Why Does the Narrator Discuss Communism in a Play About Witchcraft?

McCarthyism refers to the communist panic that swept the U.S. between the 1940's and '50's. The House of Un-American Activities Committee was founded in 1938 to investigate communist activities; it gained power and notoriety after Senator McCarthy made a speech claiming over 200 federal workers were communist infiltrators. Investigations commenced; authors and those involved in the film industry were particularly hard hit. Because the trials were public, a single unfounded accusation--even if proved false--could ruin a person’s career. If those accused refused to give names of other communists, they were blacklisted. Some fled the country. Others were jailed, such as the Hollywood Ten. Over time, as justice deteriorated, people found it easier to "confess" and give names of people, regardless of whether those listed were truly communist sympathizers or not. This perpetuated the panic, making it seem like the nation was filled with communists.

The Crucible was written in the early 1950's, while McCarthy was in the spotlight. Arthur Miller himself was questioned as a communist; he refused to give names of others, and his career subsequently suffered. Before the trial, he was lauded as a literary genius for Death of a Salesman, but The Crucible ran for a shorter period than his previous work. People immediately saw the parallel between the panic of Salem and the panic of McCarthyism, which was probably partially responsible for its short run. Nonetheless, it has become a classic piece of American literature, widely studied and enjoyed.