Created By Stephanie Gaughan
Topic: This pathfinder is a comprehensive study of the background information needed to understand the dynamics of Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible by providing sources on the Puritans, the Salem Witch Trials, Arthur Miller, McCarthyism, and the play itself.
Audience: This pathfinder is intended for high school students and teachers.
Introduction: Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible presents the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 as an analogy to the McCarthy hearings of 1953. The drama portrays the mood of two societies that panicked by hunting down innocent victims without mercy to feed the fires of bigotry and hatred. Before reading the play there are a number of topics that should be studied in order to have a better understanding of the events that influenced the play. This pathfinder will allow students and teachers to locate pertinent information on the Puritans since their religion was the backbone of the colony where the witch-hunts occurred. A number of great sources including books, videos, web quests, and websites are available on the Salem Witch Trials that were the historical event that the play is centered around. A study of Arthur Miller and his political views is also necessary to understand why he would write such a political drama as a way of speaking out against Senator McCarthy and the Great Red Scare that he caused in the 1950s. By studying these topics, both students and teachers alike will have a better understanding of the atmosphere that existed in each society used in the analogy drawn by the playwright in The Crucible.
Useful Keywords and Subject Headings:
Witchcraft Drama
Miller, Arthur, 1915- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
McCarthyism McCarthy, Joseph
Crucible
Classification Numbers
The following classification numbers would be useful for browsing to obtain more information on each topic.
Puritan Religion 285.9
Puritan Literature 810.8
Puritan History 974
Arthur Miller 812.52
McCarthyism 973.9
The Crucible 812.52
Contents
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The Puritans |
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Arthur Miller |
McCarthyism |
The Crucible |
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Book Sources on the Puritans:
Pilgrims and Puritans: 1620-1976. by Christopher Collier
v Recounts the religious, political, and social history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and its influence on our lives today.
Puritans, Pilgrims and Merchants: Founders of the Northeastern Colonies. By Kieran Doherty
v
Discusses the lives of eight people who were
responsible for the founding of colonial settlements from
The Pursuit of Power: Studies in the Vocabulary of Puritanism, Vol. 1. by Ellwood Johnson
v Analyzes the language of the major historical arguments for and against Puritanism and, in doing so, defines the negative as well as positive influences Puritans had on American culture.
Puritans: A Sourcebook of Their Writings by Perry Miller and Thomas H. Johnson (editors)
v Critically acclaimed classic lets Puritans speak for themselves in crucial documents containing theory of state and society, religion, customs, behavior; biographies and letters, poetry, science and more.
Life among the puritans of New England by Louise Chipley Slavicek
v This young adult book outlines the ways in which aspects of Puritan belief and behavior in Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony have shaped elements of contemporary American culture.
v Includes links to articles and essays on who the Puritans were and what they believed.
The American sense of puritan.
v In this work completed for the Capitol Project, from the American Studies group at the University of Virginia the author is attempting to “fix some ground of stability…” in relation to the Piligrims and Puritans “…based largely upon original writings and what seems to be more or less undisputed interpretations about what these writings suggest.”
Book Sources on the
In the Devil’s Snare by Mary Beth Norton
v
Gives a unique account of the events at
The Devil in the Shape of a Woman:
Witchcraft in Colonial
v Examines a society in which fears of witchery helped reinforce the status quo and reflected deeper sexual, religious and economic tensions.
v
Provides a challenging new interpretation of the
outbreak of witchcraft in
The
Witchcraft of
v Describes the social and religious conditions surrounding the Salem Witch hunts, the extensive trials and executions, and the aftermath of the hysteria.
v Discusses the Salem Witch Trials, including their Puritan background, the accusations and outcome of the social hysteria that produced the situation.
Related Young Adult Litearature
A
Break with Charity: A Story about the
v
While waiting for a church meeting in 1706, Susanna
English, daughter of a wealthy
Beyond the Burning Time by Kathryn Lasky
v
When, in the winter of 1691, accusations of witchcraft
surface in her small
The
v Intended for grades 7-10. Covers the social, legal, and political realities surrounding the famous trials.
Three
Sovereigns for Sarah
v Witch hunters tortured a woman’s two sisters for witchcraft in the past. After being accused of witchery herself, she struggles to prove the family’s innocence.
v Weller/Grossman Productions in association with the History Channel
Salem
Witch Trial: The World Behind the Hysteria
v
Take a look at life in 1692
v
This site provides a wealth of primary source
documents, from trial transcripts to rare books, and historical maps of
Famous
American Trials: Salem Witchcraft Trials 1692
v Find a chronology of events, images, select trial transcripts and petitions, biographies, excerpts from Cotton Mather’s Memorable Providences, and more.
