When her son left for a year abroad, she felt desolate. (Definition of âdesolateâ from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary Â© Cambridge University Press) Blogs about desolate
Instigating this fear was Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy was a Republican senator from Wisconsin and was the leader behind the ethos of McCarthyism. The term was created in 1950 by Washington Post writer Herbert Block.
Arthur Millerâs own involvement in the McCarthy âwitch huntâ is very significant in the writing of The Crucible. He himself appeared before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956, accused of being a Communist. He admitted to having attended a Communist meeting years earlier to learn about their views.