Abstract This paper shows how Miller bases the events of his play on the Salem Witch Trials in the 1650's. The play is also inspired by the pseudo witch hunts that occured in Hollywood in the 1950's in the search of Communists, fanned on by McCarthy's laws. It examines whether Miller managed to depict true events of the Salem Witch Trials in his play or whether these were blown out of proportion.
From the Paper "The accuracy of Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, with regards to the actual events upon which he based his play have been the subject of much speculation since he wrote the play in 1953. Miller wrote the play because of the witch-hunt of sorts occurring in Hollywood as the scare of Communism caused the anti-Communism trials headed up by Senator Joseph McCarthy earlier that year (Margo Burns). Miller did not base his play on the actual events that happened in 1692, but rather was inspired by the events. He took actual events in history and then wrote a play. Miller was justified in taking artistic liberties with the historical accuracy, however there is several major (and plenty of minor) discrepancies regarding what actually happened, and what Miller came up with. Pointing out those discrepancies is my purpose ? not to criticize Miller's imagination."
Abstract This paper chronicles the witch trials of 1692 and argues that the main reasons why the witch trials occurred were conflicts dealing with politics, religion, family, economics, and fears of the citizens.
From the Paper "After the investigation, Hawthorne and Corwin decided that the three women were all guilty of witchcraft. They were all taken to a Boston jail, where Sarah Osborne would later die from natural causes. Even after the three women were taken to jail, the accusations still continued in the village. "
Abstract The paper first takes a look at the women accused and their backgrounds and pleas. Its inspects each one's life and social backgrounds and why it was thought that they were witches. The paper also includes recent studies as to why these poor women were thought to be witches by the towns people in Salem.
From the Paper "Witchcraft has historically been a part of English folklore and theology. Obsession with paganism began with a vengeance following the Reformation and, unfortunately, continued when many moved their families to the New World to avoid religious persecution. Though men were occasionally accused of practicing witchcraft, it was primarily women who were targeted. Why? The male-dominated society maintained that women, being the weaker sex, were more susceptible to the temptations of Satan. "
The theme of social awareness concerning women's issues in "I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem" by Maryse Conde and "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins-Gilman.
Abstract Two stories that raise social consciousness as well as tell a story are "I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem", by Maryse Conde and "The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlotte Perkins-Gilman. The writer explains that Conde and Gilman approach their stories with an overall need to raise consciousness to a segment of history that has literally been overlooked or ignored. Conde raises awareness about the Puritan witch-hunts that occurred in Salem and Gilman raises awareness of women who suffered from postpartum depression in the nineteenth century. It shows how both women attempt to bring attention to areas of concern that have either been neglected or simply aside by society. While both of these pieces of literature have the same aim, the characters in them experience very different outcomes. The writer points out that Tituba gains strength as her life progresses while the narrator in "The Yellow Wallpaper," slowly loses her sense of identity. It concludes that these differing views help us understand the angles from which both authors are operating. By using the narrative form to emphasize the plight of women, each author is giving each story a more personal feel, heightening our experience.
From the Paper "Both women are struggling against a society that wishes to shut them up. For example, in I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, Tituba demonstrates her strength of character in her desire to pass her story along. She comes from a generation of storytellers and carries on this tradition for herself and future generations. Through her story, she can survive and, as a result, her suffering can possibly help someone else. She is helped along her journey with Mama Yaya, Abena, and Yao, spirits who visit her and offer her advice. While she cannot always speak with them, she is aware of their presence. For instance, sometimes a "frail shadow would communicate a "mysterious warmth in an intangible way" (Conde 84). She is strong enough to withstand beatings of the worse kind and part of this is because of the spirits of the women in her past. In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the narrator is struggling not only against her mental illness but also against what her husband and society thinks of her condition. The narrator in this story has no support whatsoever and suffers because she has no to which she can turn. He husband is not convinced that her illness is anything serious and, as a result, treats her like a child most of the time. For example, he tells her that her "imaginative power and habit of story-making . . . is sure to lead to all manner of excited fancies" (Gilman 764). His lack of concern coupled with his orders for his wife to move about as little as possible illustrates the scope of the narrator's battle. "
Abstract This paper gives the historic background of the Salem Witch Trials, highlighting the mass hysteria that lead to such an event. The author argues that we can learn from the lessons of the Salem Witch Trials, in particular with regard to terrorist accusations, or other finger pointing based on fear not fact. The paper concludes with the outcome of the trials and how the accused and/or their families were eventually compensated.
