I believe this was my best paper, because Cotton Mather was such an interesting person. The time period, as well as the situation in which the people in Salem found themselves embroiled in was tragic, yet fascinating. I put a lot of time, and research into this paper, and enjoyed the subject immensely.
Alyssa D. Harrison
English 201
Evelyn Beck
October 28, 2006
The Role of Cotton Mather in the Salem Witch Trials.
To analyze the writings of Cotton Mather, we need to first understand the background he came from. Cotton Mather was born of two prestigious Puritan families in 1663. He was the grandson of John Cotton, whom he was named after, and Richard Mather. His father was Increase Mather, who served as the pastor of the Old North Church of Boston, and later as the president of Harvard. Cotton attended Harvard at the age of twelve, and had his M.A. by the age of eighteen. He felt he had a calling to become a minister but did not pursue this immediately because of a speech impediment that he later overcame. He instead turned to the study of medicine, an interest he kept until his death in 1728, and writing, for which he is best known. He finally became an ordained minister at the age of twenty-two. Which led to his life long work, of ministering to those in need of guidance.
Cotton Mather published his work “Memorable Providences” (1689) in which he detailed witchcraft and the symptoms of the afflicted based on the children of the Godwin Family. He said in his description ”Their Necks would be broken, so that their Neck-bone would seem dissolved unto them that felt after it; and yet on the sudden, it would become, again so stiff that there was no stirring of their Heads; yea, their Heads would be twisted almost round”. (Memorable Providences 1689) Historians later stated that the symptoms described by Mather were that of seizures, and possibly hysteria.
The girls then accused the Parris family slave Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osbourne as the witches who had caused their affliction. The symptoms were so like Mather’s description of the affliction recorded of the Godwin family, that the people of Salem were very accepting of the doctor’s conclusion and the accusations against the women. Tituba confessed that she and the other two women had made a pact with the devil, and had even flown through the air on poles. Her confession showed the villagers of Salem that their fear and suspicions were valid. Fueled by their paranoia and hysteria, over one hundred people were arrested, and twenty people were hanged as accused witches that refused to confess. Two more people died in jail before their trials could begin.
Cotton Mather was not directly involved in the proceedings of the Salem witch trials although he wrote a letter to one of the magistrates, John Richards of Boston, urging caution of “spectral evidence." Mather also wrote, “Return of Several Ministers” a report which was sent to the Salem court judges. In this carefully worded document, he again cautioned against using “spectral evidence,” saying the devil can assume the shape of an innocent person: “'tis an undoubted and a notorious thing that a Demon may, by God’s permission, appear even to ill purposes in the shape of an innocent, yea, and a virtuous man ”. (Return of Several Ministers 1692) Cotton then stated that they should use witch tests such as the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer to determine innocence. The last paragraph of this treaty[,] however, appears to undermine his cautionary statement: “Nevertheless, we cannot but humbly recommend unto the government the speedy and vigorous prosecution of such as have rendered themselves obnoxious, according to the direction given in the Laws of God and the wholesome statutes of the English nation for the detection of witchcraft”. (Return of Several Ministers 1692) This statement in the opinion of the court was interpreted as Mather’s seal of approval for the continuation of the trials.
Historians and eyewitness accounts give a more contradictory portrait of Mather’s hand in the trials. While Mather writes of the Trials, “ For my own part, I was not present at any of them” (Wonders of the Invisible World 1692), others condemn him for his role in the trials. In Robert Calef’s book More Wonders of the Invisible World (1700), he reports Mather’s conduct at the hanging of former Salem minister, the Reverend George Burroughs, who while standing upon the gallows, recited a perfect rendition of the Lord’s Prayer, something that Mather said a guilty person could not do. The crowd was moved by his recitation, and wanted to prevent the execution, but Mather proclaimed that Burroughs was not an ordained minister, and that the “Devil has often been transformed into an Angel of Light” (More Wonders of the Invisible World 1700). Mather’s words of condemnation caused the Reverend George Burroughs to be hanged on August 19, 1692.
It was Mather’s own words that condemned him more that anything in the eyes of history. He had published his book “Wonders of the Invisible World” in October of 1692, just after the last of the Salem witch executions. In it he tries to justify the trials, and the deaths in Salem. He states of Bridget Bishop, the first woman to be hanged on June 10, 1692, that there was “little occasion to prove witchcraft, it being evident and notorious to all beholders” (Wonders of the Invisible World 1700). He describes Susanna Martin, hanged July 19, 1692 as “one of the most impudent and scurrilous wicked creatures in the world” (Wonders of the Invisible World 1700). Cotton also condones the use of “spectral evidence” used to convict at least five accused witches in a letter to William Stoughton, which he wrote during the trial of George Burroughs, while asserting the guilt of the Reverend as the ringleader of at least ten witches from a confession he received by five accused Andover witches.
