Melissa Dorval History
of American Literature 1
December 14, 2006 Digital
Document
Said Sir Bedevere, "What makes you think she's a witch?"
Witchcraft
has proven to be an extremely controversial subject; not just in modern times
with Harry Potter and Wicca, but for centuries. As far back as the 1600Ős
witchcraft has been a controversial issue. This rings especially true for the
events that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 17th century. The
infamous Salem Witch Trials lasted from June to September in 1692. In all, 19
men and women were put to death. Hundreds more were accused and thrown into
prison, all because they were accused of witchcraft. An active part in all of
this was played by the Reverend John Hale. Hale was a pastor at the Church of
Christ in the neighboring town of Beverly, Massachusetts and had a hand in
accusing persons of witchcraft. He was also responsible for the book A Modest
Inquiry Into The Nature Of Witchcraft. This work describes the Witch Trials and
also shows a change of heart in Hale, as this work is rather critical of the
trials. Interestingly, this change coincided with his wifeŐs being accused of
witchcraft.
A
Modest Inquiry Into The Nature Of Witchcraft is a 176 page book which Hale had
published in 1702. Hale not only recounts the events of the trials themselves,
but also what happened before and after. In addition, according to American Web
Books, Hale "was a participant in the trials, attending them and praying
with the accused. This eyewitness account is one of the rarest, having been
reprinted once in 1771, and again in 1973". Though Hale may be looked upon
by some as being unreliable because of his changes, his work still sheds an
interesting light on the somber Salem events.
Interestingly,
Hale provides a fascinating theory as to why the trials happened. Again, one
must not forget that Hale had a large role in accusing people and helping the
trials along. He was an avid supporter of the trials, and only saw things
differently when his beloved wife, Sarah, was accused. It was this accusation
that changed HaleŐs mind, and also prompted him to write A Modest Inquiry Into
The Nature Of Witchcraft. In any case, Hale describes the trials, and at the
end of his book finishes with his theory. It states that Satan, not the people
of Salem themselves, was responsible for the events. Hale tries to convince the
reader that the inhabitants were forcibly placed under SatanŐs yoke and
therefore turned to witchcraft. Though Hale blames Satan, he also brings God
into the matter. He believed that people, though under Satan, were still able
to pray to God to get them out of the predicament. Hale said that "by
finally answering their prayers in times of difficulty" (176) God pulled
Salem and its people out of the Trials.
This
piece was of immeasurable interest. It was found by going to a website which
the professor recommended. Once there, there are many different headlines to
choose from. One heading in particular, 17th Century Colonial New England,
seemed the most promising. This proved true. The next step was to find an
actual digital document. There was a heading which was called Salem Witchcraft
Holdings from Various Archives, which ultimately lead to the discovery of
HaleŐs piece. The specific website where the book was found was: http://etext.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/archives/ModestEnquiry.
ManŐs
inhumanity to man is a troubling, yet fascinating subject and ultimately lead
to my selection of this document. I knew that I wanted something which dealt
with the Witch Trials and this piece provided an interesting look at them. One
of the factors that helped me to choose this piece were some of the intriguing
quotes. For example, when Hale was explaining a certain type of witch, he said
"Namely to the witch at EndorÉthe Greek translators in the Scriptures
above quoted, call them, Eggaltrimutbai: persons that speak in or from their
belliesÉthey gave answers to the people from their heathen oracles". (100)
Though this excerpt is not entirely clear, it is certainly attention grabbing.
Additionally,
this piece has appeal because of its modern day connections to literature. John
Hale is not only the author of this book, he is a character in Arthur MillerŐs
The Crucible. At the beginning of MillerŐs play, Hale is brought in to the
Parris household to examine young Betty Parris, to see if she has been
bewitched. Hale is declared an expert on matters of witchcraft, and goes
through some interesting changes in the play. The Crucible is one of the best
American plays, and it was an interesting parallel to see Hale portrayed in it
while also reading his personal thoughts on the subject of witches.
