Arthur Miller’s 1996 essay from The New Yorker examines the changing politics surrounding his famous play “The Crucible

Arthur Miller’s 1996 essay from The New Yorker examines the changing politics surrounding his famous play “The Crucible.” Miller wrote the essay during the time when his famous play “The Crucible” was being transformed into a movie. Throughout the article, he contrasts the hysteria caused by the Red Scare to the fear of people in historical affairs, such as the Salem witch Trials. Miller uses many rhetorical strategies like diction throughout the essay to help readers understand his core reason for writing his play. In the beginning of the essay, Miller uses diction such as “biting irony” and “frigid jail” to reveal a negative tone to the readers. By using the phrase “biting irony” he is showing how displeased Miller is by the recreation of his play. By using the phrase “frigid jail,” he again displays a negative tone, as the thought of lying in a jail brings a very dark and somber picture into the mind of the reader. By using these two phrases, Miller right of the bat reveals the tone of displeasure and slight anger. Through the use of pathos ad logos, Miller thoroughly describes his feeling to the reader. When he says “the secret allegiances of the alienated heart” he effectively uses pathos to scare, as an “alienated heart” often deals with enemies or an evil being. Through the use of logos, he states historical events and people such as Mao Zedong and Stalin to allow the reader to find credibility in his writing and take it more seriously. Through the use of persuasive techniques and rhetorical strategies, Arthur Miller is able to clearly make the purpose of his essay clear to the reader.