INTRODUCTION TO THE CRUCIBLE BY: ARTHUR MILLER 1
2 WHAT DOES “CRUCIBLE” MEAN? ü a vessel of a very refractory material (as porcelain) used for melting and calcining a substance that requires a high degree of heat ü a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development ü a severe test
3 ARTHUR MILLER BACKGROUND • Born in New York City • 1915 – 2005 • Began writing plays in college • Wrote 19 radio plays, 4 screenplays, & 36 stage plays • Regarded as one of the best 20 th century dramatists
4 ARTHUR MILLER BACKGROUND CONT. l His father, Isidore Miller, was a ladies-wear manufacturer & shopkeeper l Was ruined in the depression l This sudden change in fortune had a strong influence on Miller l Studied journalism l entered the University of Michigan in 1934 l won awards for playwriting
5 ARTHUR MILLER BACKGROUND CONT. l 3 marriages l Married Marilyn Monroe (actress) in 1956 l They divorced in 1961
6 ARTHUR MILLER’S SUCCESSES l 1 st successes l All My Sons (1947) l Death of a Salesman (1949) l Condemned the American ideal of prosperity l Thought few can pursue it without making dangerous moral compromises l Awards l Tony award for Best Author (twice) l Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
7 THE COLD WAR IN AMERICA • The US & the USSR emerged as the world’s major powers at the end of WWII • became involved in the Cold War [a state of hostility (short of direct military conflict) between the two nations] • Many Americans feared Communism around the world & even disloyalty at home • Suspicion about Communist infiltration of the government • A lot of Americans thought the Soviets got the atomic bomb by using spies. • People thought that secret agents had stolen our secrets & gave them to the enemy • these spies were actually often average American citizens [not Russian spies]
8 JOSEPH MCCARTHY (SENATOR OF WISCONSIN) • Gained power by accusing others of subversion • Claimed to have a list of 205 Communists who worked in the State Department (in 1950) • unsupported accusations but helped him win a national following • a Senate committee labeled them “a fraud and a hoax” • Branded the Democrats as a party of treason • Denounced his political foes as “soft on Communism” • Called Truman’s secretary of state, Dean Acheson, the “Red Dean”
9 MCCARTHYISM l September 1950 l Congress passed the Mc. Carran Internal Security Act l goaded (provoked/incited) by Mc. Carthy l established a Subversive Activities Control Board to monitor Communist influence in the United States l “Mc. Carthyism” came to mean false charges of disloyalty
10 END OF MCCARTHY’S CAREER • Mc. Carthy’s influence continued until 1954 • Senate censured him for abusing his colleagues. • His career collapsed • Fears of subversion continued • Communities banned books • teachers, academics, civil servants, and entertainers lost jobs • unwarranted attacks ruined lives
11 HUAC = HOUSE UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE • Sought to expose Communist influence in American life • Created in 1938 • Congress wanted to investigate suspicions of disloyalty • Called witnesses & investigated the entertainment industry • Result of the HUAC investigations: the entertainment industry blacklisted/refused to hire artists & writers suspected of being Communists • Over 300 people, including Arthur Miller
12 3 OPTIONS OF THE ACCUSED 1. Could claim they were not and never had been members of the Communist Party • this would have meant perjuring themselves 2. Could admit or claim membership & then be forced to name other members • this would have meant losing their jobs both because of their former membership and their dubious position as informers 3. could refuse to answer any questions • what the Hollywood 10 did
13 HUAC IN HOLLYWOOD • Prominent film directors and screenwriters who refused to cooperate were imprisoned on contempt charges • Some, including film director Elia Kazan, testified for the committee to avoid prison sentences • The Hollywood Ten, a group of entertainers, refused to testify/answer any questions • were convicted of contempt • sentenced to up to one year in prison
14 MILLER’S INVOLVEMENT l He admitted to the HUAC that he had attended meetings, but denied that he was a Communist l Had attended, among others, 4 or 5 writers’ meetings sponsored by the Communist Party in 1947 l Had supported a Peace Conference at the Waldorf-Astoria in NY l Had signed many appeals and protests. l He refused to name others who had associated with leftist or suspected Communist groups l Was cited for contempt of Congress
WHY MILLER WROTE THE CRUCIBLE 15 • Response to Mc. Carthyism • It’s not simply a straight historical play detailing the Salem witch trials • A lot of the information in the play misrepresents the literal events of the trial • example: at the time of the trial, John Proctor was 60 old & Abigail Williams only 11 • The play is a parable for the Mc. Carthy era • similar “witch hunts” occurred targeting citizens as communists, rather than disciples of the devil
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