The Wonder of the Invisible World - Critical Essay

Introduction

The book by the title: The Wonder of the Invisible World its author is Cotton Mather. As per anthology of literature from America, all about witchcraft and his millennial intentions to occasions at Salem in 1692, in a trial to show the iniquities of the world- fallen righteousness (Baym, Nina, & Robert Levine, 184). His source of inspiration to write this book, come from his ability to write a prayer for his colleagues at school and his teaching about sins at his tender age. He had a strong belief in the power of witchcraft, which is tamed as a belief recognized by a majority of Christians of that era. The reason why most Christians in witchcraft, is because it was assumed to have been disapproved by the Bible and affirmed by the history. Bercovitch (671) asserts that ritual turned his heart to dogmatic and murderous witch hunter accountable for the accomplishment in Salem in the year 1692- the major theme in the book. Nevertheless, Mather rejected to get involved in the attempts, he cautioned against the prompt criticism of the alleged Mather come from a Purity family, the reader can be able to identify the influence of Puritan's from the rest of the writings. The settlements of Puritans were established in New England, members of this community were remarkably transformed. Their daily application of Biblical teachings of all spheres of life, won the reputation of being depressed and solemn dedicated only to influence opposition and aggressive passion.

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Among the many attempts, which held against women who were alleged of bewitching in the village of Salem, is the trial of Bridget Bishop. It commenced when a few girls from the village of Salem begun behaving uniquely. Because of this distinctive act from the girls, inhabitants accused women from the same village of bewitching and were held accountable for the girl's uncommon behavior. The first person to be alleged was Bridget Bishop, after his trial, he then hanged. She was forced upon being summoned to the court to admit what was a false accusation. Furthermore, witnesses were brought to second her act of witchcraft on the girls. Whereas Bishop declined to have seen the afflicted girl in her entire life, she was falsely alleged to have forced each one of the girls to make a sign in the book of the devil and to declare to them that devil is her god. What attributed to her execution and her death sentence, was the statements from her neighbors, her village members, and the testimony that as released by the stricken girls. This is understood that Puritans employed the term witch to allege sovereign women of bewitching in this paper, we shall discuss how inhabitant's accusation is an imaginary and how the Puritans employed typology to gain an advantage.

One of the grounds that led to Bishop to be alleged was about her window status and her unique mode of dressing. According to William Nelson Gemmill's, in his book: The Salem Witch Trials, "she had often been reprimanded by the church for keeping her tavern open late at night.... In attending upon her costumes, she always wore a black cap and a red paragon bodice braided and looped up with many colors.it was not strange it was not strange that she should have been the first accused of having made a covenant with the devil" (54). Puritans are well recognized for their typology; an approach applied to analyze daily occurrences as a counterpart of happenings, which are named in the Bible. Members from Salem village understood Bishop's job and action as being under influence of the devil, a widow who through her hard work is able to meet her needs and she is comfortable to dress her per desire, opposing Puritans; line of thought by believing in hard work and not entirely relying on religious matters only. Even in this era, individual tend to struggle differently are linked with evil.

Mather employed the term afflicted to brand the girls who alleged Bishop of bewitching them-successful and independent woman. The girls who were opposing the Puritans believe in faith alone; Puritans predicted that they would take after Bishop, having an illness known as the independence of women. This proves Puritans were stereotyped, they had barbaric thought that men are the only being that can be independent, and those women who had economic advantages of the rest of the women were assumed to be applying evil powers to obtain their wealth. Also, the majority of the individuals who bear witness against Bishop were males "Samuel gray testified ...Richard Coman testified...john Bely and William Bely testified" (185,187). In the entire Salem trials, only women were blamed of bewitching and were hanged.

The inhabitants alleged against bishop were grounded on the proof or fact but from individual's perspective. This illustrates that at some level witches evolved from the household competition. Moreover, when Puritans were throwing the accusation of Bishop for bewitching, they used a phrase that shows elements of sense "he saw her after this he knew to be her countenance and apparel, and all circumstances that it was the apparition of this bishop" (185). Majority of the members of the Salem village; who accused Bishop of bewitching generated their claim upon prospect, with a massive number of them appealed that they saw the shape of Bishop during the night. This ground was weak and can be tamed as lame evidence, since anyone who is not; happy with someone else's progress they can say anything contrary to pull the person down. Furthermore, they testified that Bishop's behavior, took place nearly eighteen fourteen and eight years from her trial time, this makes the judgment invalid seems one cannot fully recall incidence that happens after such a long duration.

Conclusion

In conclusion, accusation on independent women such as Bishop among others as witches by the local is a delusion they plotted to discourage independence of women in society. Puritans perceived diversity to be a threat that can lead to an act of rebellion by women. Most independent women think and act rationally. Puritans followed the Bible thoroughly without questions of teaching or commandment from Bible, Bishop Lifestyle suggests the development of the urge to question of logic behind some teaching and action, hence branded independence as doings of the devil. Additionally, the word could enable the assessment of Mather's literary work. For instance, the word "women" is one of most repeated words that persisted in the chapter; it raises the question upon us 'why there was not any male who is accused of bewitching and were hanged. 'The reappearance of the words "superstition" and "testified," two words that are grounded on discourse that has no stern truth and mirror local's claim that was based on sight only.

Work Cited

Baym, Nina, and Robert S. Levine. "Cotton Mather." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 181-89. Print.

Bercovitch, Sacvan. "Witchcraft at Salem." (1970): 670-672.