Witchcraft - I Tituba, Black Witch of Salem
Uploaded by jacky89 on Jan 08, 2000
"Witchcraft-the power or practices of witches" Webster's New World Dictionary.
Witchcraft is a term which sprouts many different meanings. As stated above, it is attributed to witches. But what is a witch? Probably an evil haggish-like women who has signed a pact with the devil if we think of it in the English sense. So witchcraft must be evil doings; putting curses on people to make their life miserable, using wicked spells to transform humans to frogs etc. But does this hold true to everyone's idea of what witchcraft is.
People's believes on the subject of witchcraft might differ between different cultures. Such is the case in the tragic story "I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem" by Maryse Conde. Certain groups and individuals in the book, have contradicting thoughts of witchery.
"I can not describe the effect this unfortunate black cat had on the children, as well as on Elizabeth and Samuel. Samuel Parris seized his prayer book and began to recite a seemingly endless prayer."pg 44 This is how sensitive the Puritans were. Their fear of the Devil is so great, it hindered them of pleasures and entertainments since these are also elements which they believed are inherited from the Satan thus making them sinful. "Becareful, Tituba! Don't let them dance! Don't let them dance!"pg 48 Fearing Tituba would conduct a sin for the children, Elizabeth Parris exclaimed her warning. If they are so overwhelmed with the terror of Evil, then what would their response be if they discovered his assistants; the "witches" who signed a pact with the devil to help him bring hellish deeds among the people in return for promised benefits. These ugly, wicked ladies who hide in the daytime readying their caldron of boiling potion containing frogs, bats, mouse, poison mushrooms etc. for the night when they fly on broomsticks performing nasty spells, claiming victims by curses and evil plagues.
Tituba, the main character, was identified and accused of being a witch. "Help me, Tituba, to find the person who has done me wrong and punish him. Let his firstborn, if there is one, perish from something like smallpox. If there isn't a child yet, may his wife never bear one! I know you can do it! Everyone says you are the most awesome of witches!"pg 86 This is what the residents in Salem led to think of Tituba. But was she really a witch, or was she evil...