The Crucible of Our Time Paige Anderson English 11 – P. 3 The Crucible vs. the Civil Rights Movement.

The Crucible of Our Time

Paige Anderson

English 11 – P. 3

The Crucible

vs.

the Civil Rights Movement

The Crucible

Written by Arthur Miller in 1952, the play, The Crucible, is a

fictional account of the historical Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

Although it tells more than one story, The Crucible

mainly illustrates the lives of Abigail Williams and John

Proctor, depicting the problems that they encounter

during this tough period in time.

The Civil Rights Movement

Discrimination and segregation of African-Americans throughout

history lead up to the Civil Rights Movement in 1960

The Civil Rights Movement was a revolutionary time for

African-Americans; a chance for them to defeat the hatred

in peoples’ eyes

The Connection?

• Both cases were crucibles: severe trials or ordeals

The Crucible was a crucible for the

Puritans of Salem, Massachusetts

during the Salem Witch Trials. The severe trial, or

“crucible”, was not about the actual trial; it was the

affects before and after the actual

trials that made it a crucible. The

crucible was a test of faith and honesty

for the people.

The Civil Rights Movement was a crucible for every

type of person in the 1960s, not just the

black man. The Civil Rights Movement

was a way of confronting the evil

of discrimination and segregation. This

was a crucible because it was a

severe trial of right and wrong, and what

should be done to make it right.

They were both “witch hunts”

Fear from Both SidesBoth of these “witch hunts” were

driven by fear:

In the case of, The Crucible, fear comes from the fear of being persecuted. The Puritans of Salem use fear in order to persecute one another as “witches”

simply because they have their own fears of being called witches. The people of

Salem are inspired selfishness; they don’t want it to happen to them.

In the case of the Civil Rights

In the case of the Civil Rights Movement, the fear comes before the movement to stop the “witch hunt.” Before the Civil

Rights Movement, the fear that inspired people like the KKK to discriminate

against African Americans was their fear of a ruined society. Some people

believed that God’s perspective of a perfect society was one race. People like the KKK did not want their perfect society

ruined; they did not want the wrath of God, so they tried their hardest to get rid

of African Americans.

Themes: Individual Vs. AuthorityIn, The Crucible, the theme of individual vs. authority is expressed many

times by many different people. John Proctor tried individually to go against the authorities by accusing Abigail of lying. He does so by confessing by adultery, but he does not succeed. Giles Corey also

individually goes against the authorities by refusing to give a name. He is eventually killed for it.

In the Civil Rights Movement, people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks took a stand against the authorities individually. Martin Luther King

Jr. stood against the authorities many times by organizing strikes and protests. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white man,

making a huge stand individually. Both were punished and sent to jail many times, but it never stopped them.

Effects of

• In

In, the Crucible, fear stands behind everything. Fear is what inspires people to persecute their neighbors and fear is what keeps people from speaking out against what they know to be wrong. Fear has

totally taken over Salem in, The Crucible. Fear is what gives Abigail Williams control

over the town and the court.

Fear is what sparked the Civil Rights Movement. Blacks that were discriminated against before the Civil Rights Movement had fear that they or their families would

be hurt if they tried to turn the tables, and that fear was made a reality when the KKK

was born. It didn’t stop people like Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr., though.

Because African Americans were so fearful in the early 1900s, people like them had to

speak out for the good of their people. Fear to speak out made people realize that

they had to.

Personal IntegrityIntegrity: The quality or condition of being

whole or undivided; completeness

In, The Crucible, personal integrity is

what drives people like John Proctor, Giles

Corey, and Rebecca Nurse to stand up

against Abigail and what they knew was wrong. John Proctor knew that Abigail was a fake and

because of his integrity, he admitted to adultery in order to prove Abigail a fake. Rebecca Nurse,

who was persecuted as a witch, refused to confess

to being a “witch” because she knew she was not, and would not lie about it to save her life. The theme keeps

reoccurring in, The Crucible.

The Civil Rights Movement is a great example of personal

integrity. The personal integrity of some

people, like Rosa Parks, is what cause other

African Americans to protest against segregation and

discrimination. People like Martin Luther King Jr. made others realize that they must stand up for who they are. Martin Luther King Jr. was able to remind

people of their integrity. When he was able to do this, the Civil

Rights Movement blossomed.

