The Crucible Synthesis Essay

‘If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under’ (Ronald Reagan). Analyse, in the light of Reagans comment, how module texts explore the intersection of religion and American national identity.

This essay will explore Reagans comment in relation to Aurther Miller’s ‘The Crucible’ and Tony Kushner’s ‘Angels in America’. These plays are used to explore the effect politics has had on religion, and whether the social context of ‘The Crucible’ regarding McCarthyism and the upheaval of the 1950’s may have influenced how Americans in the 1990’s to current day may relate their national identity to religion. ‘Political economy…is structurally dependant on the idea of credit, which in turn is ultimately rooted

in an understanding of trust and faith.’ (Vatter 2011, 1) Furthermore, I will then examine whether this is reflected through Kushner’s ‘Angels in America’, which was a controversial political writing in the 1990’s. I will be primarily exploring the characters of Reverend Parris (The Crucible) and Roy Cohn (Angels in America). I will be establishing which elements of social identity these two characters embody, how they are translatable to religious figures, and how in turn, they represent American national identity and the intersection of religion. I will be doing this because it can be hard to differentiate between political issue and national identity. Particularly in a country that as recently as 1931 the ‘Supreme Court reaffirmed…”We are a Christian people, according to one another with the equal right of religious freedom…”’ (Huntington 2004, 98)
Regina Schwartz claims in ‘Crediting God: Sovereignty and Religion in the Age of Global Capitalism’ that ‘political life must be lived under the horizon of justice.’ (Schwartz 2011, 207) Since America’s politics and religion are so closely interlinked, religion becomes not only a practise of faith but also a vessel of identity which determines ones place within American society. Since God and Christianity have been used to unify America from the days of colonialism, it is deeply rooted in their society. Which may explain why it is such a powerful tool in political upheaval. Schwartz demonstrates that ‘[w]hen we imagine that God possesses us, we can explain the terrors history as his righteous wrath for our infidelity.’ (Schwartz 2011, 209) Colonialism being a good example of this in American history. Furthermore, in reference to the plays, I believe that both Parris and Cohn act as representatives within ‘The Crucible’ and ‘Angels in America’ as a form of God. ‘When we imagine that we possess God, we can use him as a legitimating instrument for our violence.’ (Schwartz 2011, 209) This statement suggests that it is through Parris and Roy that bad things are justified. Parris condones the victimisation of the townsfolk, and Roy encourages ‘bad’ behaviours such as telling Joe to abandon his wife to further his career. Which are not archetypal actions when examining the stereotypical Christian American citizen. Therefore, it is their blessing that makes these behaviours acceptable in the eyes of the other characters.
However, ‘[i]n the 1960’s, however, subnational, dual-national and transnational identities began to rival and erode the preeminence of national identity.’ (Huntington 2004, xv) The Crucible having been written in the 1950’s and Angels of America in the early 1990’s.

The Crucible was written arguably as a statement from Miller against McCarthyism. Senator Joseph McCarthy during this time propelled America into an anti-communist hysteria, which led to great numbers of the American public being accused of conferring with the Soviet Union and supporting communism. This was a particularly prevalent issue for members of the Arts, including Miller himself. This was a reaction to the Cold War, whereby Americans were generally identified as capitalist, democratic, and were threatened by the USSR communists. This is significant in terms of religion because the back bone of America is stabilised by religious content. The very foundation of American civilisation was based on a unified belief that the Americas were the prophesised promised land, and when democracy is under threat, there is a national fear that idealisms of modern America are threatened along with it. Up until the twentieth century America had ‘overwhelmingly white…British, and Protestant, broadly sharing a common culture,’ however, more recently ‘America’s common culture and the principles of equality and individualism central to the American Creed were under attack…[t]he end of the Cold War deprived America of the evil empire against which it could define itself.’ (Huntington 2004, 11) Therefore, religion and democracy became the same thing, resulting in a spiritualisation of communism and the Left wing, which subsequently influenced how Americans now relate their national identity to

