Essay About Rumors Of Communist And Primary Source

The Crucible: Literary Element Essay
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An allegory is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden
meaning. A great example of an allegory is The Crucible. The Crucible is a 1952 play by
the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The
Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people
accused of witchcraft. Another situation that was similar to the Salem Witch trials is
McCarthyism. McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty,
subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. Both the Salem Witch Trials
and McCarthyism made a great impact on American history.
Both the people accused in The Crucible and the people accused during the
McCarthy hearings were found guilty with little evidence. People would think that
random accusations with little proof would easily be dismissed. Others believed that the
primary source for McCarthyism and the accusers in Salems support comes from fear.
America was going through a fearful time because of the fear of the spread of
communism. These rumors of communist in the state department started a hunt that many
avoided because they were scared. In the Salem Witch Trials, the children where acting
unusually and everyone was scared. When a reason for this problem was suggested,
everyone was willing to support it because of fear.
Another reason of support the fact that everyone was just following what everyone
else was doing. It is human nature for one to follow the people of Salem, who had been
controlled by religion to follow their leaders and the rest of their neighbors in the witch
hunt. Those who disagreed where considered witches. Just like the people in the story
many in America followed McCarthyism. Because of the Red Scare, everyone feared the
thought of communism in the government. Just like the people of the Salem Witch Trials
were