<p> Why did Arthur Miller write “The Crucible?</p><p>Arthur Miller o Wrote Death of a Salesman (1949) for which he won a Tony and the Pulitzer prize o Wrote The Crucible in 1953 o Called before HUAC in 1956; refused to name names; convicted of contempt of court o Movie version of The Crucible released in 1997 His Political Views o Not a member or supporter of communist party o But very concerned about social issues/ injustices o Had signed petitions to free prisoners or for better relations with Russia (used against him in trials) o He considered himself a Democrat with Left-wing tendencies o Explored alternatives to capitalism o Concerned with censorship in the fifties What Was McCarthyism? o Joseph McCarthy a senator from Wisconsin o Journalists voted him the worst senator in 1951 o His arousal of fear of communists helped him get reelected; he had no chance otherwise o Said communists were hiding everywhere; plotting a takeover o Finally accused the US Army of being communists o Eventually lost all credibility and was ignored</p><p>Accusation o Those accused were questioned by HUAC (House of Un-American Activities Committee o Hundreds of writers, professors, movie stars, etc. were blacklisted o Rights guaranteed by US Constitution were denied those accused Results of McCarthyism o Middle-class Americans became social conformists o Intellectualism suffered; the Arts suffered o Activism among college students almost nonexistent o Fewer films with social themes, political messages o Many propagandistic anticommunist films made o Books dealing with Russia or Communism were banished o Many teachers/ professors questioned about their political views o Mail searched Hollywood Ten o A director and nine screenwriters who refused to name names claiming 5th Amendment rights o Were blacklisted; could never again work in Hollywood, although some used pseudonyms o Held for contempt of congress for several months o 324 Hollywood workers blacklisted; 212 lost their jobs o Theatre had its own blacklist; those listed found it impossible to produce anything But How Could This Happen? o Un-Americanism is defined by difference o Anyone whose ideas or behavior contradict the majority is suspect o What is good for the economy is good for America o Union leaders often suspects o Conformity safe/ Non-conformity unsafe o People afraid to speak up/ Did not want to be accused o People wanted to believe in their country (Hitler’s Germany) o Anyone different threatens our “way of life” o Communists used as scapegoats for society’s problems o Questioning authority an act of rebellion Other “Witch hunts” o Throughout Europe in the middle ages (Joan of Arc) o The Holocaust o Japanese Internment Camps o Others? - Play famous all over the world, especially in places where basic rights are threatened</p>