A Brief Review on McCarthyism, Blacklisting, and "The Crucible"

A Brief Review on McCarthyism, Blacklisting, and "The Crucible"

        The McCarthyism era in United States history was one that came about during the Second Red Scare of the late 1940s and 1950s. This time included intense allegations and investigations on supposed communists or sympathizers of communists. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, was a play published in the midst of this Second Red Scare in 1953. Miller's play was written to be an allegory for all that revolves around the idea of McCarthyism. Years later, one can speculate how this dramatic classic has specific ties to what was occurring in American history.

The cover of the play

        The Crucible takes place in Puritan-centered Salem, Massachusetts where many of the town's women begin to make unfounded claims regarding the presence of a witch or multiple witches. These allegations, that are supported with no solid proof, is the main plot point that allows the play to allegorize McCarthyism. To connect with real American history during the time of the Second Red Scare, Wisconsin U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy made numerous claims that communists and communist sympathizers were infiltrating the United States government. However, McCarthy didn't have any true proof of this being the case. Resulting from Senator McCarthy's allegations, many people's careers and livelihoods went downhill due to blacklisting. To provide an example, the Hollywood blacklisting occurred where many individuals, who were working in the entertainment industry, were believed to be communists or communist sympathizers. Such individuals were, in turn, refused employment. Notable individuals who were blacklisted include Howard E. Koch, who co-wrote the screenplay for the film classic Casablanca (1942), and Pert Kelton, who many may know as portraying the role of the Irish Mrs. Paroo in the musical The Music Man. 

Pert Kelton (right) as Mrs. Paroo on screen in"The Music Man" (1962)

        This act, and many other similar gestures, depict the unfortunate representation of what occurred in response to the initial unfounded claims primarily done by Senator McCarthy. This spreading of McCarthyism is represented in The Crucible, for the townspeople of Salem make claims that have long lasting and unfortunate impacts on others who are innocent. A true sense of resentment is present in both the real-life situations of the McCarthyism era in American history and the conditions of the paranoid town of Salem, Massachusetts.

        An additional similarity between The Crucible and the McCarthyism era was how those who were not accused responded. In the play, the Salem townsfolk fear to speak against the accusers and the court, for they may be assumed to be followers of witchcraft themselves. This relates to the fact that many people during 1940s-50s America, especially reporters, did not go against Senator McCarthy's and other authority figures' accusations because they feared of being accused to be communists themselves. 

        The plot and the characters of Arthur Miller's The Crucible truly allow for one to be immersed in how McCarthyism impacted the American people decades ago. An accuser's allegations have lasting impacts on not just the accused, but everyone. Whether it be in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts or spread across the United States of America, the outcome of McCarthyism proves to be one that is unfortunate and filled with resentment. 

Images:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crucible

https://silverscenesblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-making-of-music-man-1962.html

Sources:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/arthur-miller-mccarthyism/484/