Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and Cotton Mather’s Wonders of the Invisible World both involve the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692. However, the two pieces are very different. Miller focuses on the emotional tragedies and chaos that resulted from the Salem witch trials and compares the trials to the House Un-American Activities Committee, whereas Mather uses objective court proceedings to inform and entertain his readers. The tone and style of these two pieces contrast dramatically. …showed first 75 words of 352 total…

…showed last 75 words of 352 total…while Miller wrote what he wanted the people to hear. By telling a story about the witch trials, Miller exposed the ignorance that led up to them and the extensive damage they caused. Doing this put the HUAC in a new light for his audience. Inversely, Mather was hardly more than a court reporter, recording testimony from one of the trials for the public. Clearly, these two men used different means to achieve different ends.