While the Salem witch trials occurred in the late 1600’s, a similar unfortunate situation occurred in the 1950’s with an event called McCarthyism. The Red Scare and the Salem witch trials shared many common characteristics. The similarities include continuous accusations, leading politicians, and the reaction to Satan and communism.
The Salem witch trials and the Red Scare both involved ongoing accusations that led to numerous innocent people being accused. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, local teenage girls accuse women in the town of witchcraft. When the teenage girls first accuse Tituba, the Reverend’s housekeeper, a chain of accusations begin. To avoid death, Tituba accused others in the town causing each of the accused to place blame on others. The Crucible is a metaphor for the accusations made in the 1950’s during the Red Scare era. Senator Joseph McCarthy led the series of allegations with a list of people he felt were related somehow to communism. The......
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Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |