Student Question
Why is The Crucible banned?
Quick answer:
The Crucible was often banned in the 1950s because the play is an allegorical criticism of the US government's actions during McCarthyism. At the time, it was accused of being pro-communist and subverting traditional American values. Today, The Crucible is still banned in some school districts for its association with communism and controversial subject matter, including adultery, violence, and the supernatural.
The Crucible is an interesting case because in addition to it being
a often-banned work, its author, Arthur Miller, was persecuted by the US
government and eventually "blacklisted."
The Crucible opened in 1953, a time in which the American government,
spurred on by the lies of Senator Joseph McCarthy, was cracking down on
suspected communists. This period, called "McCarthyism" or the Second Red Scare
is widely considered to be an example of a modern-day witch hunt; most of the
individuals accused of being communist were innocent but lost their reputations
or careers anyway. In their search for communists, the government particularly
targeted artistic industries, including Hollywood and the theater community.
Individuals in these industries who were accused of communist activity or
refused to cooperate with investigators were often put on a “blacklist,” which
signaled to others in their industry that this person should not be hired.
Angered by what...
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he saw happening, Arthur Miller wroteThe Crucible as a bold critique of this mass paranoia, intending the corrupt witch hunts in Salem to serve as an allegory for the hysteria about communism that was gripping America. After The Crucible premiered, Miller was asked to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)—likely in part because of the critical nature of his play. Miller was charged with contempt of Congress and ended up blacklisted himself after he refused to provide HUAC with the names of other individuals present at the meetings he'd attended.
Miller's blacklisting and refusal to cooperate with HUAC impacted public attitudes toward the The Crucible, which was banned in some schools because parents felt its content was anti-American and pro-communist. Even after the Red Scare ended, the play continues to be regularly challenged and banned due to its controversial subject matter, including adultery, violence, and witchcraft and the occult. Some parents have also challenged The Crucible for being overly critical of Christianity and religion in general. Despite attempts to ban it, The Crucible remains one of the most famous works in American drama and is frequently included in high school literary curriculums.