“Unfaithful lover long since dead. Life is sweet, be not shy. On thy feet. So sayeth I”- Hocus Pocus, 1993. McCarthyism and the Salem Witch Trials were both times of great shame for this country. Both featured charismatic individuals who orchestrated the delirium in service of their own malevolent goals. The two were fueled by two different types of fear, the fear of sin and the fear of nuclear war. They exemplified how the prejudice that divides society can leave everlasting scars. Together the trials highlighted the flaws of man and how hysteria affects masses. During these times of fear mongering public officials were eager to get their hands on any piece of evidence they could find. Investigators would use methods of persuasion and promise of safety in order to bring about any form of confession. In the 1950’s government officials would threaten celebrities with defamation so they would indict their friends.When Arthur Miller
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This is the way many leaders throughout the years have achieved their rise to power. In Salem the minority that was initially decided upon was the homeless and the outcasts. The church members could believe that these people were witches due to their social standing. It wasn’t until the hysteria got the best of the townsfolk that they started prosecuting god fearing people and the madness stopped. McCarthy chose to select a few select groups “The reason why we find ourselves in a position of impotency is not because our only powerful potential enemy has sent men to invade our shores . . . but rather because of the traitorous actions of those who have been treated so well by this Nation.”(McCarthy) The Senator went after many groups of people of american citizens such as government employees, homosexuals, and celebrities. He used the common people’s suspicions of government and hollywood to incriminate people he saw as
This is the way many leaders throughout the years have achieved their rise to power. In Salem the minority that was initially decided upon was the homeless and the outcasts. The church members could believe that these people were witches due to their social standing. It wasn’t until the hysteria got the best of the townsfolk that they started prosecuting god fearing people and the madness stopped. McCarthy chose to select a few select groups “The reason why we find ourselves in a position of impotency is not because our only powerful potential enemy has sent men to invade our shores . . . but rather because of the traitorous actions of those who have been treated so well by this Nation.”(McCarthy) The Senator went after many groups of people of american citizens such as government employees, homosexuals, and celebrities. He used the common people’s suspicions of government and hollywood to incriminate people he saw as