Miller, Arthur: 1915-2005

The Crucible, 1953 - Thematic Parallels: Suspicion

Miller, Arthur: The Crucible, 1953
The play is about how fear and suspicion can destroy individuals and communities when unchecked.
The following books are thematically simliar. They lend themselves well to being read in groups, compared with one another, or used to teach a similar topic over an extended period with a class:
- Fitzgerald, F. Scott: The Great Gatsby, 1925, ~190pp
  Similar to "The Crucible," this novel examines the consequences of societal pressures and the lengths individuals will go to maintain their reputations.
  - Both works explore illusion, reputation, hypocrisy, and the destruction of individuals by corrupt societies, though one critiques consumerism (Fitzgerald) and the other mass hysteria (Miller).
- Hansberry, Lorraine: A Raisin in the Sun, 1959, ~150pp
  This is a play that explores societal pressures, racial discrimination, and injustice, which align with themes in“The Crucible."
  - Both plays use personal, family-centered stories to critique bigger social injustices (racism in Raisin, political hysteria in Crucible). They highlight the conflict between integrity and compromise, the strain on families under oppression, and the fragility of the American Dream.
- Orwell, George: Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1949, ~320pp
  This novel deals with themes of authoritarian control, societal manipulation, fear, and suspicion.
  - Both works expose how fear, falsehood, and authority can strip people of truth and freedom. They warn against the dangers of conformism in times of political hysteria.
- Wilde, Oscar: The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895, ~140pp
  A play about mistaken identities and social reputation. Though comedic, it critiques social pretenses and the importance placed on reputation, a key theme in "The Crucible."
  - Both Wilde and Miller use drama to expose how rigid social systems—whether aristocratic etiquette (Wilde) or Puritan theocracy (Miller)—can lead to absurdity, cruelty, and injustice.
List of general discussion questions on Suspicion (pdf)
List of essay prompts on Suspicion (pdf)