Mass Hysteria, Fear and Paranoia, and Its Effect on People

Introduction

Hysteria, fear, and paranoia are constantly displayed by societies all over the world and have led to some of the most brutal behaviors by man and some of the substantial catastrophes of organized society. In Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible', the Salem witch trials were occurring in the town of Salem. People started to blame others for the presence of witchcraft because everyone was unaware of what was going on and who was really involved with witchcraft, thus leading to mass hysteria. In the play, innocent people were blamed for witchcraft by others because they were either of a different race or ethnicity, poor or rich, or ranked low in their society. This relates to the 9/11 incidents where people blamed innocent individuals for their ethnicity. Hysteria, fear, and paranoia can cause lucid thought to degrade and eventually lead to the disruption of civilized behavior.

Mass Hysteria, Fear, and Paranoia, and Their Effect on People

In 'The Crucible', fear begins to arise after the girls of Salem are caught dancing. When the girls are caught, they blame their actions on the devil and Tituba. Everything went downhill when the girls refused to confess, leading to mass hysteria. "It is a providence, the thing is out now! It is a providence!" - Mr. Putnam. This fuels the mass hysteria in the play because the villagers start blaming one another for witchcraft. "Believe me, Mr. Nurse, if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing’s left to stop the whole green world from burning.” This quote shows that innocent people are being blamed because of rumors being spread around the village. Hale now starts to recognize the intensity of everything that is happening but fails to see the flaws in the accusations. In the tragedy of 9/11, Osama Bin Laden was the leader of this attack. His soldiers, whom he ordered, were Muslim, and due to the cause of mass hysteria, “citizens from around the globe have in the past been blaming Muslims for tragedies.” 'The Crucible' and 9/11 have many connections as major events in history that were caused by tensions, impacts, and reactions of people. “The Crucible” has proven that mass hysteria and fear were weapons used by those in power to control their enemies and were used to silence the opposition and coerce others into false testimony. The fear-induced actions of individuals can be manipulated by those in authority to further their own agendas, creating a cycle of fear and control.

The Psychological Dynamics of Hysteria

Hysterical fear became an unconscious means of asserting anger. People in Salem are paranoid as they start believing that the devil is attacking them. “I want to open myself! . . . I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” Abigail confesses to consorting with the Devil. Then, as the next step in absolving herself of sin, she accuses others of being witches, thus shifting the burden of shame from her shoulders to those she names. Seeing Abigail’s success, the other girls follow suit, and with this pattern of hysterical, self-serving accusations, the witch trials get underway. Regarding fear, Danforth told Reverend Hale that "No uncorrupted man may fear this court, Mr. Hale! None!" He believes that the residents of Salem have nothing to fear if they have nothing to hide. If, on the other hand, they do fear the court, then it must mean that they are afraid the court will find out about their corruption. When 9/11 happened, the country didn't know what was going on at the time, let alone the people that were at the scene of the tragedy. Many people and communities acted this way because “they were unaware of what was going on and didn't know how to react,” which led the public to panic and left families in fear. In 'The Crucible', hysteria plays a major part in both causing the plot to move forward and in every interaction between characters. The constant fear and hysteria play a big role in the book and shape how the characters respond and the results that affect them and the rest of the community. This illustrates how fear can cloud judgment and push individuals to act irrationally, further propagating the cycle of hysteria.

Conclusion

Mass hysteria is something that will always be present in the world. The smallest things can be blown out of proportion and cause chaos for no reason. The Salem Witch Trials and the 9/11 incident are examples of how mass hysteria controlled the way people looked at others and how they lived. I think mass hysteria is needed to have a balance, but I also think that many things that cause this hysteria are blown out of proportion, and people make them seem bigger than they are, thus creating unnecessary panic in the world. From the mass hysteria, fear, and paranoia in 'The Crucible', we learned the value of maintaining one's mental and emotional stability during times of crisis and the importance of controlling our fears and not letting them control us. Additionally, one must always make sure to be well-informed before judging a situation and never leap to conclusions. Finally, we must make our decisions wisely and with integrity, for they may affect not only our lives but those around us.

References

1. Miller, A. (1953). The Crucible. Viking Press.
2. Brezina, C. (2006). The Salem Witch Trials. Rosen Publishing Group.
3. Green, K. (2004). Understanding 9/11: A Television News Archive. Journal of American History, 91(4), 1603-1610.
4. Wright, L. (2006). The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11. Knopf.
5. Gibson, M. (1997). Witchcraft and Society in England and America, 1550-1750. Continuum.