Essay Sample on Witch Craft and the Salem Witch Trials

Introduction

The Massachusetts Bay Colony area of Salem Village experienced a unique event of mass hysteria where eight girls accused their friends and neighbors of practicing witchcraft. The incident occurred in 1962, and the following year it got the interest of legal system, and the results of the case led to the execution of fourteen, five, and two women, men and dogs respectively (Schiff). The outcome was because the individuals were found guilty of the supernatural crime. Currently, there have been various dignitaries, researchers, scholars, and philosophers who have embarked on using the different theoretical approach of understanding the term supernatural offenses, since the story and event has a unique place in the collective American History since it involved mass hysteria as well as the miscarriage of justice (Burns and Rosenthal 421). Stacy Schiff wrote one of the recent critics on the judgment, and she claimed that the entire occurrence was based on false accusations and lapses. The event of the witches still draws much-needed attention since most scholars use economic and physiological doctrines to analyze it; therefore this paper will constitute of a logical comparison on what happened and what were the leading causes since some authors tend to differ with the original headlines of witchcraft.

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According to Ray (32), the ordeal of the witch trials was a lens that originated during the construction of the New England, and it was an excellent perception of divine justice, social authority and justice, and superstition. Moreover, the esteemed author related the entire events as a structure of a non-functioning court system; making the whole incident an irrational societal event related to acts such as murder through food poisoning. Additionally, Alexander (390), support Rays idea on roots of the activities associated with New England, but at the same time, the author adds the sense that such cases were related to the massive migration movement of immigrants. Alexander complements the original author of the article Mr. Woodward for using the original language; a clear indication that these incidents were related to different norms and culture that migrated to New England by that time (391). To prove the point, the population was identified as those with little educational backgrounds, and their grammar made no sense to the natives. According to Mr. Woodward's article, the court system did not rely much on evidence since there were little to be gathered rather than the people who witnessed the entire event; thus, the main reason for the quick irrational decision to murder the suspects.

On the other hand, Brooks has a different perception of the entire Salem Witch trials ordeal. The author is convinced that the whole event did not occur as perceived since there was more than what was seem; she tries to explore elements of psychology as well as that of intentional poisoning, weather, fraud, and folk magic among others. Brooks identifies that there are two causes of the trials that needed considerations, the initial signs, and symptoms and the escalated number of individuals that were prosecuted and locked up in prison. But the angle of understanding the ordeal relates to the political, economic, war and health disparities in that region. (Schiff). These elements contributed to the claim that all the unfortunate events experienced in that region were provided by supernatural influence. The first element Brooks considers in the conversion disorder; therefore, it is a mental illness where the victims experience neurological disorder also identified as the mass hysteria. Brooks applauds the works of Dr, Bartholomew since his analysis stated that there is no such thing as witches, but conversion disorder is a reality and signs depicted by the victims relates to all that happened during the Salem event. Additionally, Brooks illustrates the mass hysteria is a mental condition represents mental conflict and distress that are experienced through severe pain and aches, but with no clear origin.

Saxon perception of the Witches correlates with Brooks' analysis on ergot poisoning. According to the two authors, it is clear that ergot was the ideal reason for the signs shown by the inflicted young girls and other people that showed the symptoms. Majorly, ergot is a fungus that infects cereal grains and produces byproducts such as ergotamine (Brooks). It is also known for causing some neurological effects that enhance the signs and symptoms such as hallucinations, gangrene, and vomiting among others. To make matters interesting, the bacteria grow in warm but damp areas and when infected victims tend to behave like witches.

To some extent, Brooks' and Saxon's idea have been accepted by many analysts who do not believe in superstitions as well as the world of witches but enhance that nature and science has much more to affect the livelihood of various communities. With the belief on the ice age arena, much has been contemplated if the weather was also a cause of the illness and not possession by spirits. Ray (35), comes out to support the effect of climate as an essential element of the entire event but to some extent, he diverts and illustrates the event depicted traces of feminism since the most affected gender were women of different age sets. Ray (35), disagrees with that fact since weather affects every individual not just women; thus, ruling out the contribution of climate as an essential explanation to the witch saga.

Psychological elements need theoretical explanations; for example, Saxon believes the victims of the witch in Salem suffered from encephalitis lethargica a mental disorder that enhances the inflammation of the mind/brain either insects, or birds spread it. The psychological issue is depicted by fever, severe headaches, unusual eye movement, cognitive behavior alterations, and double vision. These symptoms by then were not recognized since there were limited levels of science and psychological issues. The idea was that with the primitive nature of humans, lack of scientific explanation contributed to the reliance of what people understood and knew; thus, they decided to rely on their collective knowledge and prosecuted the women, dogs, and men as witches. There are various claims on the issue of the witches enhance on lack of evidence and vision. Moreover, by then the communities believed that religion was much dominant and had the authority to influence decisions made by courts; therefore, any activity related to witchcraft was dealt with like any other crime and even worse since it resulted to the lynching of the victims. Ideally, there are gaps on the explanation of the entire events that took place in Salem, even though authors have tried to use different discourses to explain the circumstances, psychological and biologic explanations have helped bring meaning to what happened.

Work Cited

Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. What Caused the Salem Witch Trials? 30 June 2018. 26 November 2018 <http://historyofmassachusetts.org/salem-witch-trials-causes/>.

Burns, Margo, and Bernard Rosenthal. "Examination of the Records of the Salem Witch Trials." The William and Mary Quarterly (2008): 401-422.

Ray, Benjamin. "Salem Witch Trials." OAH Magazine of History (2003): 32-36.

Saxon, V. What Caused the Salem Witch Trials? 27 October 2015. 26 November 2018 <https://daily.jstor.org/caused-salem-witch-trials/>.

Schiff, Stacey. The Witches of Salem. 7 September 2015. 26 November 2018 <https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/09/07/the-witches-of-salem>.