Miller’s Background 1915 -2005 Wrote plays at a university l Middle class – from New York l Settled in Brooklyn and used this city as a model for Death of a Salesman (pulitzer prize)
l. Influence was Depression and Henrik Ibsen who tackled subjects such as guilt, sexuality, and mental illness
Meaning of the Title l. A container that resists heat or the hollow at the bottom of an ore furnace. Its connotations include melting pot, in the symbolic sense, and bearing of a cross
Mc. Carthyism Early Cold War era l Wisconsin Senator Joseph Mc. Carthysenator until Feb 1950 l Public charge that 205 communists had infiltrated State department l
He creates HUAC (House Un. American Activities Committee) l Some testified to avoid prison l If refused to testify -prison l 300 entertainers on blacklist-no work in major studios l
l Mc. Carthy never able to show any evidence of the accusations/ l Mainly entertainment business Hollywood directors, actors and writers
l Arthur Miller was also blacklisted and if blacklisted then no credit for productions l First became aware of Salem witchcraft during a college history class. Later he came upon Marion Starkey’s book, The Devil in Massachusetts, which dealt with the Salem witch hunts in detail and got him thinking about this time in history.
Themes l Miller’s plays explore family relationships, morality, and personality responsibilities. l Integrity
Purpose of the Play l 1. Examine authority l Government l Religion l Unreliable l 2. sources Expose mass hysteria and types of judgment l 3. Expose and examine human characteristics
Allegory l Persons and objects in the story represent meaning outside the story. Paranoia about Communist infiltration into the US is reflective of the paranoia and hysteria surrounding the Salem Witch Trials.
Historical Accuracy l Salem Witch Trials l Abigail was only 11 in 1692 so age is raised in order to have an adulterous relationship between Abigail and John Proctor and supplies a motive
l Go to www. 3. nationalgeographic. com/salem/end. html
MLA Citation of Videocassette l The Crucible. Dir. Nicholas Hymer. Perf: Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield, Joan Allen, Bruce Dawson, Rob Campbell, and Jeffrey Jones. Twentieth Century Fox, 1996.
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