2. The Crucible By Arthur Miller BACKGROUND NOTES

3. PURITAN BELIEFS Convinced that most of humanity would be damned due to Adam & Eve’s fall Not sure who were the “elect” and who were destined to be damned

4. PURITAN BELIEFS, CONT. Believed in PREDESTINATION (determined by God before birth) and that the choice of the “elect” was arbitrary If “elected”, one could do no wrong, but if an “elect” did sin, he could still be saved because once elected, he would be saved forever

5. PURITAN BELIEFS CONT. The Bible was the literal word of God Education very important because they must be able to read, interpret and debate theology All other ways of life were wrong

6. PURITAN BELIEFS CONT. Just as God could “elect” those to be saved, the Devil could select people to be bewitched Devil was a real and active enemy of mankind, not just an abstract figure

7. PURITAN BELIEFS CONT. Witches could definitely exist in society Felt the Devil was determined to destroy the New World because they were so righteous Naturally the Devil would need helpers – witches

8. PURITAN BELIEFS CONT. Vast forests gave the Devil plenty of places to hide Believed the “savage” Indians could also be agents of the Devil

9. PURITAN BELIEFS CONT. Accepted and promoted the concept of THEOCRACY – that the church should control the government – seemingly in conflict with our belief that our forefathers wanted true separation of church and state

10. PURITAN BELIEFS CONT. Believed the following were cardinal sins: *Adultery *Dancing *Playing games *Dressing “prettily” (Women were forbidden to do so.)

11. THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS Those accused of conspiring with the Devil had committed a crime against the government and the punishment was hanging. The afflicted were those “possessed” & “tormented”. They accused or “cried out” the names of those supposedly possessing them, the accused.

12. THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS Both men and women were accused In Salem, 19 people hanged along with 2 dogs, while 1 man was pressed to death

13. THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/biog/pooroldgoodycole.htm

14. THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS Similar trials took place in other places The witch trials lasted less than a year (1692)

15. THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS Experts are unsure what caused the girls’ “fits”. Some believe the cause was adolescent hysteria while some believe it was ergot (a type of fungus) poisoning. After the trials, the jurors and magistrates apologized, restitution was made to the victims’ families, and a Day of Fasting and Remembrance was instituted.

16. McCarthyism Refers to the use of careless, often false, accusations and methods of investigating that violate civil liberties Originates from Senator Joseph McCarthy’s hunt for “pinkos” (a slang term for people who, politically, “have a tendency toward red,” the color associated with Communism), “radicals” (people who are for extreme social and political change) and “Communists” in the 1950’s.

17. McCarthyism Sen. McCarthy accused the Democratic administration of supporting Communists during a time when America was in a struggle with the Soviet Union and growing Communism.

18. McCarthyism Playing on Americans’ great fear of Communism, McCarthy summoned hundreds of Americans to testify & threatened to brand them as Communists if they didn’t. Mass hysteria grew and the “witch hunts” began.

19. McCarthyism Several Hollywood writers, actors, and other famous people were questioned; many were “black-listed” ( put on a secret list that circulated to employers, preventing those on it from getting hired) and 10 were sent to prison for refusing to answer questions.

20. McCarthyism The Committee questioned Arthur Miller in 1956, who admitted to attending Communist meetings 10 years earlier to learn about it. Miller refused to answer questions about other people who attended those meetings, and he was held in contempt of court.

21. McCarthyism He appealed and 2 years later won his case. McCarthy was eventually condemned by the Senate for misconduct and abuse of power.

22. What is an ALLEGORY? A story with two levels of meaning, a literal meaning and then a symbolic meaning where the characters and events represent something that has happened or is presently happening and is the author’s way of commenting on that event. Miller’s intentional use of these similarities makes this story an allegory.

23. A sample ALLEGORY by Mrs. Green Far away in the North Pole where Santa and Mrs. Claus live, there are many reindeer. And while Santa’s nine reindeer appear to stay the same: Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Dasher, Dancer, Vixen, Prancer, and of course, Rudy, reindeer are not immortal. So there are many reindeer families who live in the North Pole and attend Christmas School in hopes of auditioning and becoming on the next nine to pull Santa’s sleigh.

24. Well, while Reindeer school is fun, it has become increasingly more and more crowded as the years have gone by. The flying classes, the “How to land on a roof silently” classes….they are all exceeding 30 reindeer per class. And for animals with 4 legs, that is VERY squishy! But nevertheless all the reindeer are attentive and give 100% effort at their school work. The only really big problem is lunch…. The reindeer cafeteria is a beautiful area of woods to the left of Santa’s workshop. There are berry bushes, corn feed, and salt licks. However, as enrollment has risen over the years, the amount of food available for lunch has diminished. And sadly, the hungry reindeer are having more accidents when flying and landing due to the low blood sugar. After addressing this problem with Santa, he said he is sympathetic, but he cannot extend the feeding area until

25. enrollment reaches a slightly higher level. He said the reindeer may want to bring some feed from home to help alleviate the lunch issue. Sigh…. So, for now, lets hope Santa’s reindeer can continue to deliver Christmas gifts to all in a single night, because extending Christmas to two nights will cause global problems with all calendars! THE END!

26. So…. Someone please summarize that story. Who are the characters? What is the problem? Is there a solution? THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION… For WHAT is that story an ALLEGORY for and how do you know????

27. Allegorical Similarities Between the McCarthy Hearings and The Crucible Anyone opposing McCarthy was suspected of communism and often brought before the Senate committee Anyone opposed to the Salem judges was suspected of trying to undermine the court & was “probably a witch”

28. Similarities Between the McCarthy Hearings and The Crucible Panic among Puritans led to “witch-hunts” for the Devil’s agents Panic led to a “witch hunt” for Communists

29. Similarities Between the McCarthy Hearings and The Crucible Puritans feared the Devil & his agents in the 1600’s Americans in the ’50’s feared Communism