The Crucible and mcCarthyism

1. Drama and Allegory The Crucible and mcCarthyism

2. The Crucible In 1953, legendary writer Arthur Miller depicted a story based on actual facts; facts which remain horrifying even to this day, despite being based on events which took place over 300 years ago.The story is a terrifying depiction of how the accusations of a group of children stirred up such fear in their small community that it led to persecution and hangings. But, what makes the story so touching even till this day is that it applies to all “witch hunts” taking place every day.

3. Communism • Communism is a sociopolicial movement that aims for a classless society structured upon communal ownership of the means of production and the end of wage labor and private property. The exact definition of communism varies and it is commonly used interchangeably with “socialism,” however, communist theory contends that socialism is just a transitionary stage on the way to communism.

4. The Rise of Communism • First Red Scare – 1917-1920 • Russian Revolution – 1919 (Animal Farm!) • People accused/jailed with little or no evidence • Second Red Scare – 1947 • Spread of Communism to Eastern Europe • Iron Curtain / Cold War • In 1949, Mao Zedong took power in China • Western Europe became increasingly Communist…especially Italy

5. The Iron Curtain • From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an “Iron Curtain” has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of control from Moscow. - Winston Churchill

6. The Spread Of Communism • Eastern European countries under control of the Soviet Union • Estonia • Latvia • Lithuania • Russia • Byelorussia • Ukraine • Moldavia • East Germany / East Berlin • Poland • Czechoslovakia • Hungary • Yugoslavia • Albania • Bulgaria • With Communism spreading, there was fear that it would spread to America as well. (Fear + Panic = Hysteria)

7. Joseph McCarthy American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. February 9, 1950, he gave a Lincoln Day speech to the Republican Women's Club of Wheeling, West Virginia. He said: "The State Department is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department.“ December 2, 1954, the Senate voted to censure him, making him one of the few senators ever to be disciplined in this fashion.

8. What is McCarthyism? • McCarthyism is a term used to describe the making of accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Red Scare. • Originally coined to criticize the anti-communist pursuits of Senator Joseph McCarthy, "McCarthyism" soon took on a broader meaning, describing the excesses of similar efforts. The term is also now used more generally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries.

9. McCarthy Hearings • The Army–McCarthy hearings were a series of hearings held by the US Senate's Subcommittee on Investigations between March and June 1954. The hearings were held for the purpose of investigating conflicting accusations between the Army and McCarthy • The Senate decided that these conflicting charges should be investigated • In all, 395 executive session witnesses and 214 public session witnesses were examined. Ninety-eight witnesses were called before the Army–McCarthy hearings in executive session, including Cohn himself, while 44 were called for public testimony. • Later seen as a modern day witch hunt.

10. “Why I Wrote The Crucible”- Arthur Miller • The State Dept. hounded and fired officers who knew China, its language, and its culture. • Alien conspiracies dominated political discourse. • Paralysis of liberals who were fearful of being identified as Communists. • House Committee on Un-American Activities reached Hollywood and unleashed holy terror on actors, directors, writers. • Head of Columbia Pictures sent Miller’s screenplay “The Hook” to the F.B.I. • Wanted to change the gangsters to Communists.

11. Why I Wrote…cont. • American thinking was “becoming so magical, so paranoid….I lacked the tools to illuminate miasma.” (a dangerous, foreboding, or deathlike atmosphere) • Miller kept being drawn by the 1950’s hearings and by Salem witch trials which he began reading about at this time. • Read Mayor Upham’s 2 volume, thousand page account of Salem witch trials. • Read transcripts of witchcraft trials of 1692. • Miller’s marriage was falling apart, like John Proctor’s…saw connection. • Proctor trying to overcome his paralyzing guilt reassured and inspired Miller.

12. The Crucible • One of the most heavily demanded trade-fiction paperbacks • Over 6 million sold • Has been onstage for 40+ years … somewhere. • Starts getting produced whenever a political coup appears imminent or a dictatorial regime has just been overthrown • From Argentina to Chile to Greece to Czechoslovakia and China, etc.

13. The Witch Trials • In 1692 girls started exhibiting bizarre behavior • This was attributed to being ‘bewitched’ by other people • The Salem interrogations turned out to be eerily exact models of those yet to come in Stalin's Russia, Pinochet's Chile, Mao's China, and other abusive regimes.

14. The Puritans Came to America to escape persecution and to “purify” the Church of England. • Their interpretation of scriptures was a harsh one. • They emphasized a redemptive piety. • In principle, they emphasized conversion and not repression. • Conversion was a rejection of the "worldliness" of society and a strict adherence to Biblical principles. • While repression was not encouraged in principle, it was evident in their actions. • God could forgive anything, but man could forgive only by seeing a change in behavior. • Actions spoke louder than words, so actions had to be constantly controlled.

15. Puritans • Doctrine of Predestination • kept all Puritans constantly working to do good in this life to be chosen for the next eternal one • God had already chosen who would be in heaven or hell • The wealthy were blessed by God and were in good standing with Him • The Protestant work ethic was the belief that hard work was an honor to God which would lead to a prosperous reward. • Any deviations from the normal way of Puritan life met with strict disapproval and discipline. • There was no margin for error.

16. Play Background It is the spring of 1692. The small town of Salem, MA had been established a mere forty years earlier, and had yet to make it its mark on the rest of the world. However, while not all were immediately aware, 1692 would be a year of ‘revolution’ in America. No longer was everyone willing to adhere to the strict lifestylethat had been set down by their forefathers. While the town of Salem may have appeared to be a serene andenjoyable place to live, it was about to experience an event that would change their lives forever. Little did they know, though, that their story would still have a tremendous effect on us today.