Franklin D. Roosevelt said once, “The only fear we have is our own.” We could not see into the future, so we couldn’t see his point. Mass hysteria is driven by fear and greed. Dictionary.com says. Mass hysteria, according to Dictionary.com, is a frenzy that spreads quickly among a large group of people in response to an event. The effects are the same in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible play and in the treatment given to Arab-Americans post 9/11. Understanding the relationship is essential to understanding the concept.
Salem Witch Trials occurred in 1692. More than 200 people were accused and tried for witchcraft. 20 of those accused were executed. Evidence was based on unreliable teenage girl’s testimonies and circumstantial evidence. Salem’s people were filled with fear. Arthur Miller fictionalized and dramatized Salem’s witch trials in The Crucible by Arthur Miller, published in 1953. Since then the story has been associated with paranoia, corruption and the trial of witches. More than 300 years on, the same history is repeated. The Puritans were gripped by fear, but today Americans are paralyzed with fear.
The tensions that these terrorist attacks have created continue to influence the lives of American Muslims. These events happened at very different moments, but they are similar. It is always portrayed that the enemy’s characteristics are incompatible with those of one’s own culture. Bush Administration, as an example, painted terrorists in a negative light because of their “hatred for freedom”. In an attempt to combat terrorists, the United States’ government presented itself as a “fighter for freedom”. Tituba is also from Barbados. Barbados has a long history of voodoo. The devil was worshipped there. Puritans were strict in their adherence to the bible. In the text, readers can see that fear is what causes people to make hasty choices. Abigail mentions in the story that “I can hear her laughter when I’m sleeping.” I can hear Abigail singing Barbados music and tempting me. . . “.
Salem Witch Trials began with mass hysteria due to Tituba’s fear of the Devil. Tituba’s vulnerability and minority status made her the scapegoat of the Salem Witch Trials after she was caught in the woods dancing. Puritans feared everything that did not conform to their beliefs. The 9/11 terrorists attacks were far more devastating. In the week following September 11, the FBI received 96,000 leads of possible terrorists. By the end of January 2002, it had reached 500,000. These claims were driven by the fear of a new terror attack. This leads to “perversions of justice”. ” It destroys the lives of most innocent people. Richard Godbeer, in his article “Escaping Salem”, argues that the Salem Witch-hunts were a harsh judgment against a group. Human history has seen this trend. One group may feel they have the power to dominate another. It may be that they are trying to get out of trouble by covering up a crime. . . “. Abigail Williams is exploiting her position by accusing citizens, and threatening other girls throughout The Crucible. Interestingly, she uses her position and religion to scare people who already hold power, including Danforth. Abigail states “Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you’re so strong that Hell won’t be able turn your wits. . . “. She views the trial as an amusement and uses it to exact revenge. Women were not heard before the trials. The trials gave her a voice. Similarly, Bush used the 9/11 terror attacks for political gain. The Patriot Act passed. History. According to History.com, The Patriot Act was passed in 2001 as a law to enhance the ability of U.S. law enforcement agencies to detect and prevent terrorism. “
The government used this tactic to invade the privacy of Arab-Americans. Around 780 civilians were detained in Guantanamo since 2002 because they had been accused of terrorism. No one calls them prisoners of war and no fair trials are ever held for them. The reason they were in Salem was to obtain information on others and identify them. The Executive became part of the government. The Guardian stated that George Bush had admitted to The Guardian that Saddam Hussein didn’t have a hand in 9/11 but asked Americans support a War in Iraq which he called defining of our era. The Bush Administration, despite receiving reports stating that Saddam Hussein was not involved in the September 11 terrorist attacks, invaded Iraq anyway and executed Saddam Hussein. Why would American citizens support a military conflict that was not justified? Fear of a second attack. Puritans condemned suspected Witches for the same reason. They feared that the Devil might be among them.
History repeats itself, but in a different form. Witches and mass hysteria are the modern form of terrorism. Because our mistakes in history are buried, history is repeating itself. The Crucible is linked to the treatment given Arab-Americans in America after 9/11. We ignore, or even punish, those who speak out against injustice. Listening can be the answer.