Salem Witch Hunts vs. Communists Hunts Analytical Essay by Jay Writtings LLC

Salem Witch Hunts vs. Communists Hunts
A discussion on how Arthur Miller's play, "The Crucible," represents a fictionalized portrayal of the Salem witch-hunts in Massachusetts in 1692.
# 116342 | 1,474 words | 4 sources | APA | 2009 | US
Published on Sep 15, 2009 in Drama and Theater (American) , Literature (American) , History (U.S. American Society, 1640-1750) , History (U.S. Baby Boom Years 1945-1965)


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Description:

The paper offers some background to the Salem witch-hunts and Senator Joseph McCarthy's hunt for communists and then explains how Arthur Miller saw a parallel between what was happening to American society in his time and what happened in Salem many years earlier. The paper focuses on the damage McCarthy's hunt inflicted on the Hollywood film industry that encouraged Miller to leave Hollywood and write "The Crucible". The paper opines that what is most striking about these two instances is that this type of atrocity can and will happen again in the United States if we allow it.

From the Paper:

"In 1953, Arthur Miller's play, "The Crucible," opened at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York City. The play was a fictionalized portrayal of the Salem witch-hunts in Massachusetts in 1692. Although an obscure set of events in seventeenth century Puritan American may have seemed like an odd choice of subject matter for a Broadway play, the themes that Miller was dealing with were clear. He was clearly likening the events of the Salem witch-hunts to the events of his own day; that being the crusade against communist sympathizers conducted by Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. As it turned out, this was an apt comparison. Both incidents were representative of dark periods in the history of the United States."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Georgakas, D. 1992. "The Hollywood Blacklist." http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/mccarthy/blacklist.html
  • Hill, F. 1995. A delusion of Satan: the full story of the Salem witch trials. New York: Perseus.
  • Miller, H. 2000. "Are you now or were you ever?" The Guardian/The Observer. http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/miller-mccarthyism.html
  • Schrecker, E. 2002. The age of McCarthyism: a brief history with documents. New York: St. Martins.

Cite this Analytical Essay:

APA Format

Salem Witch Hunts vs. Communists Hunts (2009, September 15) Retrieved June 07, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/salem-witch-hunts-vs-communists-hunts-116342/

MLA Format

"Salem Witch Hunts vs. Communists Hunts" 15 September 2009. Web. 07 June. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/salem-witch-hunts-vs-communists-hunts-116342/>

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