Fear And Panic In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Imagine patiently waiting in an airplane, waiting to reach your destination. Suddenly, the main controls for the aircraft fail and fellow passengers are aimlessly trying to figure out what to do and fearing for their lives. As months grew closer to the year 2000, people all around the world had the same exact thought. The Y2K event was an early millennial technological fear that was thought to be the end of all computers and digital devices all throughout the world. Arthur Miller's play The Crucible depicts an event with a similar theme of fear and panic, The Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials was a horrific time in history of mass accusations of friends accusing friends as witches and devil worshippers which led to the deaths of about

The Y2K event and the Salem Witch Trials are both examples of mass hysteria through addressing a perceived threat which led to irrational behavior and societal panic.

The Y2K conspiracy and Salem Witch Trials created widespread panic because of the lack of knowledge people had on both situations. At the time of Y2K, the knowledge of computers was still fresh and new to people's heads. It was only in 1981 when the first portable computer came out. An article from 1998 predicted that “Very soon, however, we will be in the 21st century, but many older computers won’t know it. They will read “00” as “1900,” not “2000” (Y2K Special Report). With this, the lack of knowledge was proven to aid the Y2K conspiracy theories with people not knowing what they were exactly talking about. People believed what they thought would happen with little to no research going into any of their theories and told other people the same false news. This false negative news on what would happen would only lead to the flame of panic being fanned and increase the spread of false information at the time. Adding to the point, in The Crucible, Ann Putnam believes that it is the work of the devil that seven of her children die so very early in their lives. She does not

The article explains what type of people are involved in the Y2K event. It separates people in the event as survivalists and the undisturbed. The article argues that “At the other are survivalists who are stockpiling food, water and guns in remote fortresses where they plan to weather the crisis” (Allan 1). People prepared for what they thought was an upcoming apocalypse by stockpiling food, water, and guns. In the scenario where people would feel their lives are in such danger, there has to be a sense of fear or concern that is making them act the way they are. This article was written in 1998, two years before the event occurred. This date is significant because it shows the readers at the time how their everyday peers were acting and gives them an idea of how they should act as well. Furthermore, in The Crucible, John Proctor takes Mary Warren to the court to testify against Abigail and reveal all her lies. Mary is trying her hardest to compose herself but Abigail puts on an act to deceive the court. “I believe him! (Pointing at Abigail) This girl has always struck me false! She has-- (Abigail, with a weird, wild, chilling cry, screams up to the ceiling.)” (Miller). Mary is telling Danforth that John Proctor is innocent and that Abigail is full of lies and deceit. As a reaction to Mary telling the truth, Abigail screams