It was when Robert Calef, the author of “More Wonders of the Invisible World” (1700), published different accounts of the trials, that Cotton Mather was put on the defensive. Cotton Mathers remained on the defense of his role in the Salem witch trials for the remainder of his life. Cotton Mather died at the age of sixty-five on February 13, 1728.
Although Mather’s writings on witchcraft made up only sixteen of his almost four hundred plus works, it is these writings that have garnered the most scholarly attention. In conclusion, his interest in witchcraft, the trials, and his influence in the trials left him a scapegoat for the witch hunts. While he may have believed at the time that he was protecting the lives of the accused by saving their souls and the spirituality of the community, he in fact fueled a religious hysteria pitting families and neighbors against each other.
Works Cited
Calef, Robert. More Wonders of the Invisible World, 1700.
Kallen, Stuart A. The Salem Witch Trials 1999.
Lauter Paul, eds The Heath Anthology of American Literature 2006.
Mather, Cotton The Wonders of the Invisible World, 1692.
---. Return of Several Ministers, 1692
---. Memorable Providences, 1689
Rosenthal, Bernard Salem Story: Reading the Witch trials of 1692. 1995
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Harrison Literary Paper 1
I enjoyed reading about William Bradford's attempts to rationalize the New World, and his settlement there in terms of his religious beliefs. This was a very challenging piece for me not only to read and analyze, but to write about because of the change in language from that time period to today's.
Alyssa D. Harrison
English 201
Evelyn Beck
09-22-06
William Bradford, the Importance of Religion in His Life.
The importance of religion is very evident as you read the writings of William Bradford (William Bradford Of Plymouth Plantation). He constantly makes Biblical references throughout his text many times comparing and contrasting the events unfolding to events in the Bible. The Journey by the settlers into a what Bradford calls “hideous and desolate wilderness full of wild beasts and wild men”, (Bradford 328) into an unknown country that he viewed to be not unlike Moses’ situation as he viewed the Promised Land from Mt. Pisgah in the Bible.
Throughout his narrative he interprets Biblical passages to relate to himself and his fellow travelers. Such as this quote in which he compares the Pilgrims to Biblical passages. “Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and He heard their voice and looked on their adversity” (Bradford 329). It is not to say that the situation in which Bradford and his fellow settlers found themselves was not serious. They were struggling for their very lives against a harsh winter without food, adequate shelter, or clothing. Perhaps the seriousness with which they took their faith was enough to sustain their minds and souls as their bodies struggled against the harsh reality the found themselves in. “ Yea, persons were afraid of the houses themselves. It so fell out that at the same time divers of the chief of this town were met together at one house, conferring with some of their friends that were upon their removal from the place, as if the Lord would herby show the signs of His displeasure, in their shaking a-pieces and removals one from another…. So powerful is the mighty hand of the Lord, as to make both the earth and sea to shake, and the mountains to tremble before Him, when He pleases. And who can stay His had. (Bradford 340) I believe that he wanted to show with this passage, that the Lord would strike them down if His will were not followed.
As they adjust and build their lives, however, Bradford still seems to view the events of his life in a religious fervor, ready to condemn his fellow man without remorse based on his interpretations of the Bible. His condemnation of Thomas Morton, as well as the youth Thomas Granger was written without pity or compassion for the lives of those men. It was written as though God condemned them, not their fellow man. I think Bradford needed God to condemn them so as not to hold guilt over how they were judging their fellow man.
Throughout this dissertation, however, you do see loss and sorrow through his eyes. Elder Brewster was obviously a pillar in his life whom he mourned greatly. You also begin to realize toward the end of his writings that he is mourning the loss of their way of life as the Pilgrims welcome in new towns and churches in the Colony, and see their own Plymouth church dissipating. Other religions other that the Puritan beliefs, such as the Catholic, Protestant, Presbyterian, and other religions were building churches, and gathering followers. It was hard for the pilgrims, to handle.
