The Crucible Social Commentary Analysis

Miller’s Social Commentary of McCarthyism as shown in The Crucible
Miller conveys his social commentary and opinion that the McCarthy Trials are stemmed from devious volition with his manipulative characterization of Abigail Williams.
Abigail’s feigned innocence is comparative to McCarthy’s thin veneer of “belief” in the communist uprising. Abigail responds to Parris’s questioning of her actions relating to her release from Goody Proctor’s service by lamenting that, “[Elizabeth’s] a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman,” and that she could no longer stand to “work for such a woman” (Miller 12). Abigail’s persistent denial of her actions with John Proctor add to her manipulation of people. Lying to Parris allows Abigail to come closer …show more content…
Abigail's motivation for continuing the Salem Trials is to eventually “dance with [Proctor] on [his] wife’s grave”(Miller 110). Proctor’s torment is a result of Abigail trying to force herself upon him by controlling who hangs during the Salem Trials. Abigail manipulates the court into taking down everything that separates her and proctor step by step; however, abigail doesn’t realise that Proctor doesn’t want what she wants and results in all of her efforts being for selfish desires. When John tells Abigail he doesn’t want what she wants, Miller conveys Abigail's reaction with a stage note describing; “a wildness stirs in her, a child is standing here who is unutterably frustrated” that Proctor is “[denying] her wish”(Miller 151). Abigail's frustration that John doesn’t share her vision is a testament to her apathy towards John’s desires. Abigail is so consumed in her lust for John that she is willing to kill, lie, and hurt the person she craves for most. Abigail is shown to have little care for anything but herself indulging goal and is willing to go to extremes in order to attain it. Comparatively to Abigail's growing standing with the town throughout the play, McCarthy employs the technique of advocating “anti communism, patriotism,[and] the Catholic Church” as a means of “self promotion”(Source 1). McCarthy “gained increasing popular support” as a result

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