Special Collections Research Center

Titlepage of

Arthur Miller. The Crucible. New York: Viking, 1953.

Arthur Miller's -The Crucible is featured in joint exhibit with Syracuse Stage, on display from February 1 to March 30 on first floor of E.S. Bird Library.

Miller wrote this dark and powerful drama about intolerance and hysteria using the Salem witch trials as the setting. The symbol of the crucible - an intensely heated cauldron for separating the dross from the pure metal - remains throughout the play, as the characters try to separate the evil from the good. However, because of the theocratic nature of the community, personal freedom must be subordinate to religious laws. Even though charges of witchcraft are brought forth by clearly deceitful young girls, the belief in authority is so strong that "'a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it.'" The accusations and indictments "heat up" as hysteria takes control of the townspeople's logic and sanity. As individuals try to save their reputations, the good is finally sacrificed to maintain the norms of the community.

The contemporary context of The Crucible, however, is clearly the witch-hunt activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee and Senator Joseph McCarthy. The hearings into left-wing activities in Hollywood resulted in the infamous "black list" of actors, producers, and writers who found themselves without employment at the major studios. Miller himself was brought before the Committee but, although intimating his own involvement, refused to names others. Because of this refusal Miller was blacklisted, although this did not prevent the production of his plays in New York. He was held in contempt of Congress and denied visas to travel abroad. Like the judges in The Crucible, the HUAC based its hearings on innuendo, fear, and the hysteria of the American public. It was disbanded in 1976.

The Book of the Month is curated by Kenneth Lavender, Rare Book Librarian.

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