MASS HYSTERIA FRONTLOADING DAY 1 JUNIORS OCTOBER 13

SWBAT define scapegoating and mass hysteria O FILL-IN ANTICIPATION GUIDE O QUICK WRITE: O Have you ever blamed someone for something you did? O Why did you do it and did you get caught? O How did you feel? O Have you ever known about someone blaming something on someone else O Did you get involved? O If not, why not? O If you did, what did you do?

SHARE RESPONSE O Let’s hear from you…

GOSSIP

SCAPEGOATING O scape·goat O / ˈ ske ɪ p ˌ go ʊ t/ Show Spelled[skeyp-goht] noun 1. a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place.bear O SOURCE: DICTIONARY.COM

What is mass hysteria? O mass hysteria: [noun Psychology] a condition affecting a group of persons, characterized by excitement or anxiety, irrational behavior or beliefs, or inexplicable symptoms of illness.

WATCH CLIP O THINK ABOUT HOW ALL THESE WORDS COULD APPLY TO THE MOVIE O GOSSIP O SCAPEGOATING O MASS HYSTERIA k

CONNECTION O In what way do all three terms apply?

HISTORICAL SEGWAY Puritanism + Witchcraft + McCarthyism + Arthur Miller

PURITANISM O Christian faith that originated in England during the early 1600s O Puritans believed in predestination O They split from the Church of England in 1633 O Many emigrated to the American colonies O Their radical beliefs flourished in the new world

Witchcraft in Salem O Like all Puritans, the residents of Salem Village believed in witches and in witchcraft. O They believed that witchcraft was “entering into a compact with the devil in exchange for certain powers to do evil.” O They considered witchcraft both a sin and a crime; it was a very serious accusation, which was carefully and thoroughly investigated.

Witchcraft in Salem O A recently published book of the time detailed the symptoms of witchcraft; the girls’ fits were much like those described in the book. O Therefore, the Puritans of Salem were quick to believe the doctor’s diagnosis.

Witchcraft in Salem O During the next eight months of terror, more than 150 people were imprisoned for witchcraft. O By the time court was dismissed, 27 people had been convicted, 19 hanged, and 1 pressed to death. O The hysteria that snowballed in Salem reveals how deep the belief in the supernatural ran in colonial America.

McCarthyism O McCarthyism is the term used to describe a period of intense suspicion in the United States during the early 1950s. O It began when Senator Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, claimed that communists had infiltrated the Department of State. O A special House Committee on Un-American Activities was formed to investigate allegations of communism. O During this period, people from all walks of life became the subjects of aggressive “witch hunts” often based on inconclusive, questionable evidence.

ALLEGORY O an extended metaphor in which a person, abstract idea, or event stands for itself and for something else. It usually involves moral or spiritual concepts which are more significant than the actual narrative. O The term is from the Greek allegoria, a joining of two other Greek words: allos, meaning “other”, and agoreuein, meaning “to speak.” O Other famous allegories Animal Farm

McCarthyism O Persons accused of being communists were often denied employment in both the public and private sector. O In the film industry alone, over 300 actors, writers, and directors were denied work in the U.S. O American writer, Arthur Miller, was one of those alleged to have been “blacklisted.”

McCarthyism O McCarthy’s influence finally faltered in 1954 when a famous CBS newsman, Edward R. Murrow, aired an investigative news report which revealed McCarthy as dishonest in his speeches and abusive in his interrogation of witnesses. O The public was finally made aware of how McCarthy was ruining the reputations of many individuals through false accusations of communism. Edward R. Murrow

EXIT SLIP O How can a “witch hunt” happen in a modern society? O Would this happen today? O Do you think Miller took a risk writing this play?