The Crucible highlights the tendency in America to witch-hunt. Miller’s play came at an appropriate time in history. The court system in America in the 1950’s was failing in its duty to safeguard the system of justice by allowing McCarthy to ride rough shod over all authority and by allowing the HUCA (House Un-American Activities Committee) to proceed in its witch-hunt for communists. Those who decided to live by admitting to witchcraft were ostracised by society much as those thought to be communists were blacklisted by McCarthy. If someone were not to believe in witches they were considered heretics in Salem. Much as nobody dared to disbelieve Joe McCarthy’s accusations about communism.

In Salem on the Sabbath, there was a long church service in the morning and again in the afternoon. Village residents whose homes were too far away to make to trip back and forth in time for both services, spent time visiting their ‘brothers and sisters’ between services. This was a time when g

Abigail’s cousin Betty Parris, continues the cry with, "I saw George Jacobs with the Devil! I saw Goody Howe with the Devil!" From here on, the accusations grow and grow until the jails overflow with accused witches. It must have given them an incredible sense of power when the whole town of Salem listened to their words and believed each and every accusation. After all, children were to be seen and not heard in Puritan society, and the newfound attention was probably overwhelming.

Some topics in this essay:
Abigail Rebecca, Howe Devil, Thomas Putnam, Boston Miller, Dwight Eisenhower, Salem Sabbath, Tituba…’ Tituba, Senator McCarthy, Elizabeth Proctor, Activities Committee, elizabeth proctor, un-american activities committee, house un-american, un-american activities, story timeless, power respect, admit witchcraft, john proctor, mccarthy trials, question beliefs authority, house un-american activities, support wild, contempt court,