People are often times scared of what they dont understand. That fear of the unknown can push people to do desperate things, and cross many boundaries; especially if they believe it will change their way of life and culture. This idea can be reflected in both the historical events of McCarthyism and the Salem witch trials, which was related by the artist Arthur Miller. In his play The Crucible, he uses the techniques of playwright, metaphor and historical repetition to reflect the mass hysteria of McCarthyism and the witch trials.
One of the many interesting approaches Miller had to critiquing McCarthyism was the fact that he formatted it into a play, rather than a standard novel or article in the paper. This gave him several advantages. First being, the play allowed him to connect to his audience with more emotion. Rather than just reading it off paper, the audience could hear the screams of the girls, or see the tears of all the accused victims. It gives a better presence of the overall mood of the story. Secondly, the formatting of the story as a play can allow the audience to understand the story line better by providing visuals. It allowed a better focus on the overall message of the play rather than having to worry about understanding the scenery. Lastly, plays were a major form of entertainment during Arthur Millers time, even more than it is today, so he was able to reach a broader audience. One of his major goals was to make the story interesting for the viewer, while at the same time making it convenient.
Another affective approach was his overall metaphor of McCarthyism. He could've written a play about the Red Scare and the mass accusations among the political system, but instead he related it to a totally different time period and culture. Doing this let the reader view hysteria from a different perspective. For all of the people consumed in the drama of communism, The Crucible let them view their same situation but from the perspective of the audience; giving them a larger understanding of the situation.
