In the 1950s, Arthur Miller fell victim to the witch hunt. Accused of communist sympathies by Elia Kazan, he refused to reveal the names of the members of a literary circle suspected of having links with the Communist Party before the Commission of Anti-American Activities in 1956, under constitutional protection. Despite the pressure he suffered (his passport was withdrawn, unable to travel to Brussels to attend the premiere of one of his works), Miller gave no name, declaring that although he had attended meetings in 1947 and signed some manifestos He was not a communist. In May 1957 he was found guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing to reveal names of alleged communists. However, in August of 1958, the United States Court of Appeals annulled the sentence, so that he does not have to enter the prison. The atmosphere of that time was reflected in The Crucible.
Despite being harshly criticized for his ideology, his work was acclaimed by critics, although in some cases the inaccuracy of some data is criticized. In general, the criticism is very good about his literary work in general.
