Colonial Beliefs On Witchcraft example essay topic

The Devil in the Shape of a Woman " The Devil in the Shape of a Woman" was an excellent book that focuses on the unjust's that have been done to women in the name of witchcraft in Salem, and many other areas as well. It goes over statistical data surrounding gender, property inherence, and the perceptions of women in colonial New England. Unlike the other studies of colonial witchcraft, this book examines it as a whole, other then the usual Salem outbreaks in the late 17th century. To completely understand the history of New England witchcraft you have to understand the role of colonial women. The author of this book, Carol Karlsen, used a lot of Secondary and primary sources to support her thesis. She uses first hand accounts of witch trials.

Which I found very interesting to read. Such as her use of Cotton Mathers personal writings. She also used court records as one of her sources to writing this book. These records showed the detailed court proceedings, depositions, and court rulings. The book begins with a brief history of the colonial witchcraft.

Each Chapter is structured with an orientation, presentation of evidence, and her conclusion. A good example of her structure is in chapter two on the demographics of witchcraft; here she summarizes the importance of age and marital status in witchcraft accusations. Following this she provides a good transition into chapter three in the final sentence of chapter two, "A closer look of the material conditions and behavior of accused reveals other characteristics-Intimately related to their sex, age, and marital status, that set witches apart from other older women in their community". (page 76) In sub staining her claim about the importance and the interconnection of colonial womanhood and witchcraft. She examines the colonial beliefs on witchcraft and the rampant misogyny of the period.

In this study she addresses the accused and the accusers, the young, the old, the poor, and the cute. In chapter seven she constructs an interesting analysis and a statistically significant interpretation of those females who were possessed, and why these particular females responded to their possession in Puntan society. In order to prove her case she used evidence associated with those who were the accusers and the accused during the witchcraft trials. On the whole, she proved that women who were out of the social norms of colonial society were more likely to be suspect of witchcraft. In Puntan New England this was mainly non-married women, widows, and non-conformist females. These distinctive behaviors and demographics were seen as potential threat to New England Society, especially during a period of great change or social upheaval.

In addition to all of this, Karleson has established statistically, that women who were married but had no children, women who were married but had only daughters, and finally women who were daughters of parents who had no male offspring were more vulnerable to cause of witchcraft. (Page 101) What this shows is the clear linkage of economic interest and the importance of inheritance in witchcraft accusations in colonial society. Karleson argues "Inheritance disputes surface frequently enough in witchcraft cases, cropping up as part of the general context even when no direct link between the dispute and the discharge is discernible, to suggest the fears that underlay most accusations". She goes to assert that women with inheritance rights were most susceptible to accusation of witchcraft throughout the entire history of colonial New England witchcraft than those women who did not have inheritance privileges. While statistics were effectively used in several areas of this book. I had to continue asking myself an important question.

Is she a historian or statistician? Surely she had added significant insight into colonial women and the history of witchcraft, but it also seems probable that she has, on occasions, over used statistics. Would it not be a historical fallacy to assume something purely based on statistics? While she does use other forms of evidence to prove her arguments besides statistics, they are still in need of further development.

By over emphasizing statistics, The Devil in the shape of a Woman undermines its otherwise, excellent argument. I really enjoyed reading this book and looking at witchcraft from a completely different angle. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman gave me an unforgettable look at a society in transition, where fears and witch hunts were manifestations of much deeper sexual, religious, and economic tensions.