Analysis Of Political Allegory In The Crucible

In his article “Why I Wrote The Crucible”, Arthur Miller elaborates on the political allegory he incorporated into his drama, The Crucible. Miller parallels the foundation of fear behind the Salem witch trials and the Second Red Scare, proving that it was the dominating factor perpetuating both conflicts. Analyzing Miller’s argument and drawing evidence from The Crucible, it is proven that the witch trials within The Crucible as well as the congressional hearings during the Second Red Scare were founded on the fear of the populace. The theory of absolutism accompanied this fear, and with both underlying the trials, people were encouraged to name those involved with witchcraft and Communism, leading to the ruin of many innocent people. The

“The Red hunt . . . was becoming the dominating fixation of the American psyche. . . . [S]tudios . . . agreed to submit artists’ names to the House Committee for ‘clearing’ before employing them. This unleashed a veritable holy terror among actors, directors, and others, from Party members to those who had had the merest brush with a front organization” (Miller, “Why I Wrote The Crucible”). Due to fear of punishment, innocent names were revealed, which not only fueled the belief that Communists were penetrating society, but it also sustained the apprehensive searches for these wanted people. These accusations branded many people as traitors to the United States, and this label ruined their careers and reputations. Likewise, The Crucible’s witch trials were based upon false accusations as well. As Hale was questioning Tituba and her involvement with the devil, he persuaded her to name other involved individuals, saying, “You are God’s instrument put into our hands to discover the Devil’s agents among us. . . . Take courage, you must give us all their names” (Miller, The Crucible 46-7). Like the Second Red Scare, Hale, and the witch trials as a whole, encouraged the naming of individuals in hopes to eliminate witches from society. Many people succumbed to the fear of punishment, and revealed the names of other innocent people in order to save their own life. As more names were given, Salem’s fear of witches had seemingly become a reality, and the trials became even more determined to do away with the menacing power. These false accusations not only ruined reputations, but it also allowed some people to seek personal vengeance upon another in a legal manner. In both The Crucible and the Second Red Scare, these accusations were encouraged, and although the majority of the names were