Hysteria is defined as “excessive or uncontrollable emotion, such as fear.”In The Crucible:

• The hysteria of every person of Salem, Massachusetts was caused by the fear of being persecuted as a “witch”

• The hysteria of persecuted “witches” caused them to confess to witchcraft, even though it was not true; they got to live.

• The hysteria of people like Rebecca Nurse caused them to stick to the truth; it brought them to their death.

In the Civil Rights Movement:

• The hysteria of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement was not driven by fear; it was driven by their longing to be free from segregation.

• Riots and protests of the Civil Rights Movement were caused due to the hysteria, uncontrollable emotion, of African Americans in the 1960s.

Corruption of

In The Crucible:• Abigail tries to corrupt justice by

persecuting innocent people as “witches”

• Sending innocent people to their death was not fair treatment, therefore it was corruption of justice.

“The upholding of what is just, especially fair

treatment and due reward in accordance with honor,

standards, or law”

In the Civil Rights Movement:

• Segregation and discrimination of African Americans before the Civil Rights Movement was corruption of justice, but people didn’t know it then.

• “The upholding of what is just, especially fair treatment” – the upholding of fair treatment was not apparent (segregation of African Americans by white men and the KKK)

:

Comparing Characters

The “Witches”:• The “witches” in, The Crucible, were

innocent people persecuted solely for Abigail William’s personal reasons.

• The “witches” did nothing wrong; they were ordinary people.

• Many of the ‘witches” were killed because people refused to see the truth.

The “Witches” vs. African Americans

• Those who were fortunate enough not to be persecuted were not thinking for themselves; they based their beliefs on the beliefs of other people. They couldn’t tell right from wrong at that point.

African Americans:

• Before the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans were persecuted for things that they did not do. They were forced to stay away from whites for reasons that they could not help.

•African Americans did nothing to bring discrimination upon themselves; they were simply born with dark skin.

• African Americans were tortured and discriminated against for years because people refused to believe that what they were doing was wrong, and those that could didn’t say anything about it.

Abigail Williams vs. The KKK

Abigail Williams:• Called innocent people

“witches” as an excuse to get rid of her enemies

• Operated openly – persecuted anyone and everyone that she did not like.

• Her word became the truth in the court because she had followers (driven by fear) to back her up.

• Did not see anything wrong with what she was doing.

The KKK:

• Used the Klan as an excuse for federal troops to continue their activities in the South

• Operated openly – preached racism and other violent acts to everyone

• Took over local governments with the support of its followers so that it had all power.

• Members believed themselves to be a peaceful organization, having done nothing wrong.

John Proctor vs. Martin Luther King Jr.

John Proctor:• Tried to tell the people of

Salem the truth about Abigail and the witch trials

• Tried to convince others to speak out against Abigail (example: Mary Warren)

• Frowned upon by the court• Died while trying to make

things right

Martin Luther King Jr.:

• Tried his hardest many times to get people to speak out for themselves.

• Organized many protests in order to get people involved in speaking out for their race.

• Frowned upon by the white man

• Killed right before a protest; killed while trying to make things right.

Giles Corey vs. Rosa Parks

Giles Corey: • Refused to give up

a name in order to protect someone else

• Stuck up for himself and the truth by refusing to give in to the lies of witchcraft

• Frowned upon by the courts

• Never gave in to the courts

Rosa Parks:

• Refused to give up her seat on a public bus for a white passenger

• Stuck up for herself and all African Americans as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement”

• Frowned upon by the white man

• Never gave in to the whites; lived to defend herself and others like her.

ConclusionThe Crucible and the Civil Rights Movement are very much alike.

They are both “witch hunts” of our history and are events that we can relate to. Their themes of justice, hysteria, fear, integrity, and individualism are all themes that relate to

everyday life. The main characters of each are the ones that we remember as the most significant and memorable. Both of these

events are relatable to our everyday lives. These battles between right and wrong are very beneficial to our lives today.

The reoccurring themes in both events are things that we see at school, at work, at home, etc. They are not to be forgotten.

Works Cited

• Holland, Gini. A Cultural History of the United States Through the Decades: the 1960s. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1999.

• Hakim, Joy. A History of US: All the People 1945-2001. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

• “Ku Klux Klan.” Wikipedia. 12 Nov. 2005. 5 Nov. 2005 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan>.

• “The American Civil Rights Movement.” Wikipedia. 13 Nov. 2005. 5 Nov. 2005 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_Rights_Movement>.

• <http://www.kkk.com>.