Betrayal – the act of destroying or deteriorating ones trust, promise, or presumptive contract – can be extremely traumatizing to the mind. These traumas include “ shock, loss and grief, morbid preoccupation, damaged self-esteem, self-doubting, anger.” ( Rachman.) So why is betrayal so common in American history? If we look back in the American timeline, examples of betrayal would be, Americans were blacklisted and lives were ruined. In the Salem witch trials, many innocent lives were lost due to dilutional young girls who were afraid of getting in trouble.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, American relocated Japanese immigrants into camps to “protect them” and “prevent espionage”, but the japanese immigrants felt the opposite, they believed the country they came to had betrayed them . McCarthyism is another, where politicians were being blamed for participating in communist activities, resulting in blacklisting. Then finally Aurther Miller recreating the Salem witch trials to spite the events of McCarthyism. America has always had a problem with fear and betrayal.
Lasting over one year, the events of the Salem witch trials took place. “The Crucible”, was a story written by Arthur Miller based on these occurrences and shows how characters betrayed each other. In the story, Abigail – one of the main characters – falsely accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft, rendering her dangerous and in need of captivity. Abigail was in love with Elizabeth Proctor’s husband John Proctor, and now that ultimate power at her fingertips, she figured why not get everything she wanted, including the love of John and the innocent lives of so many.
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Here we have another example of betrayal, judge Danforth accusing Mary Warren of witchcraft. “ Mary Warren, do you witch her? I say to you, do you send your spirit out?” (Miller 112). Mary Warren is being questioned to see if this whole ordeal is fake, when abigail is then questioned, she lashes out and says spirits are attacking her, leading Danforth to blame Mary. This is not the first or last time America has betrayed their own people.
During World War II, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, causing Japanese-Americans/ immigrants to be relocated to internment camps. Informational texts state that “ In February 1942, just two months after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt as commander-in-chief, issued Executive Order 9066, which had the effect of relocating all persons of Japanese ancestry, both citizens and aliens, inland, outside of the Pacific military zone.” (Japanese Relocation 2).
These Japanese Americans/ immigrants felt slighted because putting them in camps and keeping them there against their will was unethical and did not line up to what the American government was telling the public. Then, Japanese Americans/ immigrants were forced to serve in the war. “In 1943 and 1944 the government assembled a combat unit of Japanese Americans for the European theater.
It became the 442d Regimental Combat Team and gained fame as the most highly decorated of World War II. Their military record bespoke their patriotism.” (Japanese Relocation 7). This is ironic, America first betrayed its immigrants, only for them to be the most proficient in the war. After the war, many Japanese Americans/ immigrants relocated, making it very hard to find work that did not discriminate against them. But one man was very lucky and became quite successful in American theatre, George Takei.
Believe it or not, George Takei, best known for his role in Star Trek, was a victim of these internment camps. In an interview with Archives of American Television, he states that he was four when they went to the camps, and he remembers the armed soldiers coming to his door, telling his family they needed to leave. He was too young to really understand what was going on, but he could sense his parents fear and anxiety. While they were in the camps, 16+ year olds were tasked with filling out a from, one of the questions being if they would denounce their loyalty to the emperor of Japan and give all of their loyalty to America.
George’s parents both said no, rendering them possible for participating in espionage. In response to that, Georges family was then relocated to a new camp, a much harsher and cruler camp. After WW2, a period between the late 40s and early 50s sparked another form of victimizing an betrayal, McCarthyism.
McCarthyism, also called the Red Scare, was actually named after senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsan, and was a series of investigations aimed to expose anyone who was a communist or was taking part in communist activities. In a statement, president Harry S. Truman says “ I further stated that I have in my possession the names of 57 communist who are in the state department at present” (Truman). This prompted a lot of fear for those who were being accused. The accused include, “Dalton Trumbo, Pete Seeger, Orson Welles, Lena Horne, Charlie Chaplin, Lee Grant, and Dashiell Hammett.” (Andrews). People like politicians and everyday workers were being accused of being a communist. Some Americans believed what we did was justified.
The ones who were responsible for these heinous crimes believed they were not in any way wrong. For example, when the Japanese were moved to internment camps, the U.S. claimed it was not only to avoid espionage, but to protect them from any discrimination. The government thought they were doing the Japanese a favor, and themselves a favor by killing two birds with one stone. Then with McCarthysim, America had faith that finding the communist hidden in our society would solve forgine affairs. By blacklisting every actor, politician, or normal working class citizen who had a different point of view, it would end the rise of communism in America. Why are all these accusations incorrect and how do they show betrayal?
America was acting unjust and was in the wrong. Japanese Americans did not feel like they were being protected at all. To them, ripping them of their jobs, houses, and lives was not in any way a form of protection. The psychological trauma that they went through will never be fixed. The act of McCarthyism and blacklisting people with no real evidence of any communist activities is betrayal to the American society. Americans did not deserve the treatment they received because of these investigations, and no apologies can fix that. Fear and betrayal were rooted in these events, fear and betrayal were the reason any of this happened.
Fear and betrayal controlled a lot of what happened in America. The fear of being accused of practicing witchcraft in Salem was traumatic, and being accused by someone else was a horrible form of betrayal. Japanese Americans were thought of as traitors to America even though they were the most awarded soldiers in the war. George Takei’s family was ripped from their home. McCarthyism destroyed the lives of many Americans. Betrayal can leave mental scares that could lead to a multitude of mental illnesses like depression, or psychological issues like fear of trust.
