Comparison

Arthur Miller’s “ The Crucible” and the “ Good Night, and Good Luck” are similar. Both deal with unfounded accusations, defenseless victims and paranoia. Edward R. Murrow, the star of the movie “ Good Night, and Good Luck”, is fighting against Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1950’s phenomenon labeled “ The Red Scare” in which McCarthy is accusing many Americans of being Communist. Arthur Miller shows this same sort of fight in his play “ The Crucible”. The book deals with the Salem Witch Trials and their overwhelming affect on the town and on American society at that time.

Miller’s characters John Proctor in “ The Crucible” and Edward Murrow in the “ Good Night, and Good Luck” both fought for a good cause; the innocence and good name of the innocent. It is the inaccurate judgment of others that motivate both characters to defend them who have been accused. Arthur Miller wrote his play to defend himself against Joseph McCarthy’s accusations. He used characters and their actions to illustrate the ignorance of such crazy allegations. In the1950’s, many Americans were accused of being communists.

In many cases people were accused based on rumors and previous events or relationships. McCarthy accused Milo Radulovich, but Radulovich didn’t know what he was being accused of. Edward Murrow saw the news article on Radulovich and McCarthy’s trickledown effect. Murrow says “ We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty” (Good Night, and Good Luck). Just because someone has an idea that’s different from someone else’s does not make that person a threat to national security.