English Practice Essay:

Composers Utilise the representation in their texts to portray the

impact of political systems on individuals
Introduction:
Composers use texts in a multitude of ways to represent the impact
of political regimes on individuals. This notion is ubiquitous in Arthur
Millers 1953 dramatic tragedy, The Crucible, an allegory to 1950s
McCarthyism, and the Catechetical Guilds 1948 Comic Is this
tomorrow, a portrayal of a communist takeover scenario. The idea
of representation is integral in conveying a texts core message and
themes, and Composers utilize representation to portray their
perspective, and influence their audience. This has a significant
impact on an audiences perceptions of individuals and political
events and a profound impact on shaping their view of human
nature.
Representation is instrumental in enriching the persuasive forces of
texts. In Arthur Millers The Crucible, an allegorical representation of
his context of the repression of McCarthyism, his depiction of both
the context and characters of the tragedy underpin the key morals
that an audience gains from the play. Millers carefully crafted
realism, relating to the context of Colonial North America in 1692 is
vital in the representation of the effect of political systems and
limited individuality on a society. The somber atmosphere of the
play is represented through Millers stage directions, e.g. Proctor:
Breathless and in agony where minimalist light and furniture
emulate the puritan lifestyle, and pauses Pause: she will not let
herself be drowned in the sea that threatens her are used for
heightened dramatic effect. The struggle of citizens against the
repressive Church is vividly conveyed, in the duologue between
Proctor and Elizabeth, through the use of emotive language and
religious allusion in I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint .
Nothings spoiled by giving them this lie. This aids Millers expertly
crafted message of individual sacrifice due to political expidency.
The Use of language and Characterisation are important in creating
depth and atmosphere, seen in the King James Version of the bible
style of speech, and archaic syntax I am yet six month before my
time. The notion of class and privilege is conveyed through
Characterisation, where stark disparities are seen between Judge
Danforths courtroom language, and use of legal terms such as
affidavit and Contempt of the court. This demonstrates millers
representation of him as authoritarian and repressive. This concept
is reiterated with the use of hyperbole in I shall hang ten thousand
that dare to rise against the law, furthering Millers demonization of
the Theocratic political system in Salem. Miller portrays John Proctor,
the antithesis of Danforth, and the tragic hero, as morally upright,
and universally accessible. This representation is achieved through
Millers narrative interludes, where he quotes He is a sinner, a

sinner not only against the moral fashion of the time, but against his
own vision of decent conduct where religious allusion and
repetition help to convey Proctor as flawed, but wholesome. Miller
utilizes the context of The Crucible to present value judgments on
politics and society. This helps the audience gain richer
understandings of the impact of repressive authority on individuals.
Is this Tomorrow, a comic book written and set in the Early Cold War
period, is similarly shaped by its composer, the Catechetical Guild of
America to convey the struggle between individual freedom and
Political regimes. This text, in contrast, supports the regime that
miller was oppressed by, and was condemned in The Crucible. The
primary purpose of this text is to persuade its young audience to
follow authoritative structures, and to adopt ideologies that fit the
political purpose of the U.S. government. The text form, being a
Comic, allows it to be accessible and relatable to its young and
impressionable audience, enhancing the qualities of the texts
purpose as an effective piece of propaganda. The use of bright
colours, on the front cover and illustrations of pre-communist
landscapes, and archetypal illustrations of the Communist
characters are integral in the perpetuation of the ideological values
put forward by the comic. The use of imperative language and
second person on the back cover The Ten Commandments of
American Citizenship prove the political motive for the Comic, and
reveal its purpose to indoctrinate youth into upholding anticommunist sentiment. The setting of the comic, and the use of a
mixture of realism and luridness, in the portrayal of the downfall of
the U.S. government, seen in the exclamatory oratory of communist
leaders Well hold elections on the European plan! the
representation of the text, as it helps to persuade the audience of
the threat of the political system of communism. The composers
purpose is blatant in this text, as evidenced in the use of rhetorical
question in Does this story sound incredible? And hyperbole in It
happened in Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia and country after country,
the world over. It is their Plan for America, where these techniques
are used to make the audience believe in the possibility of a
communist takeover of America and its ponder its consequences. Is
This Tomorrows form is instrumental in its achievement of its
purpose to educate and indoctrinate youth.
Hysteria, , can be perpetuated through enforced political ideologies,
which are explored. Hysteria is a repressive political tool that aids
the indoctrination of society, as explored earlier. In The Crucible,
Millers exploration of the impact of politically perpetuated hysteria
on Society is effective in informing his audience of the
contemporary political situation in America, namely, the
McCarthyism Hysteria, and the communist Witch Hunt. Millers
motive for the presence of this salient theme was his personal
experience of the anti-communist atmosphere that was prevalent in

