The+Crucible

//** Literature as Protest ** // There are times when authors will compose literature in order to speak out against something they see and judge to be wrong in the world. Like a director of a film or artist, the author will use certain elements of his/her craft in order to illustrate the theme. Playwright Arthur Miller saw injustice in the world and spoke out using allegory in his play, //The Crucible//. We are going to examine Miller’s work in order to explore the way people stand up for those things they believe.

Essential Questions //How do authors use literature to fight injustice?// //How does interaction with text provoke thinking and response?// //How does the use of figurative language and rhetorical devices work to create author purpose?//

Central Themes  Fear and ignorance often incite violations of human rights. Personal integrity, or the lack of it, often defines who we are as human beings.

Watch the film adaptation of //The Crucible//.
 * __ [[image:TheCrucible-PosterArt.jpeg width="119" height="164" align="left"]] Step 1: __**

__** Step 2: **__ Research and compose an annotated bibliography for the following: Tips:
 * the term allegory
 * the Salem Witch Trials[[image:salemwitchtrials.jpg width="475" height="261" align="right"]]
 * the Red Scare
 * McCarthyism (HUAC)
 * Use Sweet Search as your search engine
 * Use Diigo to organize your research
 * look at the document below to review bibliography formatting.
 * [[file:creatingannotatedbib.pdf]]

__** Step 3: **__ Create a powerpoint/keynote presentation that answers the following prompt: // How does Arthur Miller’s __The Crucible__ use allegory to speak out against McCarthyism? // Think of your slideshow as the outline for a five paragraph essay - you want to brainstorm using your research to create a thesis and develop your outline using evidence from your research as well as the text of the play. In addition to the //textual// __**and**__ //factual// evidence, you will need audio-visual representations (pictures or videos) as well.



__** Step 4: **__ Research a contemporary John Proctor, a person using a creative medium to speak out against oppression of human rights. This could be a singer who produces a song, an artist who paints pictures, a videographer who composes videos, another writer, a director, etc. This person need not be famous in the traditional sense, as in s/he is on the cover of every magazine, but could be a viral sensation or someone you know personally. Types of oppression you might wish to consider:
 * political
 * gender
 * race/ethnicity
 * religion
 * age

__** Step 5: **__ Analyze how this person, and his/her artistic creation(s), attempt to speak out against oppression. Using additonal slide(s), give the example and explain how the person uses the elements of the craft (literary elements, colors, lyrics, musical instruments, lighting/camera angles, etc) to speak out.

__** Step 6: **__ // How would you speak out against oppression? // Create a proposal to a producer, artist, writer, or songwriter about a human rights issue you would like to speak out against. In the proposal, identify the human rights issue you wish to fight and explain how your idea for a song, or artwork, or movie, or play/novel/short story would look and sound, and how the theme of the work will speak out against a human rights issue. Examples: Race Gender Religion Sexuality Ethnicity
 * Nelson Mandela
 * WCAR
 * 16 Days
 * Global Fund for Women
 * Separation of Church and State
 * Intelligent Design, Evolution, or Creationism in the classroom
 * Use of “under God” in Pledge of Allegiance
 * Prayer in school
 * Human Rights Campaign
 * Rainbow Coalition
 * Gay-Straight Alliance
 * International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
 * PFLAG
 * Celebrity activism for Darfur
 * Celebrity activism for Rwanda
 * Amnesty International