Inspired by the Red Scare, which was fueled by the use of either-or thinking (black and white), The Crucible by Arthur Miller describes the village of Salem as undergoing its own period of black-and-white thinking along with the suspicion and hysteria that followed. Miller uses the literary element of the setting to support the depiction of the effects of black and white thinking in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The beginning of something new establishes a context of opportunity, creating optimism and purpose for an uncertain future. The founding of colonies in the New World presented a delightful scenario for curious opportunists and religious refugees. For reasons of economic gain, escape from religious repression, and a multitude of other reasons, English colonists decided to take a risk and pursue a chance at freedom. They perceived this New World as an unknown, a place where its native inhabitants were “blind” and in desperate need of God's revelation. Because the colonists wanted to help the natives gain salvation, they branded this motif into the colony's first seal of Massachusetts Bay: "Come and help us" (The first seal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony). missionary intentions of the first settlers. The colonists saw themselves as the flaming touch ready to shed light on the shadows that existed in the New World. “In short, they believed they held in their firm hands the candle that would illuminate the world. […] He helped them with the discipline he gave them. (The Crucible, 5) They were the people who worked hard and showed success. It was the people who maintained a strict orthodoxy. It was the people who succeeded where else...... middle of paper ......ion in the village, hysteria set in and people turned against each other. In a context of purity and orthodoxy, the use of black and white thinking in the village of Salem had devastating effects. After the creation of a completely new society, optimism for a bright future was high. Because of this optimism, the use of black and white thinking made any anomalies in settler society critical. Citizens have enacted blind accusations and incriminating false accusations based on suspicion resulting from the use of black and white thinking. From the colony's staunchly religious environment, black-and-white thinking became a major cause of the turmoil, suspicion, and hysteria that quickly spread throughout the city. This type of mistake, like those of the McCarthy era, turned average citizens into fearful and suspicious vigilantes against unorthodox people..