It was an age of hardship, an age of discovery, creation, and belief. Throughout it all, William Bradford did hold to his beliefs, and survived in the harshest of times. He is a testament to his faith. Did his beliefs help his survival, and that of his fellow countrymen? Did he feel that his struggles were a test from God to prove his love and loyalty? He seems to stay true to his path and his faith, and not question God in this, and that may have been what kept him strong. Belief that God watched over him and his countrymen, and gave them the strength to weather even the harshest of times kept them going. They built lives, towns, and families amongst the harshest of conditions and came out on top. Even by today’s standards that is a feat in itself. I don’t know many people now who would have the fortitude to keep to their beliefs, to struggle on in adversity. William Bradford is truly a man to be admired.
Works Cited Page.
1. Patricia Scott Deetz; James Deetz. Mayflower Passenger Deaths, 1620-1621. The Plymouth Colony Archive Project. Retrieved on 2006-09-18
2. Lauter Paul, eds. The Heath Anthology of American Literature Boston, Ma; Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.
Alyssa D. Harrison
English 201
Evelyn Beck
09-22-06
William Bradford, the Importance of Religion in His Life.
The importance of religion is very evident as you read the writings of William Bradford (William Bradford Of Plymouth Plantation). He constantly makes Biblical references throughout his text many times comparing and contrasting the events unfolding to events in the Bible. The Journey by the settlers into a what Bradford calls “hideous and desolate wilderness full of wild beasts and wild men”, (Bradford 328) into an unknown country that he viewed to be not unlike Moses’ situation as he viewed the Promised Land from Mt. Pisgah in the Bible.
Throughout his narrative he interprets Biblical passages to relate to himself and his fellow travelers. Such as this quote in which he compares the Pilgrims to Biblical passages. “Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and He heard their voice and looked on their adversity” (Bradford 329). It is not to say that the situation in which Bradford and his fellow settlers found themselves was not serious. They were struggling for their very lives against a harsh winter without food, adequate shelter, or clothing. Perhaps the seriousness with which they took their faith was enough to sustain their minds and souls as their bodies struggled against the harsh reality the found themselves in. “ Yea, persons were afraid of the houses themselves. It so fell out that at the same time divers of the chief of this town were met together at one house, conferring with some of their friends that were upon their removal from the place, as if the Lord would herby show the signs of His displeasure, in their shaking a-pieces and removals one from another…. So powerful is the mighty hand of the Lord, as to make both the earth and sea to shake, and the mountains to tremble before Him, when He pleases. And who can stay His had. (Bradford 340) I believe that he wanted to show with this passage, that the Lord would strike them down if His will were not followed.
As they adjust and build their lives, however, Bradford still seems to view the events of his life in a religious fervor, ready to condemn his fellow man without remorse based on his interpretations of the Bible. His condemnation of Thomas Morton, as well as the youth Thomas Granger was written without pity or compassion for the lives of those men. It was written as though God condemned them, not their fellow man. I think Bradford needed God to condemn them so as not to hold guilt over how they were judging their fellow man.
Throughout this dissertation, however, you do see loss and sorrow through his eyes. Elder Brewster was obviously a pillar in his life whom he mourned greatly. You also begin to realize toward the end of his writings that he is mourning the loss of their way of life as the Pilgrims welcome in new towns and churches in the Colony, and see their own Plymouth church dissipating. Other religions other that the Puritan beliefs, such as the Catholic, Protestant, Presbyterian, and other religions were building churches, and gathering followers. It was hard for the pilgrims, to handle.
It was an age of hardship, an age of discovery, creation, and belief. Throughout it all, William Bradford did hold to his beliefs, and survived in the harshest of times. He is a testament to his faith. Did his beliefs help his survival, and that of his fellow countrymen? Did he feel that his struggles were a test from God to prove his love and loyalty? He seems to stay true to his path and his faith, and not question God in this, and that may have been what kept him strong. Belief that God watched over him and his countrymen, and gave them the strength to weather even the harshest of times kept them going. They built lives, towns, and families amongst the harshest of conditions and came out on top. Even by today’s standards that is a feat in itself. I don’t know many people now who would have the fortitude to keep to their beliefs, to struggle on in adversity. William Bradford is truly a man to be admired.
Works Cited Page.
1. Patricia Scott Deetz; James Deetz. Mayflower Passenger Deaths, 1620-1621. The Plymouth Colony Archive Project. Retrieved on 2006-09-18
2. Lauter Paul, eds. The Heath Anthology of American Literature Boston, Ma; Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.