Salem Witchcraft
Hysteria (National Geographic)
v Experience the events of 1692 through the eyes of an accused witch.
Book Sources on Arthur Miller
Cambridge Companion to Arthur Miller edited by Christopher W. Bigsby
v Includes analyses of Miller’s plays, fiction and contribution to film. His work is also placed within the context of the social and political climate of the time.
Understanding Arthur Miller by Alice
Griffin and Matthem Broccoli (editor)
Arthur Miller (Modern Critical Views Series) by Harold Bloom (editor)
v A series of critical essays on the playwright and his works including E. Miller Bondick’s “History and other specters in Arthur Miller’s The Crucuble.
Conversations with Arthur Miller by Matthew C. Roudane (editor)
v A compilation of interviews with Arthur Miller about his political views and various works
American
Masters: Arthur Miller
v A brief biography and chronological list of his major works.
Perspectives in American Literature: A Research and Reference Guide
v Extensive list of periodical articles and books on Arthur Miller and his works including the New Yorker article”Why I Wrote the Crucible”
The Arthur Miller Society
Official Web Site
v This non-profit society home page includes a chronology of Miller’s life, current Miller events, Miller’s major works, and annotated links to sites related to Miller. There is also a Miller Message Board for specific questions.
Book Sources on McCarthyism
The Age of McCarthyism: A Brief History with Documents by Ellen Schrecker
v
This concise history combines an extended introductory
essay on the history of McCarthyism with compelling documents that trace the
course of anti-Communist furor in the
Joseph
McCarthy: Reexamining the Life and Legacy of
v In this uniques perspective, Herman reassesses McCarthy’s legacy to show that his disgrace came at a certain price to historical truth since historians have been reluctant to examine all of the evidence.
Nightmare in Red: The McCarthy Era in Perspective by Richard M Fried
v
Provides a riveting and comprehensive account of the
many different people who became embroiled in the anti-communist fervor of mid
century
Many
Are the Crimes: McCarthyism in
v A complete post-Cold War account of McCartyism.
Red
Scare: Memories of the American Inquisition by
v A scholarly and poignant book that is full of footnotes and memories.
v Interactive site that includes colorful photos, transcripts of speeches, and original documents. Informative and interesting.
Senator Joseph McCarthy:
A Multimedia Celebration
v Sound clips and videos of McCarthy’s speeches.
v A compilation of links to insightful essays written about Senator Joseph McCarthy and his legend.
McCarthyism:
Forty Questions and Answers about Senator Joseph McCarty.
v A unique site full of details about McCarthy the man and his role as Senator. The specific questions lead to specific answers.
Book Sources on The
Crucible
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
v This version of the play includes the original text and criticism edited by Gerald Weales.
The Crucible: Politics, Property, and Pretense by James J. Martine
v Analyzes Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning drama within a variety of contexts.
The Crucible: Curriculum Unit by Frances Bullock Fedor
v Supplementary aid in the teaching of The Crucible, incorporating the development of critical thinking skills, writing skills, and vocabulary development.
v Available from The Center for Learning 1-800-767-9090
Online Sources on The Crucible
Educate and
Entertain with The Crucible
v Provides a description of each film and the benefits of using the two movie versions of the play in the classroom.
Teaching
The Crucible: A Guide to Curriculum Integration
v
A range of supplemental curriculum resources for
teaching with and about the 20th Century Fox film The Crucible.
Extensive listing of related resources for teaching about the
The
Crucible: Dramatica Storytelling Output Report
v Similar to Cliff-Notes with information about who the characters are, what their motivations are, summaries of the plot, etc.
v Web quest which includes step-by-step group project for students in which they prepare a presentation demonstrating the similarities and differences of the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Era and the ways in which the play reflects the hysteria of each event.
SCORE: The Crucible
Teacher’s Guide
v Three activities using The Crucible and the internet to answer these three questions:1)What are the relationships between the characters or The Crucible? 2)What contributed to the events leading up to the real witch trial of 1692? & 3)How do the political events of the 1950s contribute to our understanding of The Crucible?
Video Sources
The Crucible 1957 (French version with English subtitles)
v Black and white, 108 minutes, ages 12+
The Crucible 1996 (starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder)
v The Salem Witch hunts are given a new and nasty perspective when a vengeful teenage girl uses superstition and repression to her advantage, creating a killing machine that becomes a force unto itself.
CD-ROM Source
The Crucible: A Unit Plan by Mary B. Collins
v Complete lesson plans for teaching Miller’s The Crucible including objectives, assignments, study questions, quizzes, and more.
v Published by Teacher’s Pet Publications, Inc. and available through Amazon.com
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