An Analysis of The Salem Witch Trials in Literature

During the time of immigration into the New World from England, it needs to be understood that the reasons citizens of the country fled was for a chance at freedom to express their individual Christian beliefs. Not to be confused with religious freedom, that was taboo. Everyone who immigrated was a Christian and had spread from Catholicism, Calvinism, Puritans, the Quakers, etc.

The mere thought of witchcraft required a church service after that thought, to cleanse the mind of all evil. An over exaggeration but keeps in mind how religious the people of that era were. Resembling Bobby Boucher’s mother from The Waterboy, “Everything is the Devil, Bobby!” and it was no questions asked, “Yes, momma.”

Reading real-time accounts of events that occurred during the 1690s in The Salem Witch Trials Reader I analyzed works of literature and in the ones I am about to mention, realized that the accusers were the relative of an important family member in the community. And are also offered to take the Devil’s book. In one of the accounts, Deodat Lawson writes in his Narrative, “Captain Walcott’s daughter Mary came to Lieutenant Ingersoll, and spake to me… [She] was bitten…Marks of teeth…” later, the niece of Minister Parris, Abigail Williams threw a fit and alleged that Goodwife Nurse was wicked and tried to present her a book. That she was able to walk up into the chimney while the fireplace was in use. Deodat later revealed that Abigail had tried to run into the fire.

Another piece I found was the Deposition of Elizabeth Hubbard, she was the Goddaughter of William Griggs, a local doctor of Salem that would diagnose village people as witches. She accused George Burroughs, “He asked me very much to set my hand to his book or else he said he would kill me.” At the end of a letter written by Thomas Brattle, he states, “I have observed in and by these afflicted persons, which make me strongly suspect that the devil imposes upon their brains…that the devils book (which they say has been offered to them) is a mere fancy of theirs and no reality”. He isn’t just talking about a couple of accounts, but many that state there was a “devil book” offered.

Now a reason why I believe that the accusers, claims weren’t questioned was because of their families. Their guardian or family relatives were all men of high power, a doctor, keep in mind we are talking about a small village, a Captain that fought in the King’s War, and a minister of the Church. Villagers weren’t going to go against someone of that vigor. How embarrassing would it be for the Goddaughter of the village doctor that exposed witches was lying about her accusations? Something I believe Villagers were not going to get into. Being that they were all offered a book, would’ve given the jury a chance to connect the trials. Seeing the Devil Book as the witchcraft version of the Bible. Just as a Christian would speak the word of the Bible and try to spread it, the same goes for any other practice. It was a sensible thing to compare to that made sense. A sad thing that occurred but gave a great perspective into the mind of villagers of that area and compared it to the way things today are run.

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