Last week the Rambam Book Chat met at Traditions for some delicious food as they discussed Arthur Miller’s classic play, The Crucible. The play is Miller’s take on the Salem witch craze that rocked the early American settlers. The Book Chatters discussed peer pressure, gender, class, leadership, and the literary concept of, “The Last Good Man,” as they explored the themes of the work.
Judge Ronald Goldman provided some historical background to the play’s conception, noting that Miller wrote the play in response to the “witch craze” of his day, “McCarthyism.” The Crucible, a play of its time, also spoke to the current time as students discussed how it can now take on allegorical significance related to the recent tide of “Cancel Culture.” The discussion was lively and fun and anything but a crucible.