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Boyer and Nissenbaum masterfully use a range of unpublished sources, including sermons, petitions,
personal writings, and tax, property, and voting records. He played to the audience’s psychology to
do the work for him. This community had a collective breakdown, and we all want to avoid that
from happening.I was really intrigued by the arguments that the same social tensions only a
generation later but solidly in the 18th century rather than the strange world of the 17th, those same
tensions produced the Great Awakening rather than witchcraft hysteria, the beginnings of that
particular, complex and rich Christian culture in America. Everybody probably knows the witchcraft
part of the story; three preadolescent girls (one of them Parris’s daughter and another his niece)
undertook an apparently innocent attempt to predict their future husbands by observing the shape of
an egg white dropped in a bowl of water. Boyer explains how the Salem witch trials as they
occurred could have only happened in Salem Village. 2 likes Like Comment Asru?r Cynea?sson
Author 17 books 17 followers June 6, 2017 A well structured and researched insight into the social
environment of the colony in the seventeenth century. 2 likes Like Comment Michelle Hoogterp 384
reviews 34 followers September 6, 2017 fascinating. But I think that isn't the whole story and can't
be the whole story. 17th-century dystopian-nonfiction puritans-and-puritanism.more 9 likes Like
Comment Debbie 342 reviews 28 followers May 9, 2020 3.75 stars A fascinating, very deep dive
into the societal, geographical, cultural and class-related elements that contributed to the severity of
the Salem witch trials. Obviously Samuel Parris was paranoid and saw conspiracy and betrayal
everywhere, but that was because of his daddy. Unlike previous theories of magic mushrooms or
sadistic neighbors, this factionalism was fortified by years of social, cultural, economic, geographic
and psychological elements. It's as though this otherwise in depth research into this complicated set
of problems was abruptly hijakced by Cosmo's take on Freud. That, sure, maybe you felt a little
guilty because it was cold outside but mostly just, yo, she had to fucking go. Among colonial
american historians, this is a staple. Breslaw, Elaine G. Tituba: Reluctant Witch of Salem. A common
image used in American literature (Such as James Fennimore Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans) and
thought is that of morning snow melting as the sun rises in the day. This was the source for my
alternate theory of the events in Salem. And in a way, yes, I recognize that part of the QAnon thing
arises out of the conflict between those two economic groups (Wall Street and coal mines). The stark
immediacy of what happened in 1692 has obscured the complex web of human passion which
climaxed in the Salem witch trials. Retrieved from Orians, G. Harrison. “New England Witchcraft in
Fiction.” American Literature. Vol. 2, No. 1 (March, 1930), 54- 71. It was a pleasure reading this
book and I would recommend it to anyone interesting in learning a new perspective about Salem
Village. In this way, if the Devil was seeking to destroy Puritan society, women were the most
vulnerable area of Carol F. RachelPearson36 Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A
Real-World Look, present. Especially if she was fucking around with some kind of folk magic.
Hardly a mention of witches at all, but instead warring family clans, the battle of agrarian Puritanical
collectivism against mercantile individualists, and a string of disinherited sons. This deed refers to a
girl named “Tattuba.”xxiv Not only was it an uncommon name but given the numerous variations of
spelling words in this era generally, there is a strong possibly that this is the same girl. Unlike
previous theories of magic mushrooms or sadistic neighbors, this factionalism was fortified by years
of social, cultural, economic, geographic and psychological elements. Her Indian mother is her
feminine, weaker side and therefore would symbolize the weaker strength of the menacing Indian
image. The actual chapters of the book focus on unraveling the thesis of why the trials went on for so
long and what provoked it to happen in Salem Village. She, as Bernard Rosenthal described her,
becomes a “Dark Eve”, someone who brings discord into a community that had imagined its
theocracy, its “City on a Hill” as a type of Garden of Eden. Death stole one of my life’s inspirations
and heroes. First, the relationship delegitimized the accusers, symbolized by Abigail, when he shows
them motivated by vengeful jealousy and ambition. Their interest is in what led up to the accusations.
