Study Notes: McCarthyism and The Crucible

McCARTHYISM

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, fears of communism led Senator Joseph McCarthy to falsely claim over 200 communists infiltrated the U.S. government. Though his accusations were disproven, his campaign, dubbed McCarthyism, intensified political repression. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), formed in 1938, became a key anti-Communist organ. This era targeted writers and entertainers, blacklisting 320 artists like Paul Robeson, Arthur Miller, and Charlie Chaplin, effectively ending many careers. Figures like journalist Edward R. Murrow resisted McCarthy, contributing to his downfall by 1954. This period is seen as a shameful moment in U.S. history.

The Demons of Salem, With Us Still

Victor Navasky’s Perspective (New York Times, 1996)

Victor Navasky's essay discusses how Arthur Miller’s 1953 play The Crucible captured the panic of the Red Scare, paralleling McCarthy's charges and J. Edgar Hoover's manipulations. Congressional inquisitors pressed witnesses to declare, “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” Miller faced pressure too, notably refusing a request from Representative Francis Walters involving Marilyn Monroe, leading to his indictment for contempt of Congress. The term “witch hunt,” used to describe the hunt for subversives, drew from the Salem witch trials of 1692, the setting of The Crucible.

The Crucible and Historical Fidelity

The Historical Front

Miller's research for The Crucible was largely accurate, with minor changes like raising Abigail Williams’ age. The play sparked controversy over its metaphoric use, particularly with friends like Elia Kazan, who had named names to HUAC. Molly Kazan famously asserted that “Those witches did not exist. Communists do.” Miller argued that many accused entertainers were not conspirators but well-meaning people who believed the Communist Party could address societal issues. The Crucible became widely performed and adapted into a $25,000,000 motion picture. Miller viewed the play's value in examining universal paranoid situations, emphasizing “the enemy is within.”

TIMEBENDS: Arthur Miller on Salem, McCarthyism, and Reflection

Miller’s Personal Essay (Timebends)

Arthur Miller recognized parallels between the Salem witchcraft phenomenon and Washington D.C.'s McCarthy-era hearings. Both involved ritualistic proceedings where the accused were pressured to confess, denounce others, and demonstrate allegiance to rejoin society. While Salem prosecutions targeted overt witchcraft, HUAC's charges concerned a “spiritual” crime of ideological subservience. Miller saw the Salem-HUAC parallel as a powerful metaphor for enduring political witch hunts driven by fear, accusation, and social ostracism, which continue to threaten free inquiry and artistic expression.