How Social Tensions Led To Witchcraft Essays - Magic,

How Social Tensions led to Witchcraft How Social Tensions led to Witchcraft The history of witchcraft during seventeenth century New England is inherently a history of direct confrontations within communities where relationships become tainted with suspicion, revenge and anger. The documents in Witch-Hunting in Seventeenth Century New England have retold the events and stories of Puritan New England to give the modern reader an understanding of the repressive social institutions of religion and family structure which were controlling factors that lay behind the particular cases discussed in the book. However, in order to really interpret the structure of witchcraft, it is important to consider that social tensions (most likely a dispute or argument) combined with personal or familial bad luck, were the root of all these occurrences. In New England, the term "witch" in New England served as identification used for punishment, revenge, or both. For the most part, townspeople used this term to belligerent or "troublesome" people. These "witches" were accused for making children sick, causing animal deaths, and inducing pain and suffering. Or they could have been accused due to evidence of strange events, or their mysterious character. Perfect models of this characteristic would be Hugh and Mary Parsons. Mary and Hugh Parsons lived in Springfield, Massachusetts. In chapter 2 of Witch-Hunting in Seventeenth Century New England, the introduction clearly conveys that relationships within the Parson family were filled with problems. With the town's houses built so close to each other, it could be assumed that neighbors were able to hear every argument and fight that took place within the Parson household. In the Puritan community, the kind of behavior that was observed of the Parson was out of the ordinary. Consequently, when Mary accuses Widow Marshfield of witchcraft for an unknown reason, it seriously damaged the Parsons social reputation ? something that the Puritans took very seriously (Hall 29). From then on, suspicions and lack of trust started to be associated with the Parsons. Accusations of witchcraft often followed arguments that would increase the social tensions in the community. These damaging accusations were usually the spiteful acts of angry, petty people who were looking for revenge following an argument. Hugh fits these criteria perfectly ? he was a very quarrelsome workman, often displeasing his customers to the extent of where they hate him. A situation that demonstrates this is the case of Blanche Bedortha and her painful fits. Blanche blamed her ailments on Hugh based on an argument between him and Rice Bedortha, her husband. When having her "fits," Blanche distinctly recalled the dispute and at once suspected that Hugh had used witchcraft on her (Hall 36). This demonstrates that Hugh was considered troublesome, and to accuse him of witchcraft would be the perfect punishment ? or reprisal. Actions of a person can also cause social tension among the town. The way a person behaves, acts, and responds can differentiate from the ordinary to the weird. In Puritan society, anything out of the normal is very suspicious, especially when someone does not react to a situation they way society would. Many people were accused of witchcraft because they behaved abnormally to a death of a family member or a neighbor. When Moxon's child died, Hugh did not have any emotions or sympathy. This attitude combined with the past argument that they had, Moxon immediately accused Hugh of witchcraft. Again, this case happened again when his wife Mary accused him of witchcraft. This was due to the fact that Hugh once more had no emotions when his kids died. When accusations were released, the accused would in no way regain their social standing ever again, even if they were found innocent after a trial. Magnified suspicions and distrust increased the social tension between the accused and the public. Therefore, when inexplicable events took place, the people accused were the first on the blame list. This was the case in many seventeenth century New England towns. Again, this situation could easily be seen in Hugh's case. After being tried as a witch, every move, action and word was taken as evidence of witchcraft. Combined with his bad luck, and family misfortune, Hugh was turned into the town's social scapegoat, responsible for every strange and inexplicable event that religion or reason could not explain. A perfect example was the "rusty knife" incident. When Griffith Jones was having dinner, he noticed that his good knives had mysteriously disappeared. He resorted to using a rusty knife in place of them. When he was cleaning the table, he suddenly saw that the good knives were next to the rusty knife. Griffith perceived this a very puzzling