The Witchcraft Hysteria has been summoned often as a cautionary tale in American politics. Hardly
a mention of witches at all, but instead warring family clans, the battle of agrarian Puritanical
collectivism against mercantile individualists, and a string of disinherited sons. One girl was Anne
Putnam, Jr., 12, whose father was Thomas Putnam, a friend of Parris. It's really ugly and dirty
looking, outrageous for something that is apparently new (!) and costs about ?20. And in a way, yes,
I recognize that part of the QAnon thing arises out of the conflict between those two economic
groups (Wall Street and coal mines). The literary world as well seized upon this version of Tituba,
William Carlos Williams’ Tituba’s Children being one example. The reductionist view of this dispute
could be classified as capitalists v. Puritans 2. The debate centered around who was in favor of and
who was against the minister Samuel Parris 3. In the House of the Seven Gables, Hawthorne used his
ancestor for the model of Col. Pyncheon. Maryse Conde’s I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem is another
example of a writer using the story in a search for identity and therapy. Dodging the grab, Emily
jumped off her chair and went running into the pool yelling “catch me if you can!” and did a tuck-
ball into the pool. Miller immediately saw the parallels between the two events. The exceedingly dry
tone of Salem Possessed is a careful and deliberate choice; they have purposefully leached out as
much of the melodrama as they can. They had less power than adult women and almost all facets of
their lives were controlled by someone else. The authors set out with the objective of uncovering the
social factors that caused such horrific events to social in Salem Village and by the end of the work
proved it. They're able to identify at least some of those differences, including the village's peculiar
legal standing, the consequences of its geography, the specific people and personalities at play, and
how all those things interacted with the spirit of the time, resulting in tragedy. The numerous
historical, social, and literary interpretations reflect the many dimensions of this drama and
demonstrate that no one all-compassing explanation can contain Salem’s spirit. The authors argue
that mercantilism and a less credulous approach to witchcraft ultimately eclipsed the mentality of the
accusers and prosecutors in colonial New England. Her race itself is possibly the most contentious
battleground. I can honestly say that I did not find any major thesis in the book. Whatever the
reason, that shift in popular image would have more of a public impact than the play itself. 6. The
book is not without certain shortcomings, however. Even more shocking than the patterns of
accusations, was the inclusion of possessed evidence. Still worth a read, especially given how it once
shaped the thinking in this field. 5 likes Like Comment Emily Farrar 195 reviews August 30, 2010
Salem Possessed By Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum Review by Emily Farrar The year 1692
and the name of “Salem” have gone down in U.S. history as one of the biggest “witch hunts” ever
seen in our history. Fascinating stuff! 1 like Like Comment Samuel 430 reviews April 13, 2014 In
1974, Boyer and Nissenbaum combined their efforts to publish a historical accounting about the
Salem witch trials of 1692. The Puritan past, colored by the Trials, became one of many motifs
through which they sought to discover meaning of themselves and their past. Tormented girls
writhing in agony, stern judges meting out harsh verdicts, nineteen bodies swinging on Gallows Hill.
For some people, this play is their first introduction to the events and the play shapes their
perceptions of both the Trials and the anti-Communist McCarthy hearings of the 1950’s. Tax records,
voting records), documents from 20 trials C. Because Eve gave into the serpent’s persuasion to defy
God, she was responsible for mankind’s fallen position. Also, the Puritans’ diet consisted of dairy
and seafood products that would have counteracted the poisoning.vii Laurie Winn Carlson’s A Fever
in Salem claims encephalitis was the cause. The Pixar Way: 37 Quotes on Developing and
Maintaining a Creative Company (fr.
I mean, could it not be that she was a real bitch to have around the house. They offer compelling, if
sometimes over-simplified, reasons why the people who were accused of witchcraft were accused:
why those people, and not others. This thesis hinges mainly on a study of the possessed context of
the possessed and on a detailed consideration of each individual involved in thesis disaster. This is
the first book to place this event into its social context--the history of Salem village. Increasing trade
created a more socially mobile and secular society. They are attacking us!”xvii Lastly, the reason why
boys were less likely to fight maternal authority in this way may have been related to the fact that
boys’ chores took them outside of the home and thereby loosened maternal control.xviii Other
historians, such as Mary Ryan, have accepted only part of Demos’ theory. Because The Crucible is
most people’s frame of reference for the Trials, the public perception is that of a black Tituba. In
essence, the argument of Salem Possessed is that witchcraft isn't about witchcraft. Increasing trade
created a more socially mobile and secular society. Witchcraft itself is the main subject of one small
chapter, and its psychological links to social evidence Boyer and Nissenbaum have produced are
fairly shaky. The focus is on Salem Village's men, not so much the many women embroiled in the
trials. But they didn't really say much about any of the women, much less the magic, so who knows
what was going on based on what's here. As the traditionalists' prosperity failed, they felt it was due
to the newly dominate commercial character of the area. Full of well-captured, memorable characters,
but never strays into the over-dramatization that so many histories of Salem fall victim to, it even
makes a point of nearly glossing over the trials entirely, treating them as secondary to the broader
transformation of the town. 3 likes Like Comment Kevin Oliver 21 reviews July 11, 2017 This is an
EXCELLENT book. In total, 19 people died; one in prison, one by pressing to death for refusal to
plead, and the remainder by hanging (nobody was burned at the stake, despite numerous movies to
the contrary). Through their history, art and literature, they sought to understand what set America
apart from Europe. Although there are some discussions of nuances and exceptions, this is what the
general climate boils down to. The stark immediacy of what happened in 1692 has obscured the
complex web of human passion which climaxed in the Salem witch trials. But, the revised perception
of Tituba took flight in the imaginations of the public and historians. They sought direct evidence
like confession and empirical data (others testimony, inability to recite prayers, Witch’s tit--to give
suck to the devil) 4. However, only church members could “call” a minister, and almost all the
church members lived in Salem Town and had no particular interest in losing the tax revenue from
Salem Village (a good chunk of the taxes went to pay the minister’s salary, and if Salem Village had
their own minister they wouldn’t be paying that part of the taxes to Salem town any more).
