How did Arthur Miller manage to create what has been considered an iconic literary work and a barbed criticism of American society?

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is considered an iconic literary work because of its relevance to American society and the lessons it sought to communicate. It highlights some of the issues and conflicts brought about by mass hysteria. It is through this information that people are accorded an opportunity to reflect and improve on their society. In the story, we are able to learn much about human nature and the risks of blind persecution fueled by prejudice, societal conflicts and inflated egos.

The Crucible is a criticism of American society because the author not only told the story of the Salem witch trials, but also sought to challenge the society to recognize similar situations that are appalling in nature, both historically and in present times. The play forces the reader to question the rationale of those involved in the trials and the reasons why such a situation would occur despite all the logical evidence against it. Although the witch hunts occurred in 1692, other forms of witch hunts have occurred in American society since. Consider, for instance, the persecution and prosecution of individuals suspected of supporting communism in the US in 1919 (First Red Scare) and 1947 (Second Red Scare). In this regard, it seemed that American society learned nothing from the witch trials, which were based on hysteria and the opportunity to settle personal issues.