Book Review: "The Crucible" By Arthur Miller

Following World War Ⅱ, a phenomenon known as the "Second Red Scare" was occurring in America.

Communism was spreading in a sphere influenced by the powerful Soviet Union. The U.S. backed Chiang Kai-shek lost the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong. High profile convictions of espionage were taking place, such as the Rosenbergs. Communist China went on to back North Korea against U.S. ally South Korea. 

Out of this arose a powerful senator named Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. Through the late 1940s and into the 50s, several laws were enacted curbing civil rights of groups thought to be un-American (restricting the rights of many Asian-Americans during this time period, too). Many people were accused of communist plots and brought before congress and the committee. 

Attorney General at the time, J. Howard McGrath, wrote:

There are today many Communists in America. They are everywhere—in factories, offices, butcher stores, on street corners, in private businesses. And each carries in himself the germ of death for society.

Hollywood was no stranger to Communism. Many of the actors, writers, and intellectuals of the west coast had brushes with communism. Some attended local communist meetings or were, as they called it, "card carrying members."

Famed playwright Arthur Miller took up his share of causes that were aligned with or affiliated with the Communist part. This was enough to get him a seat in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1956. He refused to name anyone as a Communist and was therefore held in contempt. 

Just three years earlier, in 1953, Miller's play The Crucible had premiered on Broadway and won the Tony Award for Best Play. Set in Salem, Massachusetts, during the famous witch trials, they play included much historical accuracy of the trials, albeit mixed in with enough drama and literary privilege to adapt to modern times. 

The play starts with the discovery of several of the young girls from town found dancing in the woods with a Barbadian servant named Tituba. One of the young girls later falls into a coma, and the townspeople converge to discuss the strange events. Among them is John Proctor, a local land owner, and Rebecca Nurse, a pious woman of the community. Also in attendance is Abigail Williams, a young girl who had been a servant of the Proctor household but who had been dismissed after having an affair with married John.

It is Abigail who first starts shouting witchcraft. Tituba is accused, and she confesses that she was with the girls to put a curse on Elizabeth Proctor at the request of Abigail Wilson. Abigail wanted Elizabeth gone so that she could rekindle her affair with John.

The other girls who were with her start wildly accusing people they don't like of witchcraft.

A special council is brought into town to oversee such a curious event. In all, ninety-one people in the town are eventually accused, including John, his wife Elizabeth, and Rebecca Nurse. 

The Crucible is by no means a thinly veiled criticism of McCarthyism and the resulting congressional hearings. It is an overt criticism with the narrator himself drawing the parallels between the societies of Salem and their preoccupation with Satanism and witchcraft and post-World War Ⅱ America and it's paranoia of Communism. 

A crucible is a vessel that is subjected to very high heat to test a specimen that is held inside. The impurities are burned away leaving only the pure essence of the sample. John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Rebecca Nurse were held to the scorching test of finding the truth, and only in their pureness of conviction to the truth did they find spiritual salvation, if not earthly freedom.

Several editions of The Crucible, including a book on CD, are available in the Jefferson County Library Cooperative catalog, including all active Birmingham Public Library locations. It is also available as an e-book and an e-Audiobook through Libby and Hoopla. 

By J. Michael Coe | Library Assistant Ⅲ, North Birmingham Regional Branch and Inglenook Branch Libraries