Similarities Between The Red Scare And The Crucible

“The Crucible”, is a play that tells a real life phenomenon, set in 17oo’s Salem, Massachusetts where a town of Puritans were settled. When a slave woman and a group of young, trouble-making girls begin to act out, the town becomes suspicious and the madness of the witch trials begin. The play serves as an allegory for “The Red Scare” an era in U.S. history that unforgivingly persecuted communists. There are multiple parallels that can be drawn between both of these stories. One major difference is who can be named responsible for each event. In “The Red Scare”, the U.S government is mainly to blame, but in The Crucible we can pinpoint specific characters that greatly contributed to the horror of the witch trials. These characters are John

Too caught up in their own agendas, their ignorance or lack of empathy caused them to disregard the welfare of the innocent townspeople. Abigail, a primary character in the play, is an obvious choice. Her strong lust and infatuation with John Proctor motivated her to manipulate the people around her. In an opportunity to take Goody Proctor out of the equation, she persecutes her as a witch as other townspeople are named as well. Her envy of Elizabeth moves her to pretend to be afflicted by witches and the impressionable girls soon follow her lead in either genuine belief or to persecute other people in Salem who they may also resent. Abigal not only manipulates the townspeople and her posse of girls, but the town magistrate as well. This system of deceit, paranoia and corruption singlehandedly caused the downfall of the town all due to a young girl's infatuation. Abigail’s motive is spoken clearly in an angry confession made by John Proctor when he came to the courthouse to tell the truth. He says, “I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem-vengeance is walking Salem...but now the little crazy children are dangling keys of the kingdom and common vengeance writes the law.” (pg 177 line 880-884). The “keys” represent the town authority and now the young girls have taken control of it, law and jurisdiction is now based on