Arthur Miller
1915-2005
• He was born in New York.
• His father owned a clothing-manufacturing
business and owned a shop; he lost everything
during The Great Depression.
• His father’s loss impacted Miller and almost all his
writing.
• He did odd-jobs after high school to earn money
for college.
Miller . . .
He graduated
from the University
of Michigan with an
English degree and
a desire to write
drama.
After several
“flops”, he
eventually gained
fame through
several of his plays.
Trouble Rears Its Head . . .
• In the 1950s, headed by Joseph McCarthy, Congress
established the House Un-American Activities
Committee (HUAC) in response to the fear of
communism (a.k.a. The Red Scare).
• The committee was set-up to “investigate” a
potential communist conspiracy.
• This became known as “McCarthyism” because
Senator McCarthy lead the practice of making
accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason
without proper regard for evidence.
Trouble Rears Its Head . . .
• Many in the entertainment business were targeted:
– screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other
U.S. entertainment professionals
• Once they were under investigation by the HUAC
many of these people were blacklisted.
• They were denied employment in their field because of their
political beliefs or associations, real or suspected.
Trouble Rears Its Head . . .
• Artists were blacklisted on the basis of one or more
of the following reasons.
– Alleged membership in or sympathy toward
the American Communist Party,
– Involvement in liberal or humanitarian political causes
that enforcers of the blacklist associated with
communism
– Refusal to assist investigations into Communist Party
activities
– Some were blacklisted merely because their names
came up at the wrong place and time.
Miller Writes The Crucible
• The questioning done by the HUAC reminded
Miller of the witch hunts in Colonial America,
especially after visiting Salem, MA in 1952.
• Miller’s friend Elia Kazan had been called before
the HUAC and chose to “save” himself by naming
names, which included Miller.
• Miller immediately proceeded to write The
Crucible; its relevance to the current U.S.
situation was clear, and after the play was written
it caused problems for Miller.
Miller’s HUAC Problems
• U.S. State Dept. would not renew Miller’s passport
to travel to Belgium to view a 1953 production of
The Crucible.
• Miller was questioned by the HUAC in 1956; he
refused to name names and was cited for contempt,
fined, sentenced to jail time.
• His sentence was overturned in 1958; he never
went to jail.
The Purpose Behind The Crucible
 The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller in 1953 as an
allegory for McCarthyism or the so called (second) Red Scare.
 An allegory is an extended metaphor where characters or events
represent or symbolize ideas and concepts.
 Miller felt many personal convictions to McCarthyism as a
result of a multitude of events that happened in his life.
 Wanting to point out to the world the amazing parallel
between the unjust Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and the
(second) Red Scare from 1948 to 1956, Miller wrote The
Crucible to make a powerful statement about the dangers of
hysteria and the dehumanization that can result.
The Purpose Behind The Crucible
 He compared the Communist hearings to the witch hunts of
Salem, where gossip, rumors, and fear were evidence enough
to convict people.
 The term “witch hunt” now applies to any activity where
people are looking for a scapegoat or where they are using
accusations to get revenge or to get personal gain or
attention.
Crucible Definition
• The dictionary defines a crucible in the following
ways: as a vessel of metal or other material used
for heating substances to high temperatures; a
hollow area at the bottom of a furnace in which
liquid metal collects; or any severe or searching
test. A crucible has great forces applied to it, and
its contents often are melted, changed, or
destroyed.
• Why do you think Arthur Miller chose to name his
play about the Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible?