Miller,
Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin Books, 1995.
135
pages.
Reviewed
by J. d’Artagnan Love
***TRIGGER
WARNING**
This
review may be a trigger for those who have PTSD or related disorders as a
result of religious fanaticism/fundamentalism.
In the
introduction of Act One of The Crucible, Arthur Miller writes, “When one rises
above the individual villainy displayed, one can only pity them all, just as we
shall be pitied someday. It is still impossible for man to organize his social
life without repressions, and the balance has yet to be struck between order
and freedom” (7). This passage suggests that what happened in Salem during the
witch trials is the enacting of an attitude that still crops up today. It’s the
spark of panic that causes mass hysteria and paranoia. It’s the point at which
we stop thinking for ourselves and just try to blend in to avoid persecution.
The
Crucible is a dramatic depiction of the Salem Witch Trials. Broken up into four
acts, The Crucible slowly builds in tension until the climatic and gut-dropping
final scene. The Crucible was Miller's thirteenth published play and it examines the darker parts of human nature: fear,
blame, and collective delusions. Literary theorists argue that the play is an allegory of McCarthyism.
This paly is powerful not only for the way in which it brings history to life, but
also for the uncomfortable feeling of knowing that something like this is
possible and could happen again. I couldn’t help but think about some of the
fundamentalist claims made in recent history and how those claims sounded a lot
like the claims being made by the fanatics in The Crucible.
Similar
to Animal Farm, The Crucible is an important piece of literature not just for
its artistry but for its reminder to us that we should never forget the past,
lest we end up repeating it.
5 darts
out of 5
This
play is FOR: people who like gritty, tense stories and historical fiction.
This
play is NOT FOR: people who may have PTSD triggered by religious
fundamentalism/fanaticism.
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