Arthur Miller & McCarthyism
Arthur Miller
Born in New York, 1915. His father lost all his money in the Great Depression; this made a huge impact on Arthur Miller.
What was Miller's most popular play, written in 1949?
Death of a Salesman, which brought him fame throughout the world. It's the tragic story about a salesman who decides he is worth more dead than alive.
What opportunity did McCarthy receive after being named Chairperson of the Government Committee on Operations of the Senate?
To investigate possible communist subversion in the government. He actively investigated various departments of the government for the next two years.
All My Sons (1947)
a play about a factory owner who sells faulty aircraft parts during World War II
How many people in the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry were suspected of holding left-wing (communist) views?
19
When and where does Miller enter journalism?
1934, University of Michigan
When was the Crucible written?
1953
When did Arthur Miller die?
2005
How many people were blacklisted as result of their name in the Red Channels?
320
What happened to the directors, actors, and writers who were listed in the Red Channels?
All of the people on the list were blacklisted (could not get work in the entertainment industry) until they testified before the HUAC and convinced them that they were no longer a member of the party and had changed their views.
Joseph McCarthy
February, 1950 - Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin claimed to have a list of 250 people in the State Department known to be members of the American Communist Party.
How did the HUAC react to the Hollywood Ten?
HUAC and the courts disagreed with their reasoning and all were found guilty of contempt of congress and each sentenced to 6-12 months in prison.
In 1956, Miller is called before the ____________, because he had been accused of being a Communist.
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
How are the Salem Witch Trials like the McCarthy era?
Many were called into questioning and asked to give names of others who might be involved in communist or left wing views. Because they were afraid of going to prison, most people cooperated and named others--much like the Salem Witch Trials in the Crucible.
McCarthyism
McCarthy made it clear that the only way of showing that they had abandoned their left wing views was by naming other members of their party. This "witch hunt" became known as McCarthyism.
In 1961, Miller wrote a screenplay for ___________, starring Marilyn Monroe and Clarke Gable.
Misfits (another note: Miller had been married to Marilyn Monroe from 1956-1961)
When McCarthy began to investigate the military, this is the last straw president Eisenhower. Thus, what does he do?
President Eisenhower instructs his Vice-President, Richard Nixon, to attack McCarthy publicly. Not long after that, the media took a negative turn toward McCarthy and he soon lost popularity.
The Crucible is an allegory of what?
The McCarthy Era (hundreds of Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers)
Many of Miller's plays depict how families are destroyed by...
false values
According to the BBC, Miller was "America's foremost post-war playwright. His works, ___________, struck a chord with a whole generation of theatre-goers throughout the world".
intricate musings on the darkness at the heart of the American Dream
Red Channels (1950)
listed 151 names of actors, directors, and writers who had been involved in left wing organizations before WWII.
In 1953, McCarthy begins to investigate communist dealings in the...
military
Of the 19 people called in for questioning, ___________ refused to answer based on the ____________.
ten (known as the Hollywood Ten) Fifth Amendment
What did the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) do in 1947?
they began an investigation into the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry to seek out people suspected of unpatriotic behavior and members of left wing groups.
McCarthy also strove to ban ___________ books from all libraries.
un-American