Evaluation of Essay #1
o Highlight thesis statements red
o Highlight all quotes and concrete details, examples from the play blue
o Highlight your commentary yellow
The Crucible Model
Essay #1
When Arthur Miller conceived his play, The Crucible, it was because he was living in a time in America
when fear and political corruption were surfacing from the threat of communism or the Red Scare. Miller saw
a parallel between the lies and pursuit of power by Joseph McCarthy, a Senator from Wisconsin who wanted
to create some interest in his reelection campaign, and the lies and power that existed in the Puritan village of
Salem, Massachusetts. Accusing friends, neighbors, or in the case of the 1950’s government leaders of
communism looked just like the accusations of witchcraft during the 1690’s. There was no hard evidence or
people were taken to jail just on hearsay. He also saw a relationship between the powerful magistrates of
Salem and some members of the Republican Party abuse the trust of the common man in order to protect
their own reputations or further their own agendas. He recognized in both American incidences that truth was
ignored and reason was abandoned. As Miller states in his play through the character of John Proctor,
“fear…can warp judgment.” It was witchcraft in the 1690’s and Communism in the 1950’s that had our country
in a state of confusion and fear.
In Miller’s time, America was already in a state of anxiety because China and Russia were both
communistic superpowers that threatened our national security. American families were taught how to
prepare for the possible attacks. Bomb shelters were part of most homes. Children were taught in schools
how to respond to bomb raids. Political debates centered on the threats of communist powers. The country
was primed for Senator McCarthy to come before the Senate with blank sheets of paper, or paper with fake
names on it, and claim that he had personal knowledge of Communist sympathizers within the national
government. Fear grew to outrage as the US Army Hearings were held in order to hunt for the “Reds.” Many
innocent people accused of being communists or at least sympathizers lost their jobs, their positions of
influence, and some their families or association with friends. The lying accusations of McCarthy became a
“witch hunt.”
Miller admits in “Why I Wrote The Crucible” that writing this play was “an act of desperation.” He saw
that the reality of a country running scared because of one man’s political aspirations had to be stopped; and
if some reform in the process of determining truth could be implemented, it needed to be done now—before
too many people were hurt. He wanted the American people to recognize that not only was the delegation
from Wisconsin lying to the American people, but that even the government committee organized to
investigate McCarthy’s accusations was running wild. He wanted to expose Senator McCarthy and any of the
Republican Party who were associated with this corruptive abuse of power. Miller wanted to set America on a
path of truth, not on another Salem “witch hunt.” Setting his play in Salem, Massachusetts seemed an
obvious match and one that he could assume most Americans would understand or relate to.
Another reason for using the Salem witch trials to parallel McCarthy’s hunt for “Reds” is that the
Senate organized the Army Hearings because McCarthy accused so many military leaders of being
communists. In these hearings, McCarthy proposed that those accused of Communism could have clemency
if they would in turn accuse their friends, co-workers, other government officials, or family members who were
suspected Communist sympathizers. This practice of clemency ran parallel to the practices of the Puritans in
the 1690’s, when the accused were offered forgiveness and life if they would accuse their neighbor. Miller
sought to show the absurdity of such a practice of justice. He learned that many of his own associates were
afraid to protest too strongly against McCarthy or the Senate hearings because they might be hauled off to jail
as well. In Miller’s play, Rev. Hale and John Proctor are two characters who speak out against the court for the
same reason, declaring that the people “have a fear of the court.” How can justice prevail, if people are
willing to lie to the courts just to save their own necks—literally—from the gallows. By the end of the Senate
Hearings, a famous phrase would be echoed against all who were associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy
“have you no sense of decency.” The fearful frenzy and absurdity of McCarthy’s campaign finally ended when
he went too far, and the Senate adjourned the hearing and dismissed him. He would later live in obscurity.
Truth and trust would be restored to the American government. The play by Arthur Miller would become an
American classic because it represented what could be the worst and the best of America’s government and
society.
If a writer writes in order to get his audience to wake up and take notice of bad practices, surely this
piece of literature is one that has done just that. We might not be completely purged of the abuses of
government power or even of the possibility that fear can run rampant through a community and destroy its
unity, but we do have literature like Arthur Miller’s The Crucible to remind us and help us avoid repeating
history.
