House Un-American Activities Committee Essays

  • House Un-American Activities Committee: Purpose Of The HUAC

    907 Words  | 4 Pages

    The term HUAC stands for House Un-American Activities Committee, and the purpose of the HUAC was to investigate alleged communists. In 1917, Russia became a communist state. It was until after WWII that the Russians imposed communism in many countries. In 1952, Elia Kazan gave the HUAC a list of people who were said to be part of the Communist Party. In 1948, Whittaker Chambers was considered a former member of the Communist Party and had testified before the committee. Soon after, Alger Hiss was

  • Review Of Arthur Miller's 'The House Committee On Un-American Activities'

    489 Words  | 2 Pages

    The House Committee on Un-American Activities’ (HUAC) investigation in the 1950s accused figures who exercised their freedom of speech, leading to mistrust between the citizens and government, thus proving those in power have the tendency to abuse it and citizens must be vigilant in speaking up against the government. HUAC’s role was to investigate communist infiltration in the government and social figures. In the questioning of Arthur Miller, the officials of HUAC believed that since Miller believed

  • Impact Of The Hollywood Ten

    1412 Words  | 6 Pages

    The 1950s saw the blacklisting of The Hollywood Ten, a group of screenwriters and filmmakers who were thought to have connections to communism. In 1947, they were summoned to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) regarding their political affiliations and ideas. They were accused of contempt of Congress and given prison sentences for refusing to respond. The Hollywood Ten came to represent the nation's anti-communist hysteria during the Cold War. The HUAC hearings and the

  • Henry Wallace Women's Rights

    1009 Words  | 5 Pages

    Henry Wallace advocated for women’s rights. He took a stand against the stereotype that women should be housewives. Gardner Jackson, one of Wallace 's chief ghostwriters recounted, in the winter of 1943, Wallace was addressing several thousand workers in a plant yard, a substantial number of them women. He described a future of enhanced kitchen which would come after the war from the processing plants. He envisioned a new life of leisure for housewives. "So," he proclaimed, "when you go back into

  • The Film 'The Names Of The Hollywood Ten'

    846 Words  | 4 Pages

    a violation to their rights. During 1930, the Film Industry was seen as a tremendous source of communist activity. This was because of the Great Depression. The Great Depression had led many actors in the Film Industry to Communism. During this time, investigations were made into the film industry relating to communism. These did not fully erupt until the 1930s-1940s. The House of Un-American

  • How Did The Red Scare Influence In Hollywood

    682 Words  | 3 Pages

    In October 1947, there were ten members of the Hollywood film industry that did not appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which was an investigative committee of the House of Representatives The Hollywood Ten were Alvah Bessie, Herbert J. Biberman, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner Jr., John Howard Lawson, Albert Maltz, Samuel Ornitz, Adrian Scott, and Dalton Trumbo.. The HUAC was investigating communist ideas and influence in America. The Hollywood ten did not

  • HUAC History

    1223 Words  | 5 Pages

    In foreign affairs, the President and his advisers established many of the basic foundations of America foreign policy, especially in American-Soviet relations, that would guide the nation in the decades ahead. The all-male group of screenwriters, producers and directors (Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner Jr., John Howard Larson, Albert Maltz, Samuel Ornitz, Adrian Scott and Dalton Trumbo) refused to cooperate with the investigation and used their HUAC appearances

  • What Is The Difference Between The 1920's Red Scare

    908 Words  | 4 Pages

    The difference between the Red Scare in the 1940’s and the 1920’s, you had the Red Scare of 1940’s all about the characteristic of the affluent society when the people were in constant fear. Fear of nuclear bombs, nuclear weapons, fear of spies and politicians who were taking advantage of that fear. There was that constant fear of infiltration and espionage from the communists that made everyone always on the edge. You had working class people moving up to middle class, becoming all about materialistic

  • Social Commentary Of Arther Miller's Death Of A Salesman

    809 Words  | 4 Pages

    Death of a Salesman is an American play written by author, Arther Miller. Debuting on Broadway in 1949, the play is a recipient of numerous awards. It is also widely regarded as one of the greatest plays of the 20th Century. Death of a Salesman is not simply a play. Death of a Salesman is a brilliant, thoughtful piece of social commentary meant to convey the consequences of pursuing the American dream. Millers play explores a forever changing America and the trials of adapting to the times. His critique

  • Conformity In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

    1060 Words  | 5 Pages

    Conformity is a powerful and influential behavior that can drastically affect a society’s circumstances. The morality and wellbeing of the individuals’ in a society are shaped by the everyday traditions and customs of that culture. Shirley Jackson, an award-winning author for her works in horror and mystery, unveils the perturbing effect of conformity on a society and its people in her short story “The Lottery.” In her thought-provoking story, a village situated in a warm area of England prepares

