Literature And Freedom Of Power In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

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Joseph Stalin said, “Ideas are far more powerful than guns. We don 't let our people have guns. Why should we let them have ideas?”. Stalin was a dictator of the USSR from 1929 to 1953. Under his dictatorship, the Soviet Union began to transform from a poor economy to an industrial and military based one. While still a teen, Stalin secretly read Karl Marx 's book the “Communist Manifesto”, and became more interested in his teachings. When Stalin gained power, he ruled his nations using terror and fear, eliminating those who did not comply with his governance. When in power, Stalin, implemented a mass destruction of literature that may of been "politically incorrect". Different types of texts disappeared off shelves of libraries as censorship …show more content…

Although in Salem, Ma, the Bible is the one book that is to read as others are banned. When a couple teenage girls accuse others of witchcraft in order to save themselves, Reverend Hale comes to help determine those that are guilty. Through this process Giles reveals that he has woken up to find his wife, Martha "in a corner, readin ' of a book" (Miller 40). Readers are able to tell that it was wrong on his part to mention such a thing, due to the fact that if you were able to read anything besides a Bible then you were said to be taking part of witchcraft. Since the town revolved around the Bible and it 's teachings anyone who did not attend church was seen as an outsider and a witch. Theology is what rules in this village, if someone is not content with the laws and teaching then they are known as one with the devil. "There be no love for Satan"(67), this is all that is taught in the town. To fear the devil and hell is all that is engraved in their heads. In Fahrenheit 451, they speak of how all kinds of literature is banned. Although the government allows the citizens to watch television because they are able to control and monitor what is being put in front of people. The authorities ruling banned books in order to gain more knowledge than their citizens. Like Stalin the government, that Montag lives under, censors what they do not want others to know about. In The Crucible, the town of Salem, allowed its people to read but with a twist, being only the Bible was allowed. Going against what the Bible teaches, you are seen as one that is not with

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