The Crucible Model
Essay #1
When Arthur Miller conceived his play, The Crucible, it was because he was living in a time in America when
fear and political corruption were surfacing from the threat of communism or the Red Scare. Miller saw a parallel
between the lies and pursuit of power by Joseph McCarthy, a Senator from Wisconsin who wanted to create some
interest in his reelection campaign, and the lies and power that existed in the Puritan village of Salem, Massachusetts.
Accusing friends, neighbors, or in the case of the 1950’s government leaders of communism looked just like the
accusations of witchcraft during the 1690’s. There was no hard evidence or people were taken to jail just on hearsay.
He also saw a relationship between the powerful magistrates of Salem and some members of the Republican Party
abuse the trust of the common man in order to protect their own reputations or further their own agendas. He
recognized in both American incidences that truth was ignored and reason was abandoned. As Miller states in his
play through the character of John Proctor, “fear…can warp judgment.” It was witchcraft in the 1690’s and Communism
in the 1950’s that had our country in a state of confusion and fear.
In Miller’s time, America was already in a state of anxiety because China and Russia were both communistic
superpowers that threatened our national security. American families were taught how to prepare for the possible
attacks. Bomb shelters were part of most homes. Children were taught in schools how to respond to bomb raids.
Political debates centered on the threats of communist powers. The country was primed for Senator McCarthy to
come before the Senate with blank sheets of paper, or paper with fake names on it, and claim that he had personal
knowledge of Communist sympathizers within the national government. Fear grew to outrage as the US Army
Hearings were held in order to hunt for the “Reds.” Many innocent people accused of being communists or at least
sympathizers lost their jobs, their positions of influence, and some their families or association with friends. The lying
accusations of McCarthy’ became a “witch hunt.”
Miller admits in “Why I Wrote The Crucible” that writing this play was “an act of desperation.” He saw that the
reality of a country running scared because of one man’s political aspirations had to be stopped; and if some reform in
the process of determining truth could be implemented, it needed to be done now—before too many people were hurt.
He wanted the American people to recognize that not only was the delegation from Wisconsin lying to the American
people, but that even the government committee organized to investigate McCarthy’s accusations was running wild.
He wanted to expose Senator McCarthy and any of the Republican Party who were associated with this corruptive
abuse of power. He wanted to set America on a path of truth, not on another Salem “witch hunt”. Setting his play in
Salem, Massachusetts seemed an obvious match and one that he could assume most Americans would understand or
relate to.
Another reason for using the Salem witch trials to parallel McCarthy’s hunt for “Reds” is that the Senate
organized the Army Hearings because McCarthy accused so many military leaders of being communists. In these
hearings, McCarthy proposed that those accused of Communism could have clemency if they would in turn accuse
their friends, co-workers, other government officials, or family members who were suspected Communist
sympathizers. This practice of clemency ran parallel to the practices of the Puritans in the 1690’s, when the accused
were offered forgiveness and life if they would accuse their neighbor. Miller sought to show the absurdity of such a
practice of justice. He learned that many of his own associates were afraid to protest too strongly against McCarthy or
the Senate hearings because they might be hauled off to jail as well. Rev. Hale in Miller’s play is the character who
speaks out against the court for the same reason. How can justice prevail, if people are willing to lie to the courts just
save their own necks, literally. By the end of the Senate Hearings, a famous phrase would be echoed against all who
were associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy “have you not sense of decency.” The fearful frenzy and absurdity of
McCarthy’s campaign finally ended when he went too far, and the Senate finally stopped him. He would later live in
obscurity. Truth and trust would be restored to the American government. And the play by Arthur Miller would become
an American classic because it represented what could be the worst and the best of America justice and court
systems.
If a writer writes in order to get his audience to wake up and take notice of bad practices, surely this piece of
literature is one that has done just that. We might not be completely purged of the abuses of government power or
even of the possibility that fear can run rampant through a community and destroy its unity, but we do have literature
like Arthur Miller’s The Crucible to remind us and help us avoid repeating history.