Comparing Mccarthyism And The Crucible By Arthur Miller

The McCarthy era is often remembered as one of the most astounding moments in American history. Joseph McCarthy horrified the public with his threats of Communism; millions of people lost their jobs, their reputations, and their dignity. However, few people think to equate Arthur Miller’s most famous piece of literature, The Crucible, to the Red Scare. The tale of a tight-knit Puritan community afflicted by witchcraft could hardly compare to the real scare that the nation faced in the 1950s. In reality, there are many parallels between the Red Scare and the Salem Witch Trials, but more specifically between McCarthyism and The Crucible, including unfair accusations, name calling and finger pointing, loss of reputation, the use of cautious diction …show more content…
In The Crucible, Abigail first points fingers at Tituba, her slave from Barbados, screaming, “[s]he made me do it! She made Betty do it!” when she is asked if she has called the Devil (Miller 160). She is aware that Tituba is an easy target because she is known to practice voodoo. There are many other unfounded accusations made during the trials, including the accusations of Sarah Good, Goody Osburn, Elizabeth Proctor, Martha Corey, and Rebecca Nurse. The McCarthy trials were comparable in this sense, especially when McCarthy first claimed during a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia that he had a list of 205 employees working for the State Department that were known to be Communist members (Brown). The allegations were false, which was proven when McCarthy changed his numbers, from 205 to 81, then to 57, and finally to 10 (“McCarthy Says Communists Are In State Department”). Both the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy trials accused many people who had done nothing wrong, which added to the intense fear factor of both trials. Some were seen as “easy targets,” especially those who were generally reclusive, vitriolic, or independent, such as Martha Carrier, whose venomous speech earned her a place in the gallows. Others were accused for their connections to others who were accused; hundreds of screenwriters, directors, and actors were blacklisted for their association with the Hollywood …show more content…
People in both eras lost their jobs and were forced into social quarantine when they were accused (Brown). Any acquantances or family members were quickly found guilty by association, so many were alone during their trials. No one had the audacity to stand up to the afflicted girls or Joseph McCarthy. One prime example of the loss of reputation is when Elizabeth Proctor testifies before the judges and says her husband did not commit the crime of lechery (Miller 194). The judges then believe that John lied in his confession and his reputation as an honest man has been ruined (Miller 195). The same situation occurred again during the McCarthy era, particularly in the case of the Hollywood Ten. The Hollywood Ten “refused to cooperate on the grounds that answering the committee’s questions would legitimize inquiry into political beliefs and associations” and were convicted for contempt of Congress; all ten were blacklisted permanently and served short prison terms (Wall). These ten were never allowed to return to their original positions, although some others who were blacklisted did work under pseudonyms. Anyone who was associated with the Hollywood Ten was added to the blacklist, making it nearly impossible for them to find work. This mentality of “guilt by association” rippled through the crowd. No one was safe from the accusations of the afflicted girls in Salem or Joseph McCarthy in