The famous writer F. Scott Fitzgerald said many years ago, “The reason one writes isn 't the fact he wants to say something. He writes because he has something to say.” [5] Arthur Miller definitely conveyed what he had to say in Miller’s 1952 play The Crucible. Arthur Miller was born in Lower Manhattan on 17 October 1915. [1] Miller worked very hard to pay his way through college at the University of Michigan, where he intently studied journalism. [1] [2] Miller grew up in the late 1940s and in the early 1950s when The McCarthyism Era broke out around the United States, and it drew Miller’s attention. [1] The McCarthyism Era led to Miller’s interest in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. [7] Soon thereafter Miller researched the trials, and began to write his claim to fame The Crucible. The Crucible made its commendable debut as a play in 1953 at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York City. Many people may know the plot of the story, but very few actually know the meaning of the word crucible. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary has an abundance of definitions on this word; however, only one applies to The Crucible: a severe test. [11] In the play The Crucible, the courts applied pressure, and gave the accused a relentless test to prove whether they were guilty or innocent. The Crucible is known as a dramatization of the Salem Witch Trials that occurred in the Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1692 to 1693.[4] Many innocent people fell to execution in a plethora of unpleasant ways because the courts believed the accused had involved themselves in acts of witchcraft.[12] The Crucible by Arthur Miller has become an important part of American literature because of its relevance to the history of the Salem Witch Trials, the events similar to the Salem Witch Trials that followed the trials, and finally the significance and lasting effect of witchcraft in modern society. When English Protestants also known as the Pilgrims first settled in the Northeastern side of
Cited: 1. Arthur Miller Files." Umich.edu. 2001. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. . 2."Arthur Miller Files." Umich.edu. 2001. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. . 3. ATKINSON, BROOKS. "The Crucible." Nytimes.com. 23 Jan. 1953. Web. 22 Dec. 2011. 4. Blumberg, Jess. "A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials." Smithsonian.com. 24 Oct. 2007. Web. 22 Dec. 2011. . 5. Fitzgerald, F.Scott. WisdomQuotes.com. Web. 19 Dec. 2011. . 6. Fleming, Grace. "The Introductory Paragraph." About.com. 2012. Web. 19 Dec. 2011. 7. Galvin, Rachel. "Arthur Miller." Neh.gov. Web. 19 Dec. 2011. 8. "Harry Potter Action Figures." En.wikipedia.org. Web. 22 Dec. 2011. . 10. July 2011. Web. 22 Dec. 2011.Kett, Joseph F. "Expansion and Diversity: The Rise of Colonial America." The Enduring Vision A History of the American People. Fifth ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 53+. Print. 11. Merriam-webster.com. 2011. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. 12."SALEM WITCH TRIALS OF 1692." Witchway.net 14. Witchcraft Chapter Nine - Witchcraft Today." Pantheon.org. Web. 23 Dec. 2011. .