Fear As An Allegory In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

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Fear is a powerful force that alters the perception that people have on life. It is seen many times throughout history, whether it is the Red Scare or the Salem Witch Trials, that fear is detrimental to a society. In The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, it follows the people of Salem and their journey through this heartbreaking time period. The Red Scare was very similar to the Salem Witch Trials, in fact it is an allegory to it. The Red Scare is about government officials accusing others about being a Communist who supports their way of life. Both of these events transpire over similar conflicts, which include corrupt leaders and the abuse of power. These two events confirm that the way people were treated was unjust and ultimately lead …show more content…
People typically conform to society when they feel pressured by others, which turns out the be the wrong thing in the end. People who lived in Salem and that experienced the Red Scare conformed to society to protect themselves. While Rev. Hale was questioning Tituba about working with the Devil, she states “No, no, don’t hang Tituba!I tell him I don’t desire to work for him, sir”(Miller 42).Tituba’s tone in the statement is desperate and this proves that she conforms to injustices because she allowed fear to overcome her and ultimately lies to save herself. Confessing was the last resort for Tituba or else she was would have been hanged. Since she was the first one to confess to working with the Devil, others who were accused realized that if they confessed their lives would be saved. This proves that fear is detrimental to a society because of conforming to injustice. It is even shown that throughout the Red Scare, people confessed to being Communists to return to their normal lives. While the author of “McCarthyism” is explaining the concept of blacklisting, the author states, “Those who repented and named names of suspected communists were allowed to return to business as usual. Those who refused to address the committee were cited for contempt”(“McCarthyism”). This is symbolic of what happened during the Red Scare when people confessed to …show more content…
Powerful people like Abby and McCarthy are demagogues, they used fear to propel themselves in a very heinous way. When Abby is speaking to the arbiter of Salem, Mr Danforth, she states “Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wit? Beware of it!”(Miller 1307). Since Abby is speaking to Mr Danforth with such an attitude, it can be inferred that she believes she has more power than the judge. She used fear to change people's opinions on what they know, to gain power and to even protect her own reputation. Abby here abused her and questioned the most powerful judge in Salem because he was beginning to realize that what the girls were saying were lies. According to historical records, A US Senator, Joseph McCarthy, was someone who used fear to gain power. Evidence has shown that McCarthy used lies and rumors to propel himself in American Politics(“Red Scare”). Using fear was a way for him to intimidate others to get them on his side (“Red Scare”). It can be inferred that Miller tried to showcase McCarthy’s power through Abigail in The Crucible. These two people have so much in common; they gained power by using fear to strengthen their name in society. Both inevitably ruined their name more than bettering it because they were dislike in society based on the decisions that they made.
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