Lesson 43-March 15, 2017
SL1 (COLLABORATION); RL1 (KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS); RL2 (THEMES)
E? Why did Miller title his play The Crucible?
I. 1st, 4th Block
a. Seminar: The Crucible.
i. Overseer and Scribe. Steps 1-3. Send non-completes to corner of shame.
ii. Crucible Object Lesson (uses of a crucible)
1. Explain: A crucible is a container that is used to heat stuff in. The crucible is usually made of a heat-resistant material; an effective crucible does not melt. Different materials are placed in the crucible and subjected to heat. This is done for different reasons. Sometimes it is done to melt down the material so that it can be manipulated. Sometimes it is done to purify the material (separate) or combine materials to make something new. Sometimes it is done to measure-or test-the quality of the material.
2. The essential question for the seminar is: Why did Miller title his play The Crucible?
iii. Discussion and assignment (60 minutes); focus on essential question. Groups will create and turn in via Google Classroom one document (per group) with their responses.
1. What is the connection between Salem and McCarthy?
2. As a group, discuss the symbolism of Miller’s title. What is symbolized by
a. The crucible? Explain
b. The materials? Explain
c. The fire/heat? Explain
3. What does the severe test of the trials reveal about each of the main characters in the play?
4. What do the events of the play express about the human condition?
5. Identify one theme from the play that most resonates with your group. How is it still relevant?
b. Homework: Choose a project overseer; bring whatever you need for audio recording tomorrow
The Crucible Seminar Assignment
Mr. Whited
Am Lit/Comp
15 March 2017
The Crucible’s Fitting Symbolism
All countries have moments which they would rather forget. At their worst, these times can prove to be a dark stain in the country’s history with long lasting negative effects. At their best, they can be a hard lesson learned, although embarrassing and regrettable. In Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1692, such an event occurred in this country. People were falsely accused of being witches and many were executed; later it was revealed that the accusations were false. Innocent lives were lost. McCarthyism, another sad chapter in American history, saw similar circumstances as those in Salem and as a result, Arthur Miller wrote a powerful play which he appropriately titled The Crucible.
During the mid 1900s, the United States was really worried about communism because citizens really treasured their personal freedoms, especially when it came to doing business. Not only that, but countries that had adopted communism were notoriously anti-religious; this made church-loving people in the US shake in their pews. In 1947, President Truman had “ordered background checks of every civilian in service to the government. When Alger Hiss, a high-ranking State Department official was convicted on espionage charges, fear of communists intensified” (“McCarthyism”). Powerful political people were paranoid that some in the government and in high station--entertainers, artists, and leaders--were secret communists trying to take over the country. At a speech in Wheeling, WV, on February 9, 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy “proclaimed that he was aware of 205 card-carrying members of the Communist Party who worked for the United States Department of State (“McCarthyism"). He was given a great deal of power to go looking for communists. As a result, McCarthyism was born. If a person was accused of having communist ties, he might lose his job and the accusation, true or not, could seriously damage his reputation (Heathers 8). The one sure way to get out of trouble if accused was to do one’s patriotic duty and point the finger at someone else. One of the people suspected of communism was a playwright named Arthur Miller. To fight back against this injustice, Miller wrote The Crucible, a story based on what happened with the witch trials of 1692. Miller saw a definite parallel between these two events. The Salem witch trials happened out of a combination of fear and hysteria. People were afraid of Satan getting a foothold in their community, so they empowered those in charge to do things that would normally be considered unreasonable and unacceptable. Many people were executed for not confessing to “compacting with the devil” (Johannes 72). The people who confessed were given a short sentence, but avoided the noose. Miller believed this was exactly what was happening in his time. Just as there was little to no evidence supporting the accused in Salem, the same could be said during the age of McCarthyism.
The title of Miller’s play, The Crucible, is fitting because of its symbolic nature. A crucible, according to an online dictionary, is defined as ______” (Source pg#). For example, a crucible might be used to__(1)______(2)_____
______and/or (3)______. In Miller’s play, the characters represent______. The ______is symbolized by the crucible. The ______is representative of the fire that heats the crucible . Explain each of the elements of symbolism in a few good sentences. Write about how each character was tested and what was revealed about each one. Therefore, Miller’s title is very appropriate to the message he was trying to send.
Miller’s play seeks to teach a valuable thematic lesson. In several good sentences, write about the theme you chose as a group and how this theme is still relevant.
The events in Salem and the events associated with McCarthyism will continue to be a bad memory in the history of this country. In Miller’s play, he is able to effectively draw a connection between the two. All the players, both real and imagined, were subjected to a test of fire and their true nature was revealed. What remains for those in the present is a reminder of __(here, summarize nicely the main point in your last body paragraph above)______.