How did the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s treatment of Anne Hutchinson, The Holocaust and a dictatorship lead political system influence the continuance of “The Lotteries?”
There are many world situations taking place that caused the citizens of a little town in Vermont to continue with their ritual of annual lotteries. One such situation being the treatment of Anne Hutchinson, by the leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Anne Hutchinson was born, in Alford, Lincolnshire, England in 1591, the exact date is not known (Biography). Daughter of Francis Marbury an Anglican clergyman, she was taught at a young age to question authority (Biography). Her and many others migrated to Massachusetts Bay with the belief that the colony was settled on religious
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Anne rebelled she shared a spirit-centered theology which held that God’s grace could be gained simply through faith. (Biography). This going against the Puritan ministers’ orthodox view which stated that people must live according to the Bible’s precepts by performing deeds did not set well with the magistrates (Biography). Her following grew and Governor John Winthrop charged her with sedition and heresy (Biography). Even though she challenged Winthrop, the magistrates sided with him out of fear of retaliation on themselves and she was banished from the community (Biography). Anne moved to Long Island Sound under Dutch jurisdiction in order to get away from further persecution from the Massachusetts colony, however the Native American tribespeople, the Siwanoy were angered by new settlers and her, most of her children and servants were killed (Biography). These are pretty harsh punishments for a woman simply stating her beliefs and trying to teach others that they do have other options besides following a one sided dictatorship form of government. With this happening in a large colony of one thousand people it is no wonder that the three hundred citizens of a little Vermont town continued with their annual lotteries for fear of retaliation. Just as the people of Massachusetts Bay were made to …show more content…
Warner recollection of and old village adage “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon”! (Sustana). The women in the little town of Vermont are also subservient to the men. The women work in the home with no outside ties to the economy or work ethic (Sustana). This is seen many times throughout The Lottery, when Mrs. Hutchinson is late in arriving it is her husband that is addressed by the men, “here comes your Missus, Hutchinson”, as though Mrs. Hutchinson doesn’t even exist (Sustana). In Massachusetts Bay John Winthrop and his magistrate followers make all the rules and decisions. In Vermont the lotteries are ran by Mr. Summers, who owns the largest coal related business, and is the most powerful in the village, Mr. Graves the second most powerful government official and the postmaster, and third Mr. Martin who owns the only grocery store in the village (Sustana). Once again you see the most powerful and elite in charge, while the little people follow in fear of retaliation (Sustana). Even the drawings in the lottery are done in a way that treats women and worthless citizens. The male head of the household draws first, if he is not able to attend and has a grown son over 16 then the son draws,
Anne Hutchinson has long been seen as a strong religious dissenter who paved the way for religious freedom in the strictly Puritan environment of New England. Another interpretation of the controversy surrounding Anne Hutchinson asserts that she was simply a loving wife and mother whose charisma and personal ideas were misconstrued to be a radical religious movement. Since this alleged religious movement was led by a woman, it was quickly dealt with by the Puritan fathers as a real threat. Whatever her motives, she was clearly a great leader in the cause of religious toleration in America and the advancement of women in society. Although Anne Hutchinson is historically documented to have been banished as a religious dissenter, the real motive for her persecution was that she challenged the traditional subordinate role of women in Puritan society by expressing her own religious convictions.
The Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts can be considered a horrendous period in American history, yet is also viewed as the turning point in what was considered acceptable in a contemporary society. In a documentation of a trial against a woman named Sarah Good, the reader is able to see the way in which such an accusation was treated and how society as a whole reacted to such a claim. Sarah Good fell victim to the witchcraft hysteria because she was different, and that fear of her divergence from the Puritan lifestyle led to her eventual demise.
...factor for her to move one more time into Dutch territory. After her move in the summer of 1643, Anne and her family were killed by Indians. She was survived by six of her children and over 30 grandchildren. Descendants of these survivors include: Anne's great-great grandson Thomas Hutchinson who became a Governor of Massachusetts, her sixth great grandson Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and her ninth great grandson George H.W. Bush and his son George W. who although he did not win the presidential election in 2000, now holds the highest office in the country. (p.243). LaPlante also includes a tour one could follow to see Anne Hutchinson sites in Boston, Rhode Island and New York. On my next trip back east I will bring this book and see these sights. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in women of importance in our American history.
Literary historicism, in the context of this discussion, describes the interpretation of literary or historical texts with respect to the cultural and temporal conditions in which they were produced. This means that the text not only catalogues how individuals respond to their particular circumstances, but also chronicles the movements and inclinations of an age as expressed in the rhetorical devices of its literature. Evaluating the trial of Anne Hutchinson within such a theoretical framework means speculating on the genesis of her theological beliefs with recourse to prevailing theories of gender, class, and interpretation. Because texts are self-contained spheres of discourse, nuanced interpretations of them can be undertaken with greater assiduity than in the case of individuals whose private experiences remain largely concealed from the interpreter's knowledge. A historical analysis of Anne Hutchinson herself is hence, in the present discussion, secondary to the analysis of how she comes across in textual discourse as a palimpsest of seventeenth century gender controversy.
How was Anne Hutchinson's trial an ordeal for her and how was it an ordeal for
Despite her beliefs threatening both civil and ecclesiastical law, Hutchinson’s presence was not immediately removed from the community, for she “appeared again; (she had been licensed by the court, in regard she had given hope of her repentance, to at Mr. Cotton’s house that both he and Mr. Davenport might have more opportunity to deal with her)”. In dragging out Mrs. Hutchinson’s case, she still continued to defy the wishes of the church, “much to the astonishment of all the assembly”, displaying another instance of tolerance