Arthur Millers The Crucible A play with more

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible A play with more than meets the eye!

Arthur Miller’s play premiered in 1953. • Check out what else was going on in 1953: – http: //theomahaproject. org/module_display. p hp? mod_id=108&review=yes#965 – And see this map too: http: //flatrock. org. nz/static/frontpage/assets/h istory/cold_war_map. jpg • What was happening in the world after World War II?

Communism Scare • Check out how people felt about communism: • http: //theomahaproject. org/module_displa y. php? mod_id=108&review=yes#946 • How did people react to communism? • What did the government do about the fear of communism?

Why were people so scared? • Check out the Alger Hiss story: • http: //www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/US Ahiss. htm • Why was this event so troubling to the American people? What did it seem to prove to them?

The Rise of Joe Mc. Carthy • Check out Senator Joe Mc. Carthy: • http: //theomahaproject. org/module_displa y. php? mod_id=108&review=yes#974 • How did Joe Mc. Carthy make himself known? • Why did he make himself known?

Mc. Carthy’s claim • Check out what Mc. Carthy claimed to the American public: http: //historymatters. gmu. edu/d/6456 • What does Mc. Carthy claim? • How does he make his argument sound convincing to the American public? • What does he say that makes it sound “bad” to go against him?

Mc. Carthy Hearings • Check out how Senator Mc. Carthy went about “proving” his claims: http: //theomahaproject. org/module_displa y. php? mod_id=108&review=yes#969 • What sort of proof did Mc. Carthy use for his claims? • Why might people have believed his proof at first?

Reaction to Mc. Carthyism • Check out this video from President Truman: Follow the link, scroll after the picture to the small letters saying “Truman on Mc. Carthy. mpg” • What was Truman afraid people might do with Mc. Carthy’s accusations? • How did Truman want the American people to act?

Connect with The Crucible • Take out your theme HW from last night – look at themes you found in the story. Do any of those themes run through the events with Senator Mc. Carthy? How so? Explain in complete sentences? • How might the stories of the Crucible and Mc. Carthyism be similar? Make a Venn diagram that shows the similarities and differences between the Crucible and the events of the 1950 s.