Act IVThe conclusion of The Crucible is one with major point. In the end, the court only listens to the evidence they deem "usable," thereby furthering the injustice. It is then that Proctor must decide between lying and living or being honest and dying.
The logic behind this decision is one that inverses what the average individual would say. This therefore takes out the power of truth and makes truth a small idea. |
Red ScareThe Red Scare represented a time period where it was important to hide your individualistic ideas and follow what the "normal" American would. During this time putting on a facade was a part of daily life. It was commonly known that if you were accused of communism you would be persecuted, the court/government was not interested in finding the truth. If you were to be prosecuted, and you refused to name other Communist names, then you were sentenced to jail time.
Edward Dmytryk had refused to do this, and so he was sentenced to several months in jail. After serving out his sentence, Dmytryk decided to testify against the other members of the Communist party. Lying was the only way to stop from being persecuted against and many Americans were forced to do just that. |
How is this allegory
This shows a very clear parallel between The Crucible and the Red Scare because both Proctor and Dmytryk refused to do what the public wanted and went with their honest feelings/ rights. Miller used Proctor to portray the American citizen that rebelled against the craziness of the time.