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Looking back at the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692, and later on in the McCarthy trials, you can determine that fear was a ruling factor in the behavior of those involved. Arthur Miller was unmistaken when he stated in Why I wrote The Crucible: An Artist’s Answer to Politics by Arthur Miller that “fear doesn’t travel well; …it can warp judgment” (1). The fear that was instilled upon the people of Salem was that if anyone opposed the trials they were not only accused of overthrowing the court, they were also accused of overthrowing God – provoking charges of witchcraft. By using biblical allusions, Parris’ eager pursuit for “justice,” and Abigail’s vindictive actions Miller demonstrates through The Crucible that the application of power can instill so much fear in others that they succumb to submitting to immoral
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During the 1940s and 1950s Communism was an issue that was spreading from Eastern countries causing Americans to be fearful of its encroachment onto US soil. With the Soviet Union gaining more power the possibility of contention, or worse, was a disquieting actuality for many Americans. After China was taken ahold of by a Communist leader and when Western Europe seemed ready to become predominantly Communist, US citizens began to feel that Communism had the potential to envelope them. This internal unrest helped pave the way for Senator Joseph McCarthy to take advantage of the situation and claim that the State Department “was full of treasonous pro-Soviet intellectuals” (1). The subsequent McCarthy trials essentially paralleled the Salem trials that took place nearly two and a half centuries prior. Those who opposed power were ultimately …show more content…
Miller referred to her as the “human center of all this turmoil” (3) when she began accusing women in the town of witchcraft. Fear is what gave Abigail power over the town. The other townspeople were too afraid to accuse Abigail of false convictions for fear of being charged and hung as witches themselves. People betrayed neighbors either for their own safety or even for acquisition of land in some cases. The social morals of the town were muted with there a balancing act between right and wrong. Abigail was the hub of all of the turmoil and was the main source of control to which others submitted for fear of being
During the 1940s and 1950s Communism was an issue that was spreading from Eastern countries causing Americans to be fearful of its encroachment onto US soil. With the Soviet Union gaining more power the possibility of contention, or worse, was a disquieting actuality for many Americans. After China was taken ahold of by a Communist leader and when Western Europe seemed ready to become predominantly Communist, US citizens began to feel that Communism had the potential to envelope them. This internal unrest helped pave the way for Senator Joseph McCarthy to take advantage of the situation and claim that the State Department “was full of treasonous pro-Soviet intellectuals” (1). The subsequent McCarthy trials essentially paralleled the Salem trials that took place nearly two and a half centuries prior. Those who opposed power were ultimately …show more content…
Miller referred to her as the “human center of all this turmoil” (3) when she began accusing women in the town of witchcraft. Fear is what gave Abigail power over the town. The other townspeople were too afraid to accuse Abigail of false convictions for fear of being charged and hung as witches themselves. People betrayed neighbors either for their own safety or even for acquisition of land in some cases. The social morals of the town were muted with there a balancing act between right and wrong. Abigail was the hub of all of the turmoil and was the main source of control to which others submitted for fear of being