Crucible Background PDF - Class 7

Crucible Background Class 7 Arthur Miller  Arthur Miller early/personal life Arthur Miller an American playwright, was born on October 17,...

Crucible Background Class 7 Arthur Miller  Arthur Miller early/personal life Arthur Miller an American playwright, was born on October 17, 1915 and passed away on February 10, 2005 Miller was born and raised in Harlem, New York, until the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and Miller with his family moved to Flatbush, Brooklyn. To support his family Miller worked a few jobs, some including: a radio singer, truck Arthur Miller in his study in Roxbury, Connecticut, 1987. driver and clerk in an automobile-parts warehouse. Arthur started his career in 1948 working in a small studio that he built in Roxbury, Connecticut. Arthur Miller– Education Arthur Miller attended Abraham Lincoln High School, during high school Miller would keep out of crowds, and was not even part of his school newspaper. Miller was not the best student in school but he still wanted to attend Stanford University. Miller was on the swim team, football team, and French Club. While Miller was on the football team, he ripped a ligament in his knee which got him out of participating in World War ll. Arthur graduated highschool in 1934, because of the tragic incident during the Wall Street Crash, Miller didn’t have enough money to pay for college, so he worked numerous jobs. After Miller made enough money he went to University of Michigan in 1934. Miller’s time in Michigan allowed him to learn and work on his plays. After Miller graduated from University of Michigan in 1936, Miller’s Senior Yearbook Picture he was a psychiatric and copywriter, then he accepted the Arthur Miller-Marriages Married Mary Slattery in 1940. (college sweetheart) Together they had 2 children, Jane (born 9/7/1944) and Robert. (born 5/31/1947) Miller divorced Mary Slattery on June 12 1956. Then he married Marilyn Monroe on June 29, 1956. (Met at a hollywood party and the friendship turned into a relationship.) He divorced Marilyn Monroe without having any kids with her, in 1961, around the same time as his play The Misfits came out. On February 17, 1962 he married Inge Morath after having an affair with her during his marriage to Monroe. He had 2 more children with Inge; Rebecca (born 9/15/1962) and Daniel. (born November 1966) Most people do not know about Daniel because he was kept a secret, due to the fact that Daniel had down syndrome. Millers marriage to Inge Morath was his long standing marriage lasting for 40 years until she unfortunately passed due to cancer in 2002. Arthur Miller– Awards 7 Tony Awards for works such as All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, and The Crucible as well as a Special Tony for Lifetime Achievement The Japan Art Association’s Praemium Imperiale prize for his autobiography, Timebends, given to him in Tokyo A Pulitzer for Death of a Salesman, which is considered one of the highest honors in writing Many other extended awards for Miller 1999 Tony performances of his plays Awards  Writing Career During his career Miller wrote over 37 plays and numerous other works The Man Who Had All The Luck 1944: Miller's first play, failed terribly in reviews. Follows the story of an incredibly lucky mechanic. Focus 1945 (novel): story about racism and antisemitism based off Miller’s own experiences. All My Sons 1947: Miller’s first successful play, won him his first Tony, Death Of A Salesman 1949 another incredibly successful play, follows the story of a traveling salesman who slowly is driven towards suicide (was written in only 6 weeks) The Crucible 1953 a story about the Salem Witch hunt. Although not the most popular when it was released, it is now Arthur Miller's most recognizable work The Misfits 1961 A screenplay that Miller wrote to star his then wife Marilyn Monroe. Salesman in Beijing 1984 (book) a story about millers experiences in Beijing for the performance of his play Death Of A Salesman Timebends: A Life 1987 An Autobiography of his life Arthur Miller- Crucible Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953 He was inspired on writing The Crucible because of the McCarthy trials in 1953 and early 1954 Miller wanted to write a play about the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials held in Massachusetts during the years 1692-1693 The Crucible took about a year to write in its entirety The characters in the play were real people from the Salem Witch Trials The original title was Those Familiar Spirits before changing it to The Crucible The Crucible was also made into a movie that was released in 1996 Salem, Massachusetts (Then & Now) Introduction There used to be two Salem's in Massachusetts, Salem Town and Salem Village. In January 28, 1752 Salem Village was renamed to Danvers. Today Salem is mostly known for there witch trials and is a massive tourist attraction.  Salem Town vs. Salem Village Rural Setting Elections 500-600 Urban Setting Taxes people 1400-1500 Church Farming was people the main job Mostly of most consisted of citizens trade jobs  Salem Occupations (Then vs. Now) Poor Farmers- Many of the Sales Associate- Works in Reverends/ stores and sells products people coming off the boats were starting a new Priests- to customers Administrative Assistant- life and were poor and Preached the Helps organizations run had no money word of God to smoothly and efficiently Blacksmiths- Made Certified Nursing common household items other believers Assistant- Takes care of such as knives, axes, etc. and non patients in forms of transportations, bathing, Carpenters- Made believers etc. common household Registered Nurse- furniture like tables, Provides and coordinates chairs, etc. patient care, educates Innkeepers- Ran buildings patients and public about similar to hotels and various health conditions motels  Religions Then: Back then in the Salem village there was not many many religions. The main religion was puritanism a strict belief that only God chooses whether you go to Heaven or Hell and there was nothing you could do about it. The Puritans worshiped God and focused Solely on God no one else. Now: Nowadays there is a wide variety of religions in Salem town like Catholicism, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. All of these religions have their own system of belief, and worship different gods. For Example Catholics worship God, while Hindus worship Shiva, Krishna, Kali, etc.  