashion. Miller personifies different aspects of human conflict through each character in order to create a timeless narrative alerting readers to injustice in their own time period and encouraging them to speak out against it.
Reverend Samuel Parris is one of the more easily spotted examples of Miller’s technique. At the time of his introduction, he is merely a worried parent, steadfastly unbelieving in any kind of “unnatural causes” despite others’ persistence (Miller 9). However, this swiftly changes, as Parris realizes how the …show more content…
Because Miller’s characters are not simply characters, their actions and qualities can be seen in countless situations not targeted by him as well as within the Witch and McCarthy trials. It is important to know that there is always a risk of a conflict of this sort arising, so it is equally essential to know how to identify it. That is why The Crucible is such a vital piece of literature. Miller, in an effort to make aware the people of his own time to the actuality of their situation, has forged a tool that can be used by all future generations to prevent tragedies like the Salem Witch and McCarthy trials from befalling the world once