religion.
Then, in 1992, ‘Angels in America’ was written by Tony Kushner as a political statement against conservatism and the ‘gay crisis’. AID’s has become a predominant issue within gay culture, and until the victory of Bill Clinton over George Bush, the 80’s saw a decline in the liberation experienced by the gay community in the 70’s. In relation to this political context, the play stands against conservatism in the same way as The Crucible, making a sometimes controversial statement against Right wing politics. In the year that Clinton was voted President of the United States there was dramatic liberal freedom ‘Reagan has cast a pall over the protest generation’s youth. Now the conservatives were banished, never to return.’ (Heineman 1998, 1) The play itself became one of significance to the gay community in its time, as it was a reflection of the previous decade whilst inspiring hope due to the blossoming reign of Clinton as President. Fisher claims of Kushner in his book ‘The Theater of Tony Kushner’ that ‘Kushner calls for a new brand of socialism that might better be labelled progressivism, a politics…that honors the values and traditions of the past without…adherence to belief systems whose traditions have…oppressed diversity in religion, sexual orientation, and politics.’ (Fisher 2013, 4) Which is evident in ‘Angels in America: Millennium Approaches’.
Miller’s description of the Puritan town of Salem in which ‘The Crucible’ is set was ‘established hardly forty years before. To the European world the whole province was a barbaric frontier’ (Miller 1961, 226) He then goes on to explain ‘for good purposes…the people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together, and prevent any kind of disunity that might open it to destruction by material or ideological enemies.’ (Miller 1961, 228) This description for the setting of a play that is representative of political upheaval in America regarding McCarthyism, could therefore be a description of how Miller views America. The mention of religion and state protecting the town from destruction by ‘ideological enemies’ could therefore be interpreted as a reference to communism and Left wing politics. This is further evidenced by another statement that ‘[t]he witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom.’ (Miller 1961, 228) This is an implication by Miller that the wider community see freedom, and subsequently liberation, as a negative thing. Not only is this important in regards to politics and America’s hysteria toward communism, but the ties in America between religion and politics made McCarthyism a platform for redemption. This is demonstrated by Miller when he describes the witch-hunt as ‘a long overdue opportunity for everyone so inclined to express publically his guilt and sins, under the cover of accusations against the victims.’ (Miller 1961, 229) This is significant as it was also considered ‘patriotic and holy’ (Miller 1961, 229) to expose those considered to be against the greater good of the community. These quotes therefore act as evidence that themes and motifs within ‘The Crucible’ represent an America that is struggling with McCarthyism.
However, there is a clear development from this within Angels in America: Millennium Approaches. Huntingdon claims in Who Are We?: the Challenges to America’s National Identity that ‘Americans have been extremely religious and overwhelmingly Christian throughout their history.’ (Huntington 2004, 83) However, this could be challenged by Angels in America given that none of the Central characters aside from Joe, a Mormon, are particularly religious. Though this is portrayed as reflective of their feelings towards their own religious backgrounds feelings towards their lifestyle. For Prior and Louis, their Jewish heritage reject homosexuality, however, unlike Joe they do not seem to feel any obligations towards their religious educations. Demonstrated by Prior when he says in Act One, Scene Four ‘I don't blame you, hiding. Bloodlines. Jewish curses are the worst. I personally would dissolve if anyone ever looked me in the eye and said "Feh." (Kushner 1995, 26) This general attitude towards religion, however, may have been written by Kushner as a reflection of the general public’s feelings towards their government. If their associated ‘group’ do not accept them, Prior and Louis have no obligation to accept them or obey their cultural order. This is also applicable to Harper’s relationship with Mormonism, though is not as evident in the play. This may be an issue that has come about from America’s relationship with their national identity during the evolution of their country as people may identify ‘[m]anifestations of American identity as evil threats to the well-being and real identities of people with their subnational groups.’ (Huntington 2004, 6)
However, a similarity between The Crucible and Angels in America: Millennium Approaches is that neither could necessarily be considered to promote Left wing politics. They do, however, critique and question the stability and humanity behind conservatism. This is consistently reflected in the characters of Reverend Parris and Roy Cohn as they are both victims of their own political standing. For instance, Parris is in a position of power, particularly in Salem, a Puritan town in which a man of God would hold a position of high social standing. Similarly, Cohn is an influential lawyer with connections that are consistently named through the play and in his own words has the president’s wife on speed dial. Both however demonstrate hubris in the way that not either Parris or Cohn expect themselves to become victims of what it is the both of them represent. Parris is forced by his moral sacrifice to hysteria to follow through with his sentencing of people to death, and Cohn is revealed to have contracted AID’s. Both characters are power-hungry, powerful and respected men; but both fall victim to their power-search and pride. This message is made even more powerful by both Miller and Kushner by their use of real people to create the characters of Parris and Cohn. Though their characteristics and behaviourisms may have been exaggerated due to artistic license, they both clearly show a relationship between power, class, and Right wing American ideologies.