Jared Keim
Mr. Bowne
AP English Language and Composition III
January 24, 2017
Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” These powerful words were meant to convince the American people to stop fearing that the economy would collapse after the Great Depression, but can be applied to a plethora of historical events. Fear has been used as a tactic throughout history and literature as a method for people to achieve their desired outcome. Fear is also exercised to get political power. Powerful people are those that understand how to get others to fear something and believe they can fix it, while the followers are those that succumb to fear.
In The Crucible, Abigail Williams incites fear in the public by creating a hysteria behind witches which results in the formation of a mob of women that will do as Abigail says. Abigail is able to put fear into Mary Warren forcing her to turn her back on John Proctor and giving a false testimony. John Proctor is left unable to prove the girls’ perjury and can only be thought of as guilty. Reverend Parris is also influenced by fear when he urges the judges to condemn the accused to death, but allow them …show more content…
In the 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin used the fear of communism to convince the American public that the Democrats were in bed with the communists to further his fame and political career. Joseph McCarthy said, “The State Department is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department." The Cold War was occurring during this time period and the conflict was escalated by the victory of the communists in the Chinese Civil War. By scaring the American public, McCarthy drew massive media attention to him and won his next
Mr. Bowne
AP English Language and Composition III
January 24, 2017
Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” These powerful words were meant to convince the American people to stop fearing that the economy would collapse after the Great Depression, but can be applied to a plethora of historical events. Fear has been used as a tactic throughout history and literature as a method for people to achieve their desired outcome. Fear is also exercised to get political power. Powerful people are those that understand how to get others to fear something and believe they can fix it, while the followers are those that succumb to fear.
In The Crucible, Abigail Williams incites fear in the public by creating a hysteria behind witches which results in the formation of a mob of women that will do as Abigail says. Abigail is able to put fear into Mary Warren forcing her to turn her back on John Proctor and giving a false testimony. John Proctor is left unable to prove the girls’ perjury and can only be thought of as guilty. Reverend Parris is also influenced by fear when he urges the judges to condemn the accused to death, but allow them …show more content…
In the 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin used the fear of communism to convince the American public that the Democrats were in bed with the communists to further his fame and political career. Joseph McCarthy said, “The State Department is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department." The Cold War was occurring during this time period and the conflict was escalated by the victory of the communists in the Chinese Civil War. By scaring the American public, McCarthy drew massive media attention to him and won his next