Similarities Between Mccarthyism And The Crucible

The Crucible was a work of fiction, by Arthur Miller, that weaved real events of the Salem Witch trials. Within the narrative of the play, adultery and jealousy lead to false accusations of the community of Salem. In relation to The Crucible, two non-fiction events that carry the same theme is the Patriot Act and McCarthyism. The Patriot act is a law that was passed after the events of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2011, and McCarthyism is the paranoia and invasive suspicion that followed suit. All three occurrences have similarities between the power of the government and the separation of the people. In this case, the most compelling evidence is the same techniques that are used to hold power over the public. The higher power usually

The characters in The Crucible assumed that a witch had to be had in a situation that, virtually, makes them look worse. This includes being in a lower class, being a woman (since women held no power nor could own property that wasn’t passed on to them), or not being traditionally religious. Their sex and position in society held them accountable for actions that they didn’t do; since they were people who had little to no money and didn’t abide by social traditions, like being a black slave, not going to church, being homeless, they were already seen as failure in the eyes of the higher people. The women who fall under that category included Tabitha, Sarah Osborne, and Sarah Good (Miller). The Patriot Act also stereotypes the people who are to be seen as a terrorist in the investigation. This generally includes foreigners, more specifically middle eastern men who are Muslim. McCarthyism also abides by the same rules, by stereotyping the communist. The people who agreed with McCarthy’s claims were at fault as they created a monster out of who they assumed was a communist. “When this pompous diplomat in striped pants / proclaimed to the American people that Christ on the Mount endorsed communism, high treason, and betrayal of a sacred trust, the blasphemy was so great that it awakened the dormant indignation of the American people”