Essay on The Crucible and the McCarthy Era - 498 Words

Arthur Millers The Crucible, depicts the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 but is analogous to the McCarthy trials of the 1950s. In both situations, widespread hysteria occurs, stemming from existing fears of the people of that particular era. The Salem witchhunt trials parallel the McCarthy era in three major aspects: unfounded accusations, hostile interrogation of numerous innocent people and the ruination and death of various peoples lives. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The unfounded accusations that Joseph McCarthy and the girls in The Crucible make are what fuels the widespread hysteria in both situations. McCarthy is quoted as declaring in a speech, quot;I have here in my hand a list of 205 that were known to the Secretary of†¦show more content†¦Throughout the Salem witch trials, Judge Danforth and Hathorne would constantly badger the accused to confess. In Act III, Hathorne claims, quot;How do you know, then, that you are not a witch?quot; (Pg. 1221) After Martha Corey denies herself being a witch, Hathorne persists by saying, quot;Why do you hurt these children?quot; The hostile interrogation of both periods failed to bring forth concrete evidence for a genuine communist or witch. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The ruination and deaths of various people of the McCarthy trials and the Salem witchhunt are appalling. Multitudinous amounts of people are affected by these trials. Over 2,000 people are accused and fired by their government positions by the end of the McCarthy trials. During the Salem witchhunt, at least twenty people are hung and 150 others are jailed. The lives of these people, being changed after the trials had to rebuild a new life for themselves. Peoples careers are destroyed and property is taken away, as a result. The ruination and deaths of various people are a result of Joseph McCarthys and the girls unfounded accusations. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Salem witchcraft trials are very similar to the McCarthy trials in three aspects: unfounded accusations, hostile interrogation of numerous innocent people and the ruination and death of various peoples lives. Mass accusations are made for personal gain and no good has resulted from theseShow MoreRelatedThe Crucible: An Allegory for the McCarthy Era Essay659 Words   |  3 PagesThe Crucible was written as an allegory for the McCarthy era in 1953 by Arthur Miller; an American playwright. The McCarthy era was epitomized by the fear of Communism that Senator McCarthy whipped up. He fostered a witch hunt against anyone who disagreed with his views. Miller’s intention was that the play would be a parody of his own context (himself) with John Proctor quite evidently being a reflection of Miller. The witches in the play symbolized communism. 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