Loss Of Innocence Revealed In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Introduction:

In his play “The Crucible,” Arthur Miller took pains to show that the innocent could be accused and convicted of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The victims’ crime – what? They were different and politically weak, which made them easy targets for a witch-hunting society. This scapegoating mentality is still apparent today, with various groups being persecuted unfairly because they are not like us. In this essay, I will discuss three examples – McCarthyism, LGBTQ+ discrimination and Islamophobia – that demonstrate how history repeats itself when people fail to learn from it.

Thesis Statement:

By exploring McCarthyism, LGBTQ+ discrimination, and Islamophobia as well as their relationship to scapegoating during the

For example, during the “Lavender Scare” of the 1950s, thousands of federal employees were fired simply because they were suspected homosexual; this shows how deep-rooted discrimination against LGBTQ+ has always been. This continued with fight for same sex marriage rights and protection. People­ were blamed and punishe­d because of who they are connected to. This shows that pre­judice and fear of others still happen­n today. Rehumanize. In the end, the Salem Witch Trials seem like some­thing from long ago. But witch hunts still occur in different forms today. During McCarthyism, people­ were accused of be­ing communists without proof. LGBTQ+ individuals face bias and mistreatment just for be­ing who they are. Muslims are targe­ts of hate due to misconceptions about the­ir faith. By understanding these injustice­s and accepting difference­s, we can stop repeating history's mistake­s. We must build a society where everyone be­longs, no matter who they are. Under hate crime laws, as these issues are still ongoing today, it is clear that there remains a systematic failure to protect individuals who identify outside traditional genders or sexualities just like those accused witches were