Outline:
Introduction
The Trials
Events in Salem
Causes
From the Paper "The of the trials was based in hysteria. People did not understand what was wrong with the young girls who initially became ill and they became fearful as it spread that if it were not stopped everyone was doomed. This fear spurned a hysteria in which anyone who acted remotely different or non sociable by society standards was accused of being a witch. At that time society had a fear of the devil and the devil's abilities that could overtaken common sense and did."
Abstract This paper compares and discusses the danger to the children in C.S. Lewis? "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland". It details the plots of both books and examines them very closely. It concludes that both stories show the dangers of being a child as well as other dangers in life.
From the Paper "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? takes place during World War II in London. Four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, go live in the country to avoid bomb-torn London. They live with the rather eccentric Professor Kirke. One rainy day, the children are playing hide and seek inside, and Lucy hides in the wardrobe. Suddenly, she finds herself in the woods, and snow is falling. She has discovered the land of Narnia, and later brings the other children along to see her discovery."
Tags: lion, witch, wardrobe, children, danger, literature
Abstract This paper discusses the onset, reasons for, and ramifications of the Salem witch trials in American history and on American society since that time. This paper notes that the nature of the community and of this specific incident were more complex than is often depicted, though the people were influenced by a number of external forces as well as psychological predilections that caused this tragedy.
From the Paper "The witchcraft hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts in the late seventeenth century was influenced by social, political, economic, and religious forces. The nature of the community and of this specific incident was more complex than is often depicted, though the people were influenced by a number of external forces as well as psychological predilections that caused this tragedy. Over a period of some three months in 1962, nineteen men and women were hanged as witches after trials, and another man 80 years old was crushed to death under heavy stones because he would not submit to a trial. More than 150 people were arrested on suspicion of witchcraft, and many remained imprisoned until the hysteria had run its course and they were released."
Abstract This paper discusses the cause of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 which were the result of a theocratic system of courts and local government supporting religious intolerance, which in turn effected and altered the way Salem society viewed religious outsiders. The paper discusses how the three women accused of witchcraft were tried and persecuted.
From the Paper "In this study, one can examine the causation of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. In this manner, the Puritan disposition toward opposing religious beliefs caused massive paranoia, which was exploited by the courts and the local religious government. The effect of this policy concerning women who might have practiced pagan systems of belief was their being the scapegoat of societal norms in the Christian faith. In essence, the cause of religious policy in Puritanical Massachusetts in the late 17th century resulted in the condemnation of female witches through persecution of local pagan belief systems in the community. A cause for the Salem Witch Trials stems from the religiosity and governance of the local communities in Massachusetts by the late 17th century."
Abstract This paper looks at some of the legal issues in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and how the courts let a handful of young girls decide the fates of so many people in the community. The paper talks about the social and economic problems, as well as the legal issues that affected the community at the time.
From the Paper "The Salem Witch Trials were famous even in American history that is often misunderstood and misrepresented through fictional accounts and romantic illustrations. A large amount of primary sources still exist that pertain to these trials and the events leading up to them and from these we can learn more about what the trials were really about and how they were affected by the judicial and legal system of the late 17th century in New England. One of the obvious questions about the trials put forth by many who read of the trials, is how a handful of young girls of various social standings could bring an entire community to its knees in the space of a few months?
Abstract This paper compares the wars of good and evil as described by C.S. Lewis' in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", compared to the war waged by Hitler. The paper compares the military tactics of the witch in the novel to those of Hitler, particularly the Blitzkrieg attack. The paper describes Hitler and the witch as being alike in their trickery, military tactics, secret police, lightening fast action, and they both could have been victorious if Russia or Edmund had stayed on their sides.
From the Paper "Wars between Good and Evil Imagine a small boy being enticed with hot chocolate and a box of chocolates. Most boys would eagerly eat the chocolate without a moment's hesitation. This begins the story of good versus evil. This can be compared to Hitler's war of good and evil. Many of the qualities and actions of the witch can be compared to Hitler including Hitler's Blitzkrieg attack and the table of Critters. C.S. Lewis's, "The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe," and Hitler are two battle between good and evil fought with different military tactics where the only victory would be with the "good" teams winning. . "
Abstract This paper argues that the Salem witchcraft hysteria centered upon the needs of the males to both assert and maintain their dominance within every element of their community. The paper discusses how, during that period, all misfortunes were blamed on witches and this allowed for the immediate suspicion of anyone and anything that fell outside of the norm. The paper then shows how the witch-trials, therefore, allowed for people opposed to the status quo to be branded as witches based entirely upon their opposition. The paper explains that since women, dissidents and social outcasts could now be painted as witches, there could be an assertion of absolute cultural, religious financial and political power within the New England elite.
