REVIEW OF LITRATURE A.) SUMMARY SOURCE A Although the whole book had information on the Salem witch trials. The introduction, chapter 1 and 2 and the conclusion had information regarding the research needed • Introduction: states what the Salem witch trials where and who they accused. How two little girls (Abigail and Betty) where the first to suffer from fits of hysterical outbreaks and how many accusers came forward and described how they or their animals had been bewitched. It mentions the court cases and how there were more woman than men accused of practicing witch craft.
The Salem witch trials was one of the most famous witch hunt in history. More than 200 accused witched occupied the local jail. 19 people executed, were hanged, one pressed with rocks to death and few more died in jail within a year from 1692-1693. It happened in Salem Village, New England in Massachusetts, now known as Danvers. Witchcraft was second among the hierarchy of crimes which was above blasphemy, murder and poisoning in the Puritan Code of 1641.
Abigail Williams was the person behind most of these accusations and that led to even more people being accused. She accused Elizabeth of being a witch hoping she would be hanged in order to have John come back to her. She also set up Mary Warren using the doll she helped her make by sticking a needle through it. All of this started out with false accusations by Abigail, and people believed her because they were
One woman even said she felt like it was a vampire bite instead of a bug. As ridiculous as this sounds in sent America into a state of fear. Just as it did to the people of Salem during the trials. There has been many cases of mass hysteria and it still happens today. The Salem witch trials is a warning of what can happen if we panic instead of
Especially in such a puritan society, such as Salem, the Devil is recognized as a malicious creature who is behind the “Witchcraft” and “sickness” taking place. As Mr. and Mrs. Putnam attempt to jump to conclusion that “there are hurtful, vengeful spirits layin hands on these children”(15), Mrs. Putnam justifies the idea with how she “ha[s] laid seven babies unbaptized in the earth… and yet, each would wither in [her] arms the very night of their birth. I have spoke nothin… and now, this year, my Ruth... shrivels like a sucking mouth were pullin’ on her life too”(15). Mrs. Putnam displays this new notion of death and sickness now being symptoms of the Devil. For the Devil, his power is manufactured by the residents of Salem, more so, their fear and concern towards the Devil.
The citizens felt it was their duty to destroy the witches for the good of the community. More than one hundred and fifty people were charged and jailed. Twenty were executed. However, most of the folks accused were sincerely innocent. The real causes of the Salem witch trials were quite the antithesis from the handiwork of Satan and his “employed witches.” Today, the origin of the calamity is believed to be a combination of a few different factors.
If Abigail had brought the accusations forward and the vulnerable adults wouldn’t have believed the hysteria wouldn’t have occured. The Putnams played a major role in the blaming of being a witch. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam have gone through their own trauma. Seven out of eight of their children have died before they were a day old and Mrs. Putnam is convinced that witches killed her babies. Mr. Putnam is only worried about gaining more land and if more people die that means there is more land for him.
Individuals vs. Society The Salem Witch Trials, of the strangest accounts of mass hangings in history, were the fault of a few young women. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, John Proctor is forced to make a decision as to whether or not to give up his good name to save this small town. People have to choose between self-interest and that which would benefit the society in which they live. Often, people face some great cause prior to choosing to help the greater society over their own selfish wants. John deals with Abigail and a dozen or so other tormented girls, as does the whole town.
Hysteria has been seen throughout history, but what dictates the outcome is how the community reacts. Hysteria can be defined as uncontrollable emotion among a group of people. Hysteria has been depicted throughout human history, and can be seen during the Cold War, 9/11, and terrorist threats. The Crucible evidently shows how hysteria leads to the disunification of a community through the human obsession of reputation, the Puritan lack of respect for privacy, and human fear. The Crucible is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller, written in 1953, which gives a detailed description of the Salem Witch Trials.
Up to one hundred and fifty people, spent months in jail without a trial. In just fifteen months, everything that had witches or devils just went out of control. The villagers also believed witches had helpers, called familiars. This superstition led to two dogs executions. To decide the fate of the accused, the court of Oyer and Terminer was created, it means hear and end.