Economy Then: Now: Prosperous port which Relies on tourism. Makes $140 million per year. fished, built ships, and Current revenue is engaged in trade. rebounding from the Salem Town was made impact that Covid had on up of wealthy tourism. merchants. October generates the Salem Village citizens most income every year. consisted of poor Salem State University - Creates millions of dollars farmers trying to make of income a living off selling crops. Tourism in Salem Salem in today’s time is known for its witch trials and is a popular tourist attraction. In October, Salem can have up to 100,000 daily tourists. Salem Witch Trials Salem has transformed its history into a hot tourist Memorial destination to honor places of great importance. Salem Witch Trials Memorial: This memorial commemorates the victims of the witch trials and reminds people of Salem’s dark past. The House of the Seven Gables: This mansion inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel symbolizes Salem’s naval past rooted in its history as a major The House of the Seven seaport during the colonial period. Gables Traditions Now: Then: Balance between hard work and Worked hard to honor God personal life Avoided fancy clothes, They live more comfortably and entertainment, etc. have access to entertainment Community Watchfulness Greater focus on Individual privacy ○ Community members always and freedom watched others behaviors ○ Anything that was considered sinful or strange was reported Beliefs/people Then: Now: Believed in a theocracy Not as many Puritans in population ○ Mostly religious Puritan beliefs/values still exist ○ Strict belief system ○ Community oriented today Many Puritans in the population ○ Devout Christians Dedicated life to Christianity Often had different conflicts ○ Religious based opinions/beliefs ○ Poverty ○ Family conflicts  How is Salem modernizing today? Salem is making new projects that are helping to modernize the city: Salem Main Streets was created to rejuvenate the downtown area as a lively retail, dining, and cultural area throughout the year. The Footprint Natural Gas Power Station was constructed in Salem, replacing the Coal-Fired Salem Harbor Station, which had been built in the early 1950s. Witch Scare / Salem Witch Trials  Summary / About: -The first witch scares began in Europe, where many reported the use of witchcraft. -These scares quickly traveled to the American colonies, specifically in Salem, Massachusetts. -Because the Puritans were very religious, they were worried when they first heard this, because they thought that their people had been in contact with the devil. -Any bit of strange behavior caught the attention of the townspeople, who all began to accuse each other of witchcraft. -If the accused was found guilty, they would be put on trial, put in jail, and eventually killed.  Setting - The Salem witch trials took place February 1692 in colonial Massachusetts, in the towns of Salem Village and Salem Town. - The Puritan community was characterized by strict religious beliefs and the tension between people. - The trails were triggered by strange behaviors from young girls, which caused widespread accusations and hysteria. - The Salem witch trials ended in May 1693.  Accusations - In the spring of 1692, 9 year old Betty Parris begins to exhibit strange behavior. - Shortly after, her cousin Abigail Williams (11 years old) is bestowed by fits. - And after that, 12 year old Ann Putman and 17 year old Elizabeth Hubbard undergo the same sickness as the two previous girls. - 3 women, Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba were then accused of witchcraft  Accusations Continued - The afflicted girls started by accusing people with marginal social status. - The most notable woman to be accused was Tituba, who confessed to witchcraft under torture. - The afflicted striked out at women that represented failure in the eyes of the community, most likely to try to get rid of them. - Puritan leadership supported the afflicted girls. - The courts were also very on board with the witch trials or else the accusations would've stayed just accusations. - After the afflicted girls grew in confidence, their accusations became more ambitious. - They began targeting prosperous and established member of the community. - The end of the accusations came when the afflicted girls accused Governor Phips of Massachusetts's wife.  The Trials Court consisted of 7 judges The ones accused of witchcraft were forced to defend themselves without any help or council Those who confessed were spared the courts vengeance knowing they would receive their punishment from God Bridget bishop was the first of the defendants to be convicted and was later hanged On July 19, 5 more people were hanged George burroughs was accused of being the witches ringleader and was later hanged along with 5 others On september 22, 8 more were accused and hanged The accusations later spread to other communities Trials resumed, and of the 56 charged with witchcraft, 3 have been found guilty but later on was pardoned by Governor Phips Trials came to an end on May 1963 with 19 hanged, and 5 who died in custody Killings and Imprisonment in the Salem Witch Trials The killings, and imprisonment of the Salem Witch Trials left a stain behind people's families with the accusations of their loved family members. During the Trials, more than 200 people were accused of witchcraft 20 people were executed for witchcraft. People were mostly killed by being hung, but one man was pressed to death under heavy stones. About 30 people were convicted of Witchcraft and put in jail, many of these people were tortured in jail as well The trials began to die down over time and eventually all of the convicted people were released from prison on all charges. In early 1963 courts stopped the salem witch trials in its entirety.  