The Crucible Group

Question:

ferreras
ferreras
Student
High School - 11th Grade

Explain what events in Miller's America the play parallels and what Miller is saying about them.

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Posted by ferreras on Thursday November 5, 2009 at 10:44 AM and tagged with false accusation, hyteria, millers, paranoia, salem, the crucible.

Answers:


  1. pohnpei397 Teacher
    Community / Jr. College

    eNotes Editor

    Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" was written during the 1950s as a criticism of the McCarthyism that was going on in America at that time.

    This was near to the beginning of the Cold War and the United States was very worried about communist expansion around the world.  Because of this worry, some people also became worried about possible communists within the United States who might be working  to help the Soviet Union dominate the world.  Because of this, there was a "Red Scare" in which many people suspected of being communists lost their jobs and came under other forms of pressure.

    In the play, Miller is arguing that the Red Scare is like a witch hunt where people who really haven't done any harm are being accused and destroyed at the whim of their accusers.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/crucible/historical-context

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    Posted by pohnpei397 on Thursday November 5, 2009 at 10:51 AM