PPT-The Crucible Arthur Miller and McCarthyism

Arthur Miller Some biographical information Born in 1915 New York City Worked his way through college at University of Michigan Began career as a playwright in 1938 writing plays to be performed on the radio. In your notes, please respond to the following questions: . Define hysteria. What are the causes?. What is mob mentality? What are the negative effects?. What makes fear a powerful tool? . “FEAR is an acronym in the English language for ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’.” . By Arthur Miller. Arthur Miller 1915-2005. Father was successful business owner, but lost everything during the great depression.. Depression . had a . profound impact . on the development of his social consciousness. . The Crucible, . The Salem Witch Trials, and McCarthyism. . What do they all have in common????. Things to Know about Arthur Miller. 1915-2005. Grew up in a working class family; worked as a teenager to earn money to go to college. The time period from 1946 to 1955, during which Senator Joseph McCarthy led a movement to find and prosecute suspected communists. Also known as the . Red Scare . time period. McCarthyism. came to mean false charges of disloyalty.. (Very Abridged). Long long ago…in a galaxy far far away…. Or in the Middle Ages in England,. King Uther Pendragon ruled England, but he longed for the wife of another – the wife of one of his lords, Lord Tintagel.. to . McCarthyism. & . Symbolism . in . The Crucible . McCarthyism. : In the 1940s and 1950s Americans feared the encroachment of Communism. The Soviet Union was growing in power and the threat of a nuclear holocaust was on the forefront of American minds. Eastern Europe had become a conglomerate of Communist satellite nations. Throw in China and Americans began to feel they were surrounded by a Communist threat. Paranoia ensued.. -Arthur Miller. 1915-2005. The Crucible . by Arthur Miller. Grew up during the Great Depression. Wrote screenplays for Hollywood. How did it begin?. At the end of World War II, two powerful nations came into view – the USA and the USSR (Russia). . Both . countries were distrustful of each other. Mistrust and hostility between the two grew and the US worked to stop the spread of Communism. . Information. The Crucible. by Arthur Miller. Known and respected for his intimate and realistic portrayal of the working class, Arthur Miller remains one of the most prolific playwrights of his time. At the peak of his career immediately following World War II, American theater was transformed by his profound ability to capture the heart of the common man and make his audiences empathize with his plight as he attempts to find his . BACKGROUND NOTES. The play is set in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. The play deals with the Salem Witch Trials. The main characters are Puritans. The Crucible. WHO WERE THE PURITANS?. English Protestants who wanted to “purify” the Church of England. The Playwright. Arthur Miller is a famous American . playwright. He examines disillusioned characters and the individual conscience vs. the mob in much of his work.. The . Crucible . opened in New York, NY in 1953. Arthur Miller: A Life. Born on October 17, 1915. Attended the University of Michigan from 1934-1938. Graduated with a degree in journalism. Wrote and produced five plays during college career. Married three times . McCarthy, Blacklists, HUAC and Arthur Miller (the guy who wrote the Crucible…) How can an author use a historical situation to illustrate a current problem? Why did Miller write this play in the 1950’s, hundreds of years after the historical Salem Witch trials? McCarthy, Blacklists, HUAC and Arthur Miller (the guy who wrote the Crucible…) How can an author use a historical situation to illustrate a current problem? Why did Miller write this play in the 1950’s, hundreds of years after the historical Salem Witch trials?