Harrison Literary Analysis Paper 3
If I could do this piece over again, I would choose a different subject. I tried to put together a paper which was fascinating, and rich in character, without thoroughly researching the subject. This made for a good start on a paper, but ultimately one that was missing the depth that this author and story deserved.
Alyssa D. Harrison
English 201
Evelyn Beck
November 11, 2006
Edgar Allan Poe, and his Character Dupin.
Edgar Allan Poe, one of America's best-known writers, was the pioneer of many different genres of writing. His stories included science fiction, horror, gothic, and mystery, to name a few. He influenced the development of many writers, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), Jules Verne ( 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), and Stephen King (It). While best known for his chilling horror stories, Poe’s detective stories starring Parisian detective C. Auguste Dupin inspired successive generations of mystery writers such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who based his character Sherlock Holmes on Poe’s Dupin. Dupin, who was the central character in several of Poe’s short stories, emphasizes the use of deductive reasoning and logic to study the factors in the cases that had previously stumped others. The tale The Murders in the Rue Morgue, and The Purloined Letter are the first and second stories that center on the central character of C. Auguste Dupin. It is these stories that we are to analyze.
The story “The Purloined Letter” is a tale of investigation, one detective against the procedures of the police. In Poe’s short story, “The Purloined Letter," the police are stumped in their attempt to find a letter being used for political blackmail. Their search is hindered by their well meaning but misguided investigation procedures, which reflected the rational style of thinking that was prevalent in the nineteenth century. The thief has hidden the letter right under the prefect's proverbial nose, which Dupin figures out; he then recovers the letter, and turns the tables on the thief. “For eighteen months the Minister has had her in his power. She has now him in hers,” Dupin says of the political turn of events in “The Purloined Letter” in this he describes how the tables were turned on the thief, who was the Prime Minister at that time.
Poe considered “The Purloined Letter” his best detective story because it turns from the action of a scene to the intellect used to solve a crime. He showed that a character could think his way through a crime scene, and use reasoning to support the clues. Other authors built on this concept, such as the famous character Sherlock Holmes. The use of deductive reasoning was completely opposite to the violence in ”The Murders in the Rue Morgue” which also starred Dupin as the central character. This story was the first to showcase Dupin as a central character, and showed a more violent side to Poe’s writings than the sequel, “The Puloined Letter”. In the “Purloined Letter” the story features Dupin and an unknown narrator discussing ideas. The action in the tale is told by using flashbacks, outside of the narrative itself, while the narrative is being told in a very analytical way. The flashbacks show the use of action in the story, so by using this way of tale telling, the reader can get a sense of what is going on without the graphic portrayal that was seen in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”.
The prefect is portrayed as an unimaginative officer, who cannot think outside the box along with the police force as a whole. Dupin feels that you must think like a thief in order to catch a thief, an idea that serves him well as he is able to turn the tables on the thief in the end. His ability to think a step ahead of the police to collect the purloined letter, and foil the plans of the Minister is successful because he is able to put himself in the minister's head. The technique of thinking like the thief suggests the similarities between Dupin and the Minister showing that great minds often think alike.
In closing, this story shows that Dupin’s insight is not always analytical and mathematical though he analyzes the facts of the crime, but he is also motivated by revenge. He must function alone as a detective because of the way he chooses to conduct his investigation, which thrives on personal cunning, and intuition, both of which are not found in the institutionalized police force. With the story “The Purloined Letter” Poe shows that he can hold his own with mystery writers of any time period. This was an excellent story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Poe’s continence of the character of Dupin the detective was at the time innovative, and inspiring to other writers. His work is as spine chilling and thrilling today, as ever.
Works Cited
Benedetto, Matthew. SparkNote on Poe’s Short Stories. 17 Nov. 2006
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/poestories.
Lauter Paul, eds The Heath Anthology of American Literature 2006.
Reuben, PaulP. “Chapter 3: Early Nineteenth Century – Edgar Allan Poe. “PAL:
Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. WWW
URL:http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap3/poe.html 2006
Alyssa D. Harrison
English 201
Evelyn Beck
November 11, 2006
Edgar Allan Poe, and his Character Dupin.