Additional Facts Witches were believed to be followers of Satan Description: Changed from human to animal, traded their souls, magical deeds - Nobody ever fit that description of a “witch” (bullet above) Giles Corey was pressed under heavy stones until he died (he refused to plead guilty or not guilty) 2 dogs were killed during the witch trials Animals were sometimes thought to be “witch helpers” People thought if animals were possessed they would could be pigs, cats, dogs, cows, etc. Youngest person to be accused and sent to jail was a four year old girl named Dorothy Good  Red Scare / McCarthyism “Our job as Americans and as Republicans is to dislodge the traitors from every place where they’ve been sent to do their traitorous work.” - Joseph McCarthy Introduction - Following World War II, The U.S. (democratic) and Soviet Union (communist) became engaged in a series of political and economic clashes which is known as the Cold War. - This rivalry led the U.S. to assume that communists and left sympathizers living in America were actively working as Soviet Spies. This assumption wasn’t untrue, The Union of Soviet Specialists were carrying out espionage activities in America with the help of U.S. citizens. - As apprehension about Soviet influence grew, U.S. leaders decided to take action. President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9835, also known as the Loyalty Order. This mandated that all federal employees were to be analyzed in order to determine whether they were sufficiently loyal to the U.S. government. - Truman’s loyalty program caused a lot of controversy, especially since the U.S. prized the concept of personal liberty and freedom of political organization. Yet, it was only one of the many questionable activities that occurred during the Anti Communist hysteria known as the Red Scare. The start of the Red Scare/McCarthyism The Red Scare/McCarthyism all began with a speech in February 1950. McCarthy claimed to have a list of communists that worked throughout the U.S. and in the U.S. Department. He had given this speech to ensure the safety of Americans saying how they would catch all the communists lurking in the country.The thought of communism within the county traced back to what had happened in the 1930s and 40s; when there had been a small communist party and their spies that were supporting/working alongside the Soviet Union.  Joseph McCarthy - Joseph McCarthy was a Republican senator from Wisconsin. - Joseph McCarthy ignited the second Red Scare by launching a series of communist accusations against government officials. - Nobody dared to oppose McCarthy for fear of - being labeled Eisenhower a communist. investigated McCarthy’s lawyer, Roy Cohn, and discovered that he abused his - In thetobeginning power of 1954, ensure his assistant McCarthy was began given an easy role in the army. focusing his - Eisenhower alsoaccusations on the invoked executive U.S.and privilege Army. ordered all executive branch employees not to communicate with or testify for Joseph McCarthy. - This led to McCarthy’s credibility being shot because his lawyer had abused his power and he had no witnesses. - In December of 1954, the Senate passed a motion of condemnation against him. - After this, the Red Scare began to die down and McCarthy passed away from alcohol The “McCarthy Hearings” 36 Televised Trials in April 1954 in Washington, D.C. Were nationally televised on NBC The trials were for those McCarthy suspected to be Communists Nearly 200 people were tried Often, McCarthy had outbursts of anger in the middle of the court sessions Often cried out “Point of Order” in the middle of many trials Due to his “vulgar” approach, journalist Joseph Welch famously asked McCarthy: “Have you no decency?” Journalism like this ended up hurting McCarthy’s reputation  J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI - John Edgar Hoover was a long time director of the FBI - His division was mainly focused on acts of communism - Hoover’s agency compiled extensive files on people suspected of Communism through wire tapings, surveillance, and infiltration of leftist groups (groups that wanted to achieve social equality). - The information gathered led to high profile legal cases - 1949 conviction of 12 leaders of the American Communist Party on charges that they had advocated to overthrow the government (seditious conspiracy). - They also built a case against Julius and Ethel Rosenberg who were then convicted of spying to obtain government information (espionage). Hysteria and Growing Conservatism Concerns of communism were heightened by international events - the Soviet Union successfully tested a nuclear bomb, Communist forces led by Mao Zedong took over China, the start of the Korean War which engaged the US troops in combat against communist-supported forces, figures such as McCarthy and Hoover fanned the flames of fear Elected officials from both Republican and Democratic parties tried to portray themselves as anticommunists Membership in leftist groups dropped as it became clear that associations with them would lead to consequences Support for free speech in judicial affairs dropped - demonstrated in the 1951 US Supreme Court ruling House of Un-American Activities (HUAC) Created in 1938 with Martin Dies as chairman Conducted investigations against citizens, government employees, and organizations for disloyalty/rebel activities from 1940s to 1950s (Red scare from 1947 - 1954) Alleged communists would be tried in the court of law HUAC investigated Hollywood Ten, Eliza Kazan, Peter Seager, Berlot Brecht, Arthur Miller, and Alger Hiss Due to investigations, many government employees were blacklisted and citizens lost their jobs