POINTED NOTES: What is the connection between the McCarthy era and the play?

Notes:

• The idea of blaming other innocent people came from McCarthy in the same sort of context as in the Crucible. 
• Links between characters, HUAC is like the girls in the trial, communists are like the witches, Hollywood ten are like those who refuse to confess.
• Both a result of hysteria
• Once someone was accused the could not escape it
• If you confessed you had to then name other people
• No one was willing to stand up against Abigail or McCarthy until they took it to far
• Blaming others when something goes wrong
• The accusations in Salem led to executions and in America careers were permanently ruined or other people were imprisoned
• The group of communists were ostracised like the witches were
• Miller is pointing out the echoes that he finds still in existence in the America of his time.