Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible': Home

In 1950, the United States was gripped by a fear of communism. The Soviet Union had expanded its communist influence, and news of Soviet nuclear testing had many Americans fearing for their lives. Contributing to the hysteria was Joseph McCarthy, a senator from Wisconsin who made headlines by claiming that Communist spies were working in the U.S. government. The fear and mistrust of this "Red Scare" affected people in all walks of life. It appeared as if no one was safe from investigation.

In 1950, Joseph McCarthy, a Republican senator from Wisconsin, announced that communists were working in the State Department. This anthology focuses on the hearings that resulted from McCarthy's famous efforts to expose communists in government positions and his use of dubious tactics such as smearing and guilt by association.

In 1953, amid U.S. fear of Communist infiltration, Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible, exploring the 1692 Salem witch trials. Some critics see the play as political allegory. It is also hero John Proctor's struggle for personal integrity in the face of social pressure that has ensured The Crucible's enduring worldwide popularity.

Bloom's notes offers concise, easy-to-understand biographical, critical, and bibliographical information presented in a user-friendly format for book reports and term papers Most importantly, it condenses extensive critical research into one compact student handbook.

"A biography of writer Arthur Miller that describes his era, his major works, his life, and the legacy of his writing"--Provided by publisher.

A biography of the Wisconsin Senator whose questionable methods as a Communist witch-hunter brought him fame in the decade after World War II and led to his eventual censure by the United States Senate.