In defense of American playwright Arthur Miller, John Steinbeck wrote an essay for the June 1957 Esquire, displaying his socio-political perspective of the nation’s domestic diplomacy and Congress’ corrupt policies at the peak of the “Red Scare” during the 20th century. The mid-1950s was an era plagued by a heightened fear of Communist subversion and a political tyranny, executed by those that claimed to be tireless crusaders against socialism and communism through movements like McCarthyism. Yet, though the ideals of this notion were to liberate and protect governments from being overturned and undermined by communist regimes spreading from the East, it became quite evident that the results were dramatically disastrous for democratic societies; in a sense, at least for America, McCarthyism was a main cause for the political foundation to shift into a system of anarchy that rather attacked its own people and interests. …show more content…
In essence, Steinbeck’s clever use of historical allusion is significant in that it appeals to the reader’s knowledge of a past political context while engaging the audience to deeply connect with radical governmental shifts in history. The author essentially alluded to various political negatives across time, ranging from the Alien and Sedition Acts of the 1800s, the Communist principles of the Soviet Union, and the inhumane ideologies of Hitler’s Germany. In all of these examples, it has been evident of a government’s decision to instil brutality and incivility amongst its people by harming the general well being of a country’s citizens. For instance, “The Congress had a perfect right to pass the Alien and Sedition