It seems that Cotton Mather’s approach to articulating his opinions or verdict on witchcraft is very similar to the style used to coerce Germany to follow Adolph Hitler. His explanation for the behaviors outside the accepted culture of that century filled a vacuum to explain the societal changes that were occurring.
Mather’s thoughtful and careful use of the English language created a frenzy that ignored compassion and rational thought. Reading the accounts of the trials makes the reader question his or her own understanding. The sense that they are reading an articulate and accurate account of the events, although difficult to understand, assigns power to Mather’s ramblings.
On page 25, Cotton Mather continues his persuasive pursuit of creating a unified front by fostering a dreadful end, “But then we are to unite in such Methods for this deliverance, as may be unquestionably safe, lest the latter end be worse than the beginning”. His creation of a “story” helps sell the unsuspecting culture the “witch hunt” effort.
Current day witch-hunts take on many forms. As a member of a large protestant church, I witnessed the efforts of a group of people in the church to persuade a large film studio curb its appetite for movies and children’s films that were on the edge so to speak when it came to language and content. I saw some of my friends boycott the movie studio for any various and sundried reasons that I saw as off target. I think it is important for parents to monitor and direct young children in programming, but it did seem to go to an extreme measure in some instances.
I do believe that evil is an active agent in our world. The only explanation for the destructive nature of a society as a whole is not driven, obviously, by a general nature of good.
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3 comments:
Hi Dorenda,
Thanks for the post. I think CM was trying to terrify readers with his rhetoric, as many probably were. But he was also fighting a losing battle, since by the time he published -Wonders- the public tide had turned against the witch trials and the use of spectral evidence. He was defending what had already been condemned.
Best,
Dan W
Hi Dorenda,
I can't really follow your last sentence. If you say, that "the only explanation for the destructive nature of a society as a whole is not driven, obviously, by a general nature of good" but by evil force then I ask myself who destroys our society?
Isn't it our own fault that we suffer from famine and ecocatastrophes?
Isn't it also our owm fault that we get involved in some very brutal wars?
Hey Dorenda! I liked that you brought up the subject of Hitler, that's a great example. Also, I have something a bit in common with you. When the Harry Potter movies came out, my mother was not familiar with the books and actually told me that I was not allowed to see the first movie. She felt that the subject of witchcraft was demonic and not acceptable for me to watch. After seeing the movie herself on TV one evening, she fell in love with the series and realized that it wasn't at all what she thought. It was kind of funny the way it all turned out.
Anyway, I liked your blog and your ideas. And I read your first one and liked it as well!!
Katie Passmore
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