The Crucible

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 10th grade February 2002

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The Crucible The Crucible by Arthur Miller is effective today because it exhibits emotional terrorism and the battle between free men and blind destruction of the mass. People must try to distinguish between right and wrong, and learn from past mistakes. This play symbolizes society's incapability's to learn from its mistakes.

Emotional terrorism is deployed many times throughout the play. The people of Salem go into complete hysteria when they think girls in their town have become witches. It all begins when the town preacher finds his daughter, servant and other local girls dancing in the woods. Nothing else happened in the woods, but rumors start flying and the whole situation is blown way out of proportion. The people of Salem think they are doing a good thing. A trail begins where many innocent people are hung. All of the unnecessary hangings increase the havoc in the town. The people do not take the time to realize nothing was going on just a little dancing.

This problem still remains today in the modern world. In school kids break little rules as chewing gum thinking that they will get away with it. Consequently the student is caught and sometimes the problem becomes larger. Many times fights and arguments break out over stupid little things that have been done or said. In the 1950's, the Cold War began because of rumors that circulated. All the people of Salem had to do was understand more harm was coming out of all the accusations and hangings than good. Abigail Williams was a character in the play that used emotional terrorism to her advantage. She intimidates all of the girls involved especially Mary Warren to think that something more has happened. If they did not do what she ordered Abigail double crossed them and accused...