American Literature/American Studies The Crucible by Arthur Miller

English 11 – American Literature/American Studies
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Summer Reading Packet
2007
As a rising Junior taking English 11, you are required to read Arthur Miller’s play The
Crucible for your required English summer reading this year. Miller’s play appeared on
Broadway in 1953, during an era when the House Un-American Activities Committee,
chaired by Senator Joseph McCarthy, sought to rid the United States of Communists.
The methods the HUAC employed were similar to those used by the inquisitors of the
Salem Witch Trials. Arthur Miller himself was called by the HUAC to testify against his
friends. Loosely basing his play on the events of the Salem Witch Trials in the late 1600s
and combining it with the similar hysteria of the Communist “witch-hunt” of the 1950s,
Miller created a moving play which compels the reader/audience to confront powerful
issues of moral choice, justice and injustice, evil vs. good, truth and lie, and the trials of
the innocently accused. A crucible can be defined as “a severe test.” The play
incorporates the issues of both eras.
A NOTE ON THE HISTORICAL ACCURACY OF THIS PLAY
by Arthur Miller
"This play is not history in the sense in which the word is used by the
academic historian. Dramatic purposes have sometimes required many
characters to be fused into one; the number of girls involved in the
'crying out' has been reduced; Abigail's age has been raised; while
there were several judges of almost equal authority, I have symbolized
them all in Hathorne and Danforth. However, I believe that the reader
will discover here the essential nature of one of the strangest and
most awful chapters in human history. The fate of each character is
exactly that of his historical model, and there is no one in the drama
who did not play a similar-and in some cases exactly the same-role in
history.
"As for the characters of the persons, little is known about most of
them except what may be surmised from a few letters, the trial record,
certain broadsides written at the time, and references to their conduct
in sources of varying reliability. They may therefore be taken as
creations of my own, drawn to the best of my ability in conformity with
their known behavior, except as indicated in the commentary I have
written for this text." (The Crucible 2).

THE ASSIGNMENT:
I. While you read this summer, keep these questions in mind:
In what ways does the play explore the American Identity In fact, what is an American
What does this play say about the human spirit
Be prepared to discuss these in class and in writing.
II. While you read, mark your text for quotations that reveal the motives of:
Abigail, John Proctor, Reverend Samuel Parris, and Reverend John Hale.
III. There are many characters. Make a list of characters with a 2-3 sentence identifier.
Think of more than one way each of these characters could be identified. Typed. Turn in
one copy; keep one for yourself.
IV. Conduct an Internet research of the HUAC hearings (including Senator Joseph
McCarthy’s role) and the Red Scare. Also, research the events of the Salem Witch Trials.
It is important to have an understanding of the social, cultural, and political temper of the
times. Print out copies of your research. Prepare an annotated bibliography of your
research on each of the two topics. Use MLA format. Typed. See my web page for a link
on how to write an annotated bibliography or type in “annotated bibliography” on Google
to find out how to write one. You will want to produce an evaluative annotated
bibliography. You must have at least five reliable sources for each topic. Do NOT use
Wikipedia or any other site that is user alterable as a source for any work in English 11.
These are not reliable sources.
Place this research in a two pocket folder with your name written neatly in the upper right
hand corner of the folder. On the left side, place your annotated bibliography of the
Salem Witch Trials with your copies of your research behind it. On the right side, place
your annotated bibliography of the HUAC hearings and the Red Scare with copies of
your research behind it.
Be prepared to discuss I and II in class. The written assignments, III & IV, are due
the first day of class.
A note on honesty: It is against Stratford’s Honor Code for students to copy
someone else’s work and present it as their own. It is ALSO dishonest to use
SparkNotes, Cliff’s Notes, or any other similar publication for any assignment. Violation
of these rules can and will result in serious consequences. Don’t do it.
If you have any questions, e-mail Ms. Hutto at lhutto@stratford.org. I hope you have a
great summer, and I look forward to working with you in the fall!