Mass Hysteria Today and in The Crucible by Arthur Miller

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Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible displays the absolute control that the ego can have on not only the individual but on a society as well. A person may think that witch hunts are a confection of the past because as a modern society we do not fall victim so easily to ploys such as those which were created by the young girls of Salem. This however is untrue because within my short lifetime I have seen that we have been programmed to be fearful of terrorists, Ebola, and even ourselves. A great majority of these anxieties have been trumpeted by our media, elected officials, and religious institutions. In seeking my full liberation from such fears, I have come to the greater understanding that love and wisdom are the essential tools for setting one’s own courses. Hence, my purpose is to love unconditionally while sharing my own wisdom with those who have the shared interest; this is my path to liberation. Utilizing events which happened in The Crucible and connecting them to our current culture, I will contend that we still live in a state of fear and are still struggling to progress beyond that level.

The constraints placed by social norms can create a feeling of isolation not only from other humans, but from nature and even the self. Our population has been divided, spliced and puréed according to a plethora of categories which include; gender, sexuality, economic status, “race”, ethnicity, religion, political party and so many more. It really is a wonder how anyone is able to identify themselves within these quarters, for these classifications really don’t allow for one to simply exist. Osho urges one to get out of these institutions, for they are “cages” with “beautiful names” (Osho 117). However, once one has consciously made ...

... middle of paper ...

...om or quark may exist and “disappear” within the blink of a millisecond, my shared existence must be the same. My knowledge and opinions must flow with that of the universe embracing the ability to always be ever changing.

Works Cited:

Chopra, Deepak Creating affluence wealth consciousness in the field of all possibilities.

San Rafael: New World Library, 1993

Freedman, Morris Essays in the Modern Drama. Boston: D.C Heath and Company, 1964

Grant, Parthenia O. Honoring the Body Temple. 1st ed

Miller, Arthur Crucible a Play in Four Acts. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1976

OSHO The Zen Manifesto, Freedom From Oneself. Rebel Pub. House, 1997

Revolver. Dir. Guy Ritchie. Perf. Ray Liotta and Jason Statham. DVD. Sony Pictures

Home Entertainment, 2005.

The Esoteric Agenda. Ben Stewart. Talismanic Idols. 2008

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