During the early 1950s, America's fear of communism was, arguably, at an all-time high. Mass hysteria was prevalent and had a great impact on current politics. As a result of this anti-communist ideology, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy was at the forefront of Congress, largely due to his ideas related to the ongoing moral panic. Known as McCarthyism, this campaign allowed hundreds of people to be accused of treason, often without evidence. A movement that instilled fear in the hearts of Americans across the country, McCarthyism highlights how simple paranoia can have devastating impacts. Similarly, in Arthur Miller's The Crucible, the town of Salem also suffers from such irrationality, although their witch hunt is literal. As with McCarthyism, many were willing to condemn those they had known for years. Others have been accused for the benefit of someone else, however the principle is the same. People regularly questioned these accusations both in Salem and in 1950s America. But even those who had a reasonable level of doubt about each policy were in danger. Furthermore, self-confessed “witches” or “communists” gave the names of other “witches” or “communists” and were therefore usually forgiven. In this sense, Miller's account of the Salem witch trials in The Crucible and 1950s America share obvious similarities. The Crucible was written to spread a message during the time of a widely publicized Red Scare. It convinces people to stay calm and not jump to conclusions, as they can have harmful effects. As we have seen, hysteria sometimes prevails over common sense. However, Arthur Miller's play The Crucible says that one should not let fear control oneself, as many did in 1950s America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To begin with, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller in 1953, is a play that outlines the Salem witch trials. Although partially fictionalized, this historical event occurred from 1692 to 1693 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Between February and May of the following year hundreds of individuals were tried for witchcraft. Some were found guilty and later executed. Considered the deadliest witch hunt in America, Miller made slight changes to the story in order to create a parallel between Salem and 1950s America: "American society in the early 1950s directly influenced the formation of the drama ". For example, the theme of adultery between John Proctor and Abigail Williams was added to explain her hesitation to incriminate him. Furthermore, Miller enhanced Proctor's personality to create a kind of similarity between the accused in the 17th and 20th centuries. Specifically, "Miller has endowed Proctor with all the trappings of political innocence: he belongs to the right social class, does manual labor, and has the appropriate hint of skepticism and pragmatism." This created further symmetry. Miller's concern for factual accuracy was unnecessary, he himself said. In reality, the playwright simply provides an example of how “'the sin of public terror is that it deprives man of conscience, of himself'”. In other words, Miller purposely wrote The Crucible to show the dangers of McCarthyism. Furthermore, analogies between The Crucible and the era of McCarthyism are drawn in relation to the way contemporaries viewed the world. In Salem, for example, people saw everything as black and white; people preached to God or Satan. The court and thegovernment of the city believed themselves to be God's, while those who opposed this concept were, obviously, objects of the devil. And Proctor, questioning the trials, became one of these enemies. As Danforth stated: “You must understand, sir, that a person either stands with this court or is to be counted against it, there is no middle ground. This is an acute moment, now, a precise moment: we no longer live in the dark afternoon in which evil mixed with good and confused the world. Now, by the grace of God, the bright sun is high, and those who do not fear the light will surely praise it.” In other words, the Court was only practicing the work of God. As Miller intended, this directly reflects 1950s America and McCarthy's desire to expose the "evil" of society, so to speak. Although in this case it was not about God against the devil, but about freedom and democracy against communism. Before the show opened in 1953, "public investigations had examined and questioned radicals, ex-radicals, and possible ex-radicals, requiring witnesses to talk about others and not just themselves." Senator McCarthy, with the help of the House Un-American Activities Committee, became famous for his dissident awareness in the United States. For this reason the term “McCarthyism” has become synonymous with the practice of making unfounded accusations. After the 1952 presidential election, McCarthy was named chairman of the Government Operations Committee; "His power was greater than ever." Congressional investigators, under the authority of the House Un-American Activities Committee, had substantial influence. First, blacklists prevented some Americans from working. And it is not surprising that these negative aspects of McCarthyism soon affected Miller. He became “a rather hostile witness before a congressional committee in 1956. He described his own flirtation with communism but refused to give the names of the communists he had known. In the end he was acquitted of the charge of contempt of the committee." Miller's eventual conviction was undoubtedly aided by the themes within The Crucible. Thus, notable similarities between the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism further emphasize Miller's message: fear and paranoia must be suppressed - both can be easily manipulated as a means of control. All in all, the fundamental argument within The Crucible, as expressed by Miller, is that one must be aware of how often governments abuse power. Under McCarthy, the United States abandoned diffuse interests, opting instead to serve those with local interests. In Salem and 1950s America, helping persecuted men and women became difficult; the powerful few abused their level of influence. Miller appears to urge individuals to oppose anything that works against public interests. By remaining fearful, any sense of unity is destroyed: there is little hope when it comes to silent complicity. The connection between The Crucible and 1953 is indisputable; Miller writes of Salem: “The times, in their eyes, must have seemed as insoluble and complicated as ours today. It is not difficult for us to see how easily many could have been led to believe that the time of confusion had been brought upon them by deep and dark forces. No hint of such speculation appears in the court record, but social disorder in every age generates suspicions so mystical that it is too much to expect people to refrain for long from giving the victims the full force of their frustrations. Although initially skeptical of Miller's intentions with The Crucible, critics were quick to point out the.