Puritans
What is a puritan?
Attached to the Church of England but wants to make changes. Immigrated to America.
Who is Arthur Miller?
Famous playwright that wrote The Crucible.
Define Crucible.
a severe test, as of patience or belief; a trial. OR A place, time, or situation characterized by the confluence of powerful intellectual, social, economic, or political forces.
In what century did the witch hunts occur?
17th Century
Who is McCarthyism named after?
Senator McCarthy
True or false: The Puritans wore plain black and white clothes.
False. They are portrayed as this but they liked all colours especially blue and red.
Why is a play a good way to publicise information?
Many people will see it and be entertained and informed, the media may not publicise your opinion due to government control. You can pretend it isn't about contemporary issues.
Define Hysteria.
exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement about something that may result in negative consequences
Where did the witch hunts occur?
They occurred in a range of areas HOWEVER the one we are focused on is in Salem Village, Massachusetts.
Who were they "hunting"?
Reds, Communists, communist sympathisers
True or False: The Puritans wanted the state to punish those who did not follow God's law.
True
What other play did Miller write (that we learnt about)?
Death of a Salesman
Define Moral Panic.
an instance of public anxiety or alarm in response to a problem regarded as threatening the moral standards of society.
Give an example of a modern witch hunt.
Variety of answer. Teacher will approve.
What were they scared of?
That democracy would be threatened by the reds/ communism.
What other group are they often compared to/ confused with?
Pilgrims (also known as separatists)
Why did Miller write The Crucible?
He was upset with McCarthyism/ the red scare.
Define Literary Article (feature article).
a newspaper or magazine article that deals in depth with a particular topic in depth. In our case it will be a text.
Why was this a great environment for a "witch hunt"?
Small pox outbreak, attacks from surrounding native tribes, wars, rivalry with another town, fear of outsiders, extremely religious community
When did this occur?
1950s
True or False: The Puritans wanted a separation of church and state.
True.
True or False: Miller was blacklisted after writing The Crucible.
True
Define cultural assumptions.
Attitudes, values and beliefs adopted by virtue of your upbringing in a society.
Raised in a society, we unconsciously take on its point of view, values, beliefs, and practices.
What was the accusation?
That they were possessed by the devil and doing witchcraft.
Who was mostly targeted?