![]() ![]() The threat of communism seemed to be threatening the American way of life in the aftermath of World War II, and fear-mongering politicians responded with “enhanced surveillance, black-listing, and repression as part of the right-wing ideologues’ tactics against government employees, educators, entertainers,” and anyone else who may have had liberal sympathies. The era of McCarthyism brought an era of fear to America. The play must be understood in the context of its Twentieth Century premiere in order to understand from its Seventeenth Century setting and its place in the present day. ![]() Miller’s contemporary, Elia Kazan, serves as another historical agent who shows just why The Crucible was written. The play both mirrors the era of McCarthyism as a whole, and also shows how Miller was implicated and testified in hearings that sought to eradicate Communism without due process or constitutional rights. Arthur Miller characterizes this political climate of fear in the United States by setting The Crucible during the frenzied witch trials of Salem Massachusetts. This doctrine led to the formation of the House Un-American Activities Committee, or HUAC, which questioned and scrutinized government officials, artists, activists, and all others suspected of liberal leaning ideas. During the 1950’s in America, McCarthyism arose as a judicial doctrine antagonizing any Americans suspected of sympathizing with Communist ideas. The Crucible remains charged in terms of its historical setting as well as the historical context in which it was written. ![]()
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