The Crucible is
based on the witch trials that took place in 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts. The
crucible deals with many political and social issues. For example conflict
between community and a person, religion, discrimination, and socialism. The
main point of this political issue is McCarthyism.
As
Arthur Miller wrote the Crucible, McCarthyism was the hot political issue in
the United States. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s
America was overwhelmed with concerns about the threat of communism growing in
Eastern Europe and China. Capitalizing on those concerns, a young Senator named
Joseph McCarthy made a public accusation that more than two hundred “card-carrying”
communists had infiltrated the United States government. Though eventually his
accusations were proven to be untrue, and he was censured by the Senate for
unbecoming conduct, his zealous campaigning ushered in one of the most
repressive times in 20th-century American politics. As a results thousands of
Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers
Arthur Miller could draw parallels with the
events of McCarthyism in 1950s America and the accusations of witchcraft in
Salem. Salem was a
great opportunity for Miller to explain to the world how the McCarthy Era
undermined the American community. People of Salem made a false confession to
avoid hanging. Salem witch trials made people be accused being witches as
McCarthyism made people be accused being communists .Miller was not concerned
with the reality of actual witches but with the unwillingness of the court
officials to admit and believe that they were wrong and that there aren't
witches in Salem.
Besides, Arthur Miller dealt with conflict
with community and a person. At that time era, the Christian religion was only
a religion to all people. However, John Proctor had no religion and didn’t
believe god. It also deals conflict of religion. In addition, as Hale and
Parris suppressed to Tituba and Sarah Good, they fellow and accepted everything
that they’ve never done. Hale and Parris seemed form community. Then Tituba and
Sarah formed like a person. But, when Hale and Parris suppressed John Proctor
as they’ve done to Tituba and Sarah, John didn’t follow them. Then he said “You
will not use me! I am no Sarah Good or Tituba, I am John Proctor! You will not
use me! It is no part of salvation that you should use me!” Act 1 page 1272
line 9. Finally, the result that John didn’t allow them was death. He had to
choose death to not allow them. Accordingly this novel shows how inhumane if a
person didn’t allow a community.
In
addition, the Crucible is dealing with discrimination. At that time period,
many African Black slaves were in the United States. In this story, Tituba was
only an African black in the Salem. So, when Hale was suspicious Abigail, she
made up a fictitious lie about Tituba. Then hale believe that lie easily
without any doubts. That means there was discrimination about African black,
and people took black people for an easy mark. Arthur Miller reflected
awareness of people who lived at that time period about black people.
In conclusions, Arthur Miller wrote the story
reflecting the political and social issues of the time. Especially Miller completely
dealt with McCarthyism through witch trials in Salem. So ‘The Crucible'
successfully draws a parallel with the events of McCarthyism in 1950s America.