From the Paper "The entirety of the Salem witchcraft hysteria centered upon the needs of the males to both assert and maintain their dominance within every element of their community. For the Puritans, evil and the evidence of evil was as real and as visible as the evidence of God. While the concept of devils, demons, demonic possession, and witches have long since gone out of our religious discourse, at one time in the New World, they were part of the daily lives of the Puritan communities. Using these beliefs to their benefit, the male community leaders of Salem and other Puritan settlements in Massachusetts asserted their control over the local economy, the social order, the behavior of the people, and reinforced their superior positions through the manipulation of their religious faith."
Abstract This paper discusses the events of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts in 1692. The paper presents physiological, psychological and sociological theories from various sources, which aim to provide a logical explanation of what happened during the Salem witch trials. The paper offers the opinion that the witch trials occured as a result of a combination of these theories or perhaps a theory not yet thought of.
From the Paper "The Salem witch trials were an atrocity in a period of American history. Several young girls, who had heard tales of the supernatural from a West Indian slave, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused three women of witchcraft. Put in that position, the three women, in turn, named others in false confessions (Merriam-Webster 1416). This caused hysteria much like Joseph McCarthy caused in 1950 in his hunt for Communists. Unlike the McCarthy era, the penalty for "witches" was death. Anyone that behaved in a way that people couldn?t understand was subjected to scrutiny."
Abstract This essay explores the disproportionate number of witchcraft accusations levelled against women during the European witch hunts. It posits that this gender imbalance is directly linked to the patriarchal nature of society by examining the definitional power of men and the subsequent perception of women. Using Jungian/ Lacanian understandings of the 'shadow' and Other, this piece has as its underlying contention that it is women's lack of power to define themselves within a patriarchal society that has led men to project their fear of self onto a woman, indeed all women, and term her 'witch'.
From the Paper "The identity of "woman" as it was perceived in early modern times can be further seen as a man-made myth upon closer examination of the nature of patriarchy. Man attempted to label, categorise, map and understand women, and do so with the use of male terms, but because patriarchy is a relational construct such attempts only reinforce for men that "woman" is not ?man,? she is ?Other.? And in this position as Other, women will always retain some element of mystery, of hidden depths and secret knowledge, never greater than man, but always promising more than he is capable of comprehending. It is the impossibility of exact male knowledge that creates for man the opportunity to map his own meaning upon this depth of Otherness."
Abstract This paper argues that the witches in "Macbeth" are diabolical beings who possess humans. The paper suggests that the characters in the play unconsciously echo the witches in the beginning, though not one of the characters had actually met the witches, suggesting something a little deeper than the average witchery that people think happened in "Macbeth".
From the Paper "William C. Carroll's description of the witches in his introduction to Macbeth is that of "malevolent external figures" (Carroll 2) who "symbolize the dark inner mental state of Macbeth himself" (2). The key point in Carroll's argument to be made is that while the witches can influence Macbeth's actions, they cannot compel him to commit evil deeds. The witches represent the dark powers that have the ability to influence men's decisions, but, more importantly, they are an outward representation of Macbeth's inner evil. It is this evilness and greed within his own human nature that persuades him, rather than it being the fate of the witches. The witches represent what Macbeth has hidden inside himself. He has already contemplated killing Duncan, but the witches have given Macbeth a motive for committing the murder."
Abstract This paper discusses Giles Corey in the the Salem witch trials, which reveals that there was no legitimate case against him; rather, it appears that Corey was presumed to be guilty by mere association. The author points out that Corey did not help his case by refusing to plead one way or another, but records indicate that he was in what we commonly refer to today as a loose-loose situation. The paper concludes that Giles Corey is a significant figure in American history because his death illustrates the magnitude of mob mentality; his death, along with the deaths of the other so-called witches, should serve as a constant reminder of how not to behave when things begin to get complicated.
From the Paper "Corey's testimony against his wife certainly did damage in many respects. According to Marion Starkey, Corey was a "blundering husband" who tried his best to tell the court the truth about Martha. This truth, Starkey notes, was "unimpressive, unconvincing." His testimony revealed that Corey "found it hard to pray when Martha was about and was in turned bothered by her own fluency in prayer." Not only did this testimony bring more doubt against his wife, many in the courtroom thought that "his very stupidity" might be a "mask for something else." Hoffer looks into the possibility that Corey might have been legitimately confused at his wife's trial. In all fairness, Hoffer notes that Corey was as "bewildered as anyone at the antics of the girls." It is understandable that his confusion regarding his wife was not only used against her but it was also used against him as well. "
