Colby Geisinger
David Brickey
Frank Lisa
The Crucible and Its Context
1.
Many things happened throughout the play, The Crucible that related to Arthur Miller’s
life during the time of the 1950s. In 1950s United States what was called the Second Red Scare
was occurring. The first Red Scare occurred in the U.S. in the 1920s and now it was happening
again. The Americans feared that the Soviet Union wanted to spread Communism throughout the
world just as they had feared 30 years prior. The Second Red Scare brought a very familiar term
to the table. This term is McCarthyism. McCarthyism is the practice of unfair investigative
techniques, especially in order to restrict dissent or political criticism. The idea of McCarthyism
came from Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy who from 1950-1954 called for a Communism
Hunt very similar to the Witch Hunt in Salem during the 1690s. Not only was the whole concept
of the Communism Hunt versus the Witch Hunt very similar but the way the hunts were
conducted were also very much the same. One of the things that were similar was the
interrogation methods that were used. In the 50s McCarthy and his magistrates pressured
suspected people into confessing the crimes that they were accused of which was very similar to
how the local magistrates of Salem, Mass. examined the accused witches. Also while the
interrogations were occurring the suspects in both the 1690s and the 1950s were encouraged to
name anyone they knew associated to either witches or communists and if they did then those
people would receive less of a punishment. Many of the effects towards the public were very
similar also. The communist hunt instilled fear into the U.S. citizens while the witch hunt did the
exact same for the people of Salem, Mass. Both the people in the 1950s and 1690s would also
fear even their closest friends would name them either a communist or a witch which caused
very few neighbors to trust each other and many became bitter enemies. During these hunts
calling someone either a witch or a communist became a way of seeking vengeance on one’s
reputation. Along with very similar methods for interrogation and the effects on society, the
endings were also very similar. The hunts ended when the majority of the citizens began to
disapprove the idea of the hunts both communist and witch. In the autumn of Salem in 1692, the
doubts were quickly growing because of the thought of how many of the Salem’s most respected
figures were found guilty of witchcraft. In October of 1953, the American public witnessed
McCarthy’s harsh treatment of Military General Ralph Zwicker and many supporters began to
see him as “bullying, reckless, and dishonest.” Just as in Salem, the communist hunt during
author Arthur Miller’s life quickly dispersed. Although the events are separated by
approximately 260 years, the events are almost identical and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible really
demonstrates the idea of how history repeats itself and that it was a very suitable text for the time
of the 1950s.