Similarities Between The Crucible And Mccarthyism

The Similarities between The Crucible and McCarthyism In 2009, the Swine flu epidemic brought fear and hysteria to the United States. The new and dangerous disease spreading into the U.S. sparked a fear of becoming infected. The epidemic had become so bad the CDC had opened its Emergency Operations Center to handle the situation. Many schools in the United States offered free vaccinations once one was created. This situation is very similar to the Salem Witch Trials in sense that being infected with the H1N1 virus and the devil were the same. The same can be said about McCarthyism and the Salem Witch Trials, which both sparked fear for our country's well-being. These two things both developed during a time when America was vulnerable because

Once you were accused of any crime during a time of hysteria, you were viewed as a horrible citizen and a horrible person. A person's name means a lot to them as it is what defines them, it is their reputation. In The Crucible, John Proctor shows how much his name means to him when he states “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I

These consequences for a crime that may have not even been committed are a little severe. In The Crucible, Giles Corey experiences the consequences of a crime he did not commit. He is being tortured and forced to state whether or not he is involved in the crime of witchcraft. He, along with others, chose not to state his involvement, and was crushed by stones. Elizabeth Proctor describes the incident when she tells John Proctor that since Giles Corey would not state his involvement in witchcraft, more weight was to be placed upon his chest, eventually crushing and killing him(Miller 135). These last eerie words show how many people were passionate about keeping their reputations. During the Cold War, the mindset was very similar. Owen Lattimore is just one example of this passion to maintain a positive reputation as he experienced the consequences of McCarthyism first hand. A Victims of McCarthyism Article describes Owens involvement when it says his “Outspokenness, liberal views and acquaintance with Chiang Kai-Shek made him an easy target for McCarthy's anti-Communist campaigns.” (Victims of McCarthyism) Owen was questioned by McCarthy and his committee for 12 days for being accused of being a soviet spy, and was eventually charged with 7 counts of perjury. The charges were later dismissed 3 years later. Owens story is just one heartbreaking example of how one