Witchcraft in Colonial America When Essay

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Once again, the sense of superiority comes to light in his statements. That a Christian family could be afflicted in this way was unthinkable, yet it happened.

The general colonial attitude towards servants confirms the superiority issues and correlates with the Indian issue mentioned above. A washerwoman was suspected of theft. The conclusion was immediately drawn that the washerwoman in question was using the linen for witchcraft practices. This event appears to indicate a slightly hysterical disposition that suspects guilt before innocence, especially within the lower classes of society. The woman in question and her mother are both described as "ignorant" and the woman's mother is described as "scandalous." This assessment is not elaborated or clarified, but fits well with the rest of the document.

The concepts "ignorant," "scandalous," and "pagan" are directly opposed to the concepts of piety and virtue in the document. In the introduction, it is significant that the first set of concepts are directly related to the lower classes and native cultures of America, while the second set is related directly to white Christians, who were in power at the time. This indicates that the accusation of witchcraft carries with it not only a sincere attempt to create a pure and Christian society, but also a sense of power that translates to brutality.

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Finally, it is also clear that the accusation of witchcraft is generally made against women. Women are then either excessively pious, as the virtuous wife of the mason, or excessively despicable, like the Washerwoman and her mother. There is no middle ground between the two. Although the document appears to have been written in all sincerity, the use of language and other subtle indicators also highlight the violence and general ignorance of the time.

In conclusion, what struck me most about the text was the fact that Cotton Mather believes his own assessments and observations in all sincerity......

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