Transcript McCarthy, Blacklists, HUAC and Arthur Miller (the guy who wrote the

McCarthy, Blacklists,
HUAC, and The Crucible by
Arthur Miller
How can an author use a historical
situation to comment on a current
problem?
Why did Miller set this play during the
historical Salem Witch trials when it is
about the Red Scare of the 1950s?
Quick 20th century history lesson…
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In 1919, a group of Communists (the
newest, most radical political view to date)
overthrew the Czar (king) of Russia.
Known as the “October Revolution,” this
shift in power led to the growth of the
Soviet Union.
Quick 20th century history lesson…
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Most Americans, though wary of
Communism, didn’t think about it too
much.
Communism was somewhat popular
among left leaning groups such as artists
and intellectuals, and an American
Communist Party began.
The party was never large or powerful,
but it existed nonetheless.
THEN CAME WWII…
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Though the United States was allied with
the Soviet Union in World War II, its end
signaled the beginning of the Cold War.
The Cold War was the buildup of military
power and strategic locations between the
two superpowers that emerged in the
world after WWII (the U.S. and Soviet
Union).
Was it still okay to hold Communist
views in America?
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Despite the freedoms guaranteed in the
Bill of Rights, it became highly suspicious
to be a Communist or have been a
Communist.
As the United States stockpiled arms and
began competition with the Soviets,
ANYTHING that dealt with Communism
became seen as a threat.
HUAC
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By the late 1940s and 1950s, the
American government became alarmed
that Communists might try overthrow the
American government and way of life
(much as had happened in Russia in
1919.)
As a result, HUAC was born.
What is HUAC?
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HUAC stands for:
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House Un-American Activities Committee.
HUAC was a Congressional committee that
investigated anyone it thought to be “UnAmerican.”
By the late 1940s, HUAC turned its eye on
Hollywood.
What did HUAC find?
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Numerous actors, playwrights, and
musicians were interrogated, and several
admitted to formerly holding Communist
views.
19 people (this is an important number)
were originally named, and they in turn
were asked to name more names.
Blacklists
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Eventually, Hollywood studios, afraid of
upsetting HUAC, created BLACKLISTS.
These were lists of people who had been
named or even mentioned in the HUAC
hearings.
Once blacklisted, these people could not
work anywhere in the entertainment
industry.
Who was blacklisted?
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Over 300 entertainers were placed on
blacklists and one point or another,
including Charlie Chaplin (actor), Pete
Seeger (folk singer), Richard Wright
(writer), Dorothy Parker (writer) Lucille
Ball (actress), and Leonard Bernstein
(composer).
Then came 1950…
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In 1950, HUAC reached a new level of
hysteria, when a young Senator from
Wisconsin delivered a speech where he
claimed that 57 people in the U.S. State
Department were Communists.
His name was Joseph McCarthy, and his
legacy would be far reaching.
Sen. Joseph McCarthy
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McCarthy was previously unknown, but
immediately became a household name.
He accused nearly everyone (entertainers,
writers, politicians etc.) of being a
Communist, though he rarely proved
anything and never proved any plots to
overthrow the country.
Eventually McCarthy targeted
Arthur Miller…
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Miller was an established and award winning
playwright already.
He was also married to Marilyn Monroe, who
became a bargaining chip in his investigation.
Of course, as you could guess, HUAC wanted
Miller to name his friends and associates in the
entertainment industry. He spoke basically the
same words he would eventually give to his
character Francis Nurse (“I do not want to bring
trouble on my friends.”)
Miller would not turn in his friends.
Parallels (from life in 1950s to the
play)…
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Communism=witchcraft (an unseen threat that
did not prove to be legitimate).
HUAC and McCarthy=the court, Danforth, Parris
etc.
Arthur Miller = Proctor (asked to turn on friends,
wife brought into the picture)
Blacklists=list of condemned witches (though
people in America didn’t die, their careers were
ruined…)
McCarthy used his accusations for political and
personal gain=Putnam and others use witchcraft
hysteria for personal gain. Parris tried to hide
behind his power.
Endings…
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McCarthy eventually lost power, as people grew
tired of his unfounded accusations and strong
arm tactics.
Miller went on to be one of America’s most
celebrated playwrights, and his play The
Crucible can be applied to any situation where
people blindly follow others in mass hysteria, are
accused of guilt by association, or sacrifice their
personal freedoms to conform to society.
The Salem Witch Trials
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Occurred in 1692 near Salem, a small
town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Salem was founded by Puritans in the
early 1600s.
Rev. Samuel Parris was the strict minister
who was liked by some villagers and hated
by others.
In the winter of 1691-92 several teenage
girls, including Parris’ niece, began
behaving strangely.
The Salem Witch Trials
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This bizarre behavior was blamed on
witchcraft.
Miller takes some liberties with actual
historic events in The Crucible; however,
he gets the ending correct . . .
Before the witch hunt ended, 19 people
had been hanged for being witches, and
one was pressed to death for refusing to
testify