  • The Baader-Meinhof Complex Analysis

    831 Words  | 4 Pages

    Movie Review: The Baader-Meinhof Complex (2008) Director: Uli Edel | Screenplay: Bernd Eichinger Based on “The Baader-Meinhof Complex” by Stefan Aust “The Baader-Meinhof Complex” is a German movie directed by Uli Edel, based on the famous non-fiction of the same name by Stefan Aust. It follows the rise and fall of the West German far-left terrorist group Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF) during the 1960s-1970s, mainly through the events surrounding its first-generation leadership comprising Andreas Baader

  • Guilt In The Crucible

    746 Words  | 3 Pages

    Guilt's Effect on the Town of Salem, Massachusetts The Crucible by Arthur Miller, is a play based off the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. The play was first published in 1952, the first performance of The Crucible was in 1953. The play is a dramatized story of the true events that happened in Salem, Massachusetts. The Crucible, focuses on the inconsistencies of the Salem Witch Trials and the extreme behavior that results from twisted desires and hidden agendas. Guilt plays a major role in the outcome

  • America's Response To The Expansion Of Communism

    640 Words  | 3 Pages

    Depression, Americans were looking for a solution to never have such a devastation again. Some Americans decided to support Soviet led communism. In 1938, The House of Un-American Activity Committee was created in response to this new threat, communism. Its purpose was to investigate allegations of perceived traitors with communist links. The Central Intelligence Agency as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation saw communism as counterintuitive to American ideals. (House of Un-American Committee) Therefore

  • Summary: Restriction Of Civil Liberties

    836 Words  | 4 Pages

    Word Count: Restriction of Civil Liberties during the second red scare Durring the late 1950s after World War two ended a period know as the red scare came about. Even though the the communist party in America faded quickly after World War two Americans still feared communist sympathizers would help the Solvit Union and China commit acts of espionage. During the 1940s, Republican campaigners claimed that Roosevelt, labor union leaders, and other Democrats had communist ties. Democratic politicians

  • Use Of Allegory In The Crucible

    700 Words  | 3 Pages

    ground? Many people during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 and during the permanent mandate of the Un-American Activities Committee in 1945 faced these questions which would determine the rest of their life. Miller’s use of allegory, which is seen through the literal reading of the Salem Witch Trials and the symbolic subtext of the trails and how they relate to the House of Un-American Activities Committee, helps overlay how both of these “trails” that the people faced during these times affected their

  • Danforth's Grievances In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

    671 Words  | 3 Pages

    just said they were a communist to end his attacks. His form of “trial” worked until he tried to accuse Arthur Miller, a brilliant play write, of being a communist. Arthur Miller was livid and fought against Senator McCarthy and his House Committee on Un-American Activities the only way he knew. Miller wrote a play, The Crucible, to express his grievances against McCarthy and his followers (Howard, Amy). The Crucible uses the Salem Witch

  • Examples Of Paranoia In The Crucible

    599 Words  | 3 Pages

    United States this was the Mccarthy era, which was the period when many feared the spread of Communism in our country. Senator Joseph Mccarthy initiated this whole movement that led to McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee, which sought to put a halt to all Communist activity in the United States. In addition, The Crucible by Arthur Miller is an incredible play that gives feedback on Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts not only that, but it parallels the McCarthy “witch hunts”

  • Marxism In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

    306 Words  | 2 Pages

    himself through college at Michigan state where he wrote his first play No Villain which explores theories of marxism. He divorced his first wife in 1956 and married big time movie star Marilyn Monroe a few years later. "...the great American brain and the great American body…" As Norman mailer described the eccentric duo. The Crucible, a dramatization of the 1692 Salem witch trials, became one of his most famous and well-known works. It was loosely based off his struggles with the

  • The Crucible By Arthur Miller

    299 Words  | 2 Pages

    of McCarthyism and the events that took place during Miller’s experience with the House Un-American Activities Committee. In the 1950s, Senator Joseph Mccarthy believed that there were communist spies within America that needed to be investigated and jailed by an organization, HUAC, and to name names. The House Un-American Activities Committee is an organization that sought to expel suspected communists from American society in the late 40s and early 50s, influenced by McCarthy indirectly. This group

  • Hollywood Blacklist Research Paper

    1117 Words  | 5 Pages

    the workplace because of their actual or assumed political beliefs or activities,” (“Political Belief or Activity - Workplace”). Major motion picture associations violated this human rights law and nothing was done about it. Hollywood created the blacklist in response to the pressure of the House Un-American Activities Committee and to show patriotism during the Cold War (McKeen, William). The House Un-American Activities Committee, notorious for their anti-communist investigations at the time, ordered