Edgar Allan Poe, one of America's best-known writers, was the pioneer of many different genres of writing. His stories included science fiction, horror, gothic, and mystery, to name a few. He influenced the development of many writers, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), Jules Verne ( 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), and Stephen King (It). While best known for his chilling horror stories, Poe’s detective stories starring Parisian detective C. Auguste Dupin inspired successive generations of mystery writers such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who based his character Sherlock Holmes on Poe’s Dupin. Dupin, who was the central character in several of Poe’s short stories, emphasizes the use of deductive reasoning and logic to study the factors in the cases that had previously stumped others. The tale The Murders in the Rue Morgue, and The Purloined Letter are the first and second stories that center on the central character of C. Auguste Dupin. It is these stories that we are to analyze.
The story “The Purloined Letter” is a tale of investigation, one detective against the procedures of the police. In Poe’s short story, “The Purloined Letter," the police are stumped in their attempt to find a letter being used for political blackmail. Their search is hindered by their well meaning but misguided investigation procedures, which reflected the rational style of thinking that was prevalent in the nineteenth century. The thief has hidden the letter right under the prefect's proverbial nose, which Dupin figures out; he then recovers the letter, and turns the tables on the thief. “For eighteen months the Minister has had her in his power. She has now him in hers,” Dupin says of the political turn of events in “The Purloined Letter” in this he describes how the tables were turned on the thief, who was the Prime Minister at that time.
Poe considered “The Purloined Letter” his best detective story because it turns from the action of a scene to the intellect used to solve a crime. He showed that a character could think his way through a crime scene, and use reasoning to support the clues. Other authors built on this concept, such as the famous character Sherlock Holmes. The use of deductive reasoning was completely opposite to the violence in ”The Murders in the Rue Morgue” which also starred Dupin as the central character. This story was the first to showcase Dupin as a central character, and showed a more violent side to Poe’s writings than the sequel, “The Puloined Letter”. In the “Purloined Letter” the story features Dupin and an unknown narrator discussing ideas. The action in the tale is told by using flashbacks, outside of the narrative itself, while the narrative is being told in a very analytical way. The flashbacks show the use of action in the story, so by using this way of tale telling, the reader can get a sense of what is going on without the graphic portrayal that was seen in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”.
The prefect is portrayed as an unimaginative officer, who cannot think outside the box along with the police force as a whole. Dupin feels that you must think like a thief in order to catch a thief, an idea that serves him well as he is able to turn the tables on the thief in the end. His ability to think a step ahead of the police to collect the purloined letter, and foil the plans of the Minister is successful because he is able to put himself in the minister's head. The technique of thinking like the thief suggests the similarities between Dupin and the Minister showing that great minds often think alike.
In closing, this story shows that Dupin’s insight is not always analytical and mathematical though he analyzes the facts of the crime, but he is also motivated by revenge. He must function alone as a detective because of the way he chooses to conduct his investigation, which thrives on personal cunning, and intuition, both of which are not found in the institutionalized police force. With the story “The Purloined Letter” Poe shows that he can hold his own with mystery writers of any time period. This was an excellent story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Poe’s continence of the character of Dupin the detective was at the time innovative, and inspiring to other writers. His work is as spine chilling and thrilling today, as ever.
Works Cited
Benedetto, Matthew. SparkNote on Poe’s Short Stories. 17 Nov. 2006
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/poestories.
Lauter Paul, eds The Heath Anthology of American Literature 2006.
Reuben, PaulP. “Chapter 3: Early Nineteenth Century – Edgar Allan Poe. “PAL:
Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. WWW
URL:http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap3/poe.html 2006
My Perspective on American Literature
I have always considered myself to be a creative writer. I excell in the descriptive, and enjoy writing stories that paint a picture not only for myself, but for my reader. I was very challanged by this class because not only did I have to read the works of other readers of different time period, but I had to analyze their thoughts and feelings not only for my own time period, but for the one that they were written in. Many of the thoughts and beliefs read about were shocking to me, from the degredation of the Indian, to absolute intolerance of religion and the rights of other human beings. These beliefs were the norm of the day, yet by todays standards they seem barbaric. I learned alot about the history of our country through the writings of those who lived through its founding, much more than from the facts gleaned in the history classes I have taken previously. I would certainly recommend this class to all people as an excellent learning experience about our past, and the literary history of our great country. I believe that my favorite writers had to be Cotton Mather, and Benjamin Franklin, two totally different men who were absolutely fascinating. My least favorite to read were those of the slaves who while inspiring people who rose to the challanges of their lives, horrified me that our country could condone such barbaric practices as slavery. In all this class has inspired me to read the accounts of others, to really analyze those writers and their time periods, and I feel it will make me a better person, and a better writer for understanding those who came before.
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