Today’s assignment also included the HUAC testimonies of Hollywood performers, writers, and producers. Discuss how one or more of these testimonies enhance your reading of The Crucible.
2 thoughts on “Week 2 Day 2 Discussion Question 4”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
The two contrasting stances taken between the testimony of Lillian Helman and the testimonies of Louis Mayer as well as Walt Disney particularly enhanced my understanding of the similarities between The Crucible and the Cold War era. Miller stated in his article explaining why he wrote the Crucible that in the seventeenth century, “the existence of witches was never questioned by the loftiest minds in Europe and America”, just as the danger of communists was accepted among the American public.” However, the extent to which both centuries feared their respective enemies was greatly apparent in the testimonies of Mayer and Disney. Mayer stated that communists sought to “destroy” the “sanctuary of freedom” that was America similarly to how Parris feared witches would destroy the town of Salem, which later appeared to be true as farms went fallow and orphans roamed the streets. Disney touches more on the fear of an unknown belief, as he repeatedly mentions how “good” and “American” his team was. Disney also did not hesitate to accuse others of being a communist, similar to how accusations ran rampant through Salem. These testimonies highlight the deep rooted fear of communists and their ability to destroy American culture just as the people of Salem thought the witches would do to their town, and how absolutely inconceivable it was to be a communist in American society. Lillian Helman’s persecution despite her willingness to answer questions demonstrates how judges were reluctant to listen to reason during this time of turmoil and chaos, and that solely because she refused to accuse others she was jailed, just as in The Crucible. She stated “to hurt innocent people … to save myself … is inhuman, indecent and dishonorable”, yet the judge’s decision to persecute her regardless reveals how ingrained in society the hatred and fear of communists was.
The testimonies of Ayn Rand and Walter Disney in particular greatly enhanced the parallel between McCarthyism and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible’s witch hunting for me. The initial juxtaposition is not very hard to miss- initial smearing, paranoia, and deception, quickly lead a community to devour itself and abandon its morals. Yet, as fitting as the analogy is, in the end communists and their threat to America, though greatly overstated, existed, whereas witches did not. Miller even acknowledges this fact when he reflects on why he wrote The Crucible. Initially, this killed the comparison for me, and made me think that in the end, the witch hunting paranoia was always more irrational. My opinions changed however, when I read Rand’s wrath filled testimony, and how her history with Russia destroyed her sympathy for Russia. In the same vein, during his testimony Disney is asked if he thinks he employs any communists or Fascists , and replies “No; at the present time I feel that everybody in my studio is 100 percent American.” The testimonies made me realize that to many Americans, being a communist was literally as unacceptable and unthinkable as witchcraft. The fear driven reactions to them were identical. As Disney makes clear, it is not possible to be American and a communist. To him, the two terms are essentially antonyms. Thus to me, the testimonies greatly enhanced the parallel of the witch-hunting in The Crucible and communism.