the Arts industry of the early Cold War era, and the repressive
authority of the ideologies associated with the Truman Doctrine, and
the HUAC. There are numerous parallels between Salem in 1692 and
the USA in the 1950s, seen in the representation of the theocracy as
ruthless and authoritarian. This is exemplified in the deaths of
victims of the trials, Rebecca Nurse and Giles Corey. The rigidity of
the Theocracy was responsible for their unfair trial, and hysteria of
the town. This stringency is demonstrated in Danforths repetition of
the line there will be no postponement. Miller uses the relatively
minor characters of Nurse and Corey to show the audience the
consequences of repressive authority on decent and moral people,
through Coreys last words: more weight, as the truncated
sentence portrays him as brave and resolute. Hysteria, an intrinsic
human value, is perpetuated through political expediency. This is
common in the context of the play, and in McCarthyism, where a
catalyst for hysteria, Abigail or Joseph McCarthy, is able to grasp
power through the manipulation of political structures. Abigail is
represented as a dissembling character, while being restricted by
Puritan society an orphan. Her use of Metaphor when accusing
Mary Warren of witchcraft O heavenly father, Take away this
shadow, demonstrates Millers representation of Abigail as being a
catalyst for Hysteria and political events. This is integral, as it allows
the message of The Crucible to be transferred to a modern context
by the audience. The exploration of the impact of repressive
authority on Individuals is pertinent in The Crucible, helping the
audience to understand its importance in contemporary society.
There are distinct parallels between The Crucible, and Is this
tomorrow, seen in the similarities between the Salem theocracy and
the US Government. Differing perspectives of the composers,
however, reflect the starkly opposite depictions of the political
regimes in place. Millers representation of the incumbent political
system as tyrannical and expedient, explored through the Salem
witch trials, contrasts to the positive view of Capitalist authority,
represented by the Comic. The front cover of the comic uses the
visual technique of Salience and hellish imagery, to represent the
fall of America to Communism as negative. This is reiterated with
the symbolism of the American flag being engulfed in flames, to
suggest to the reader that communism will destroy the American
Dream. The purpose of the story is clearly outlined in the prologue,
with the use of capital letters and exclamatory, inclusive language
in Is this tomorrow is published for one purpose TO MAKE YOU
THINK! and IT MUST NOT HAPPEN HERE. The effect of this is to
inform the reader of the intention of the text, and to represent the
composers perspective that Communism is a threat. The comic
utilizes Communist stereotypes, seen in the uniformity of the
Communist soldiers and a melodramatic plot of good vs. evil to
achieve a negative portrayal of Communism, and incite a sense of

Red Hysteria. The utilization of religious imagery is evident

through its positive portrayal with the line of a pastor referring to
the communist takeover: These people are being fooled!!! this
notion is reinforced with his kind facial expression. The positive
portrayal of Religious authority contrasts with the negative depiction
provided in the crucible, reiterating the importance of
representation in texts in shaping understanding of political
systems.
Arthur miller and The Catechetical Guild both use their own
perspectives and motives for representation in their texts to shape
audiences understanding and views of people and Politics. Both
composers skillfully use text form, and explore pertinent, relevant
issues to society, in order to exemplify their attitudes to the nature
of authority, and its effect on individuals, and society. The Crucible
and Is this Tomorrow are both prime examples of astutely created
texts that are rich in their portrayal of morality, which help to
construct audiences awareness of human nature.
David Barratt: Miller uses this made-up story to depict the triumph
of good over evil
Margo Burns: the reader will discover here the essential nature of
one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history

AOS discovery practice exam

A) i. Discovery is provocative, , stimulating new ideas and
knowledge, through the
ii. This is conveyed through the body language of the
personas, demonstrating the open attitude to discovery that it
stimulated trough literature.
B) This reveals the awakening to self-discovery through the use
of second person, which aids in directly addressing the reader,
to make the poem more personable and relatable. The use of
the man in the glass is a metaphor for self esteem, so it
demonstrates the importance of self discovery, and
confidence in