The
Salem Witch Trials are one of the most interesting events in AmericaŐs early
history. In modern eyes, there are many theories circulating as to why the
trials began. Some believe that they happened because the girls of Salem were
bored. Others think that the Trials can be attributed to the fact that there
was an infected grain crop. The grain theory, according to one source, states
"a fungus called ergot sometimes infects rye grains. This fungus produces
some chemicals which are very similar to LSDÉ" It is also worth noting
that "the primary theoryÉ is not necessarily that those who saw witches
were under the influence of ergotism, but that those who were called witches
were. The theory is that those suffering under the effects of ergotism acted in
ways which others blamed on the influence of the devil, therefore calling them
witches" HaleŐs argument that the Trials were caused by the Devil did not
sound absurd at that time.
John
HaleŐs book is important for literary reasons. A Modern Inquiry into the Nature
of Witchcraft, besides its historical content, tells a great story. Compared to
other pieces included in the cannon of early American literature, HaleŐs is one
of the most interesting. Since many pieces written before the 1850Ős were
correspondence, it is debatable whether or not they really belong in the
American literature cannon. The fact that Hale wrote a book not only makes him
unique, but it makes a stronger argument for why this piece can be considered
early American literature. This is true not only because it was well written
and informative, but also holds true for its intentions. Hale intended this
piece to be published and to be read by many different people.
On
the other hand, this piece is important for historical reasons. Hale provides
one of the only firsthand accounts of the Witch Trials. Additionally, it
provides not only a history of the Trials, but an interesting look at them
through the eyes of an historical figure. Hale manages to give a history of the
tragic events and a personal perspective on them. History itself is important.
People can use it to learn from the past and to avoid making horrible mistakes.
Because Hale preserved the story of what happened in Salem in that fateful year
he preserved knowledge.
The
work by John Hale connects to the history of American Literature before 1850
course. Besides the obvious (that the work fits into the time constraint), the
piece is highly significant. It is not only historical, but clearly belongs in
the cannon of literature. A Modest Inquiry into The Nature Of Witchcraft, is
HaleŐs account of what actually happened in the Witch Trials. Also, it states
his personal beliefs and opinions regarding the whole ordeal. It serves as an
historical writing as well as an opinion piece. It can also be connected with
the assigned readings. For example, there is Benjamin FranklinŐs piece called A
Trial at Mount Holly. In this piece, though it is fictitious, Franklin mentions
the trials. One of his many points was that the trials were a horrible and
unjust event. This coincides with HaleŐs opinions, later on in the book.
The
website which provided the digital version of HaleŐs piece was very helpful and
informative. It took the pages from the book and blew them up to a size that
was larger than the original. In doing so, this made the book much easier to
read. At the same time, there were some minor obstacles. Whenever the letter "S"
appears in the text, being in 1600Ős script, it looked like a strange letter
"F". Also, a lowercase letter "c" in the book looks like a
uppercase cursive "E". The website never pointed this out, and that
made the first few minutes spent with the book a little confusing. However,
these were minor problems and overall, it was a good website. They not only
provided the text in its entirety, it also made the rare, centuries-old piece
accessible.
Working
with an antique book was a great experience. Due to modern technology, it was
easy and enjoyable. Because of the internet, it was possible to access the
document at any time. Also, because of the care taken to preserve the piece, it
was never a problem to read the work, with the exception of some of the language
being outdated. Additionally, there were many options available. There were
many other pieces, besides the work by Hale, which could have been chosen. Just
having a general topic such as the Witch Trials in mind, and searching things
related to it, opened up many different options. The digital document
assignment was new and fun way to explore American literature before the
1850Ős. The piece itself was intriguing, exciting, and informative. It was a
very pleasant experience.
Works Cited
Ask Erowid. 6 June 2004. The Vaults of Erowid.
11 Nov. 2006. <http://www.erowid.org/ask/ask.cgi?ID=2167
>
Burr, George
Lincoln. A Modest Inquiry Into
The Nature Of Witchcraft, By John Hale, 1702
; from Narratives of the Witchcraft Cases. 11 Nov. 2006.
<http://etext.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/archives/ModestEnquiry>
John Hale, A
Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft. 10 Oct. 2006.
Applewood. 25
July 2002. < http://www.americanwebbooks.com. >
Monty Python
and the Holy Grail. Dir. Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones. Perf. Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael
Pallin, Terry Jones, Eric Idol, and Terry Gilliam. Videocassette,
1975.