In Arthur Miller’s play, accused witches are metaphorical stand-ins for accused communists in the McCarthy hearings, and the Salem witch trials are metaphorical stand-ins for the hearings themselves. During the 1950s, people who objected to McCarthy’s hearings referred to them as “witch-hunts,” referencing the use of flimsy “spectral” evidence, fear-mongering speeches, and threats (which were present in both). In both the Salem witch trials and the McCarthy hearings, the most vulnerable and “other-ed” members of society—including immigrants, homosexuals, and progressives—were the first targets.

In Act II, Francis Nurse produces a list with signatures from 91 people who attest to the good character of accused “witches” Rebecca Nurse, Martha Corey, and Elizabeth Proctor. When Nurse produces this list in court, Danforth announces that he will summon and interrogate all 91 people of the list (despite Nurse’s promise that they wouldn’t come to harm for testifying against the accusers). These 91 people from the list are likewise compelled to turn on their neighbors by “naming” other witches.

This list is comparable to a lengthy “blacklist” of suspected communists in the entertainment industry. The blacklist included many well-known figures in the industry, including Leonard Bernstein, Dalton Trumbo, Lena Horne, Dorothy Parker, and Arthur Miller himself.