Once you've narrowed your topic and thought about keywords, try searching the databases below for literary criticism.
Basic Search: a good first search is just the name of the play in quotation marks, followed by the word 'and' and the author's last name.
"The Crucible" and Miller
This general search will show you everything we have on The Crucible. There will most likely be a lot of search results if you just search for the title and author, so you will want to narrow down your search using keywords.
Narrowed Search: "The Crucible" AND Miller AND "witch trial" [Remember to search many times with different keywords!]
Remember, though, not to count on keywords too much. If your keywords aren't working, ask a librarian for help!
These first 3 databases are the best place to start when looking for literary criticism.
Search 2 EBSCO literary databases at once: Literary Reference Source and Academic Search Premier. Proxy Bypass
If you are looking for sources focused on the historical context of The Crucible, try these databases. Your search terms should focus on historical events or time periods such as:
Use these resources to find information about current events that can be related to themes and events from The Crucible. You can search a term like 'witch hunt' or 'mass hysteria' to brainstorm, but once you find an example, search a specific topic will likely yield better results:
Contains a balance of materials from all viewpoints, including more than 1,300 main essays, leading political magazines from both sides of the aisle, newspapers, radio & TV news transcripts, primary source documents and reference books.Provided through EBSCO. Proxy Bypass
The Crucible by 
Defining Documents in American History: the Salem Witch Trials by 
The Story of the Salem Witch Trials by 
Tituba, Reluctant Witch of Salem by 
The Devil in Massachusetts: A Modern Enquiry Into the Salem Witch Trials by The books in this section provide biographical information about the playwright, Arthur Miller; his life and writing in the context of his time period; as well as information about his motives and inspiration for writing The Crucible specifically.
Arthur Miller by 
Arthur Miller by 
Satan's Silence by 
The Ashgate Research Companion to Moral Panics by 
We Believe the Children by 
Witch Hunts: from Salem to Guantanamo Bay by 
Misinformation and Mass Audiences by Use the search box below to search the SCC Library Catalog for physical books (in one of our library locations) and eBooks. You can also open the Library Catalog or use the Advanced Search for more search options.
Giles Campus | 864.592.4764 | Toll Free 866.542.2779 | Contact Us
Copyright © 2024 Spartanburg Community College. All rights reserved.
Call 864.592.4764
Text 864.756.8008