However, though they referred to her as “Tituba Indian”, they also designated her sometimes as
“Tituba, an Indian woman.” Hoffer’s theory is therefore conjecture, intriguing but yet unproven. The
main issue was the factional dispute between Salem town and village. They're careful to point out
that Salem wasn't actually that different from other towns in the same time and place, but the witch
trials didn't happen at the same scale anywhere else -- meaning there must have been significant
differences in Salem. Going to have to add a few books to my to read list before I get this thing
untangled to my satisfaction. The main issue was the factional dispute between Salem town and
village. Mary Beth Norton’s In the Devil’s Snare took a different approach by identifying the Indian
war, King William’s War (1689-1697), as the primary and overlooked cause. Yet, the Trials are
fascinating because no one explanation of the event has ever been universally accepted. I mean, of
course the farmer who were living inland and feeling cut off and disenfranchised by the rise of
mercantile capitalism were more likely to think there was something to an accusation of witchcraft
than a guy who lived in the town on the coast and was engaged in a global trade where he did
business with people from all up and down the colonies and across the Atlantic on a routine basis.
Ministers such as Increase Mather and his son Cotton began to question the evidence that was used.
Instead of taking it lightly the way Northhampton did in 1735 (mentioned page 28, chapter 1)
believing that God was gifting them, the parents and Parris took it that Satan or God was cursing
them. However, other scientists have expressed doubts about this conclusion after reviewing
Carlson’s data.viii The limitation of both theories is they do not explain why the girls looked healthy
during the times they were not experiencing fits i.e. the majority of the time. “Witchcraft confronts
us with ideas about women, with fears about women, with the place of women in society, and with
women themselves. As I have stated, the authors are professionals in this field of research and
historical content. If your image of Tituba is a black, you may take that image for granted without
bothering to research your ignorance. It seems clear that more reading's going to be required,
specifically about the women who were accused and their accusers. But, the image of a black Tituba
takes flight for other reasons. Although there were only passing references to Tituba’s alleged magic
in the original documents, Upham put her at the center of the storm. Salem Witch Trials- series of
hearings and prosecutions of people who were accused of witchcraft. But they didn't really say much
about any of the women, much less the magic, so who knows what was going on based on what's
here. In the colonial era, Native Americans scared the people more. The manner in which the book is
arranged is significant to fully understanding what was happening in Salem Village. This aspect
raises the question of whether actual abuse took place, whether the child made up the story in order
to get attention, or whether they are merely telling adults what they want to hear. Everything they
wanted to reform and escape back in England was starting to change THEM. Thus the accused
witches (including a four year old girl) were held without trial until it could be done legally. Since
there was no central government in Massachusetts at this time a resolution was impossible to
legislate. The focus is on Salem Village's men, not so much the many women embroiled in the trials.
There was SO much hatred toward the town but also amongst themselves. This accusation was
essentially a counter-attack by a group who was losing power in a changing society B. This
nissenbaum is an excellent contribution to the social history behind the Salem Witch Trials. In June,
the governor, William Phips, established the Court of Oyer and Terminer to handle the crisis. They
sought direct evidence like confession and empirical data (others testimony, inability to recite
prayers, Witch’s tit--to give suck to the devil) 4. Social and generational tensions may be the root
cause. This thesis of social factors, however brewed a terrifying outcome for the accused, resulting in
19 hangings and one unfortunate man being pressed to death. She is an outsider both racially and
geographically. But without learning about the struggles enveloping this village, one can’t truly
understand 1692 sad and odd occurrences. They treat the Putnams and Samuel Parris with as much
impartiality as possible. Failure at one or both was considered a tremendous blow. Breslaw, Elaine G.
“Tituba’s Confessions: The Multicultural Dimensions of the 1692 Salem Witch-Hunt.” Ethnohistory,
Vol. 44, No. 3 (Summer 1997), 535-556. Do you know how many times Salem village went to the
General Court of Massachusetts over really petty things. Also, the Puritans’ diet consisted of dairy
and seafood products that would have counteracted the poisoning.vii Laurie Winn Carlson’s A Fever
in Salem claims encephalitis was the cause.

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