Additionally, use title case: i.e. capitalize all main words. Correct use of character names. When you first mention a movie character, name the actor who portrays him. After that, in The Crucible, Arthur Miller masterfully uses the Salem witch trials as an allegory for the McCarthyism that swept the United States in the 1970s. Through his complex character development, thoughtful symbolism, and impactful dramatic techniques , Miller criticizes a society willing to sacrifice truth and justice in the name of fear. A short story is a work of short, narrative prose that usually focuses on a single event. It is limited in scope and has an introduction, body and conclusion. Although a short story has a lot in common with a novel, it is written with much more precision. You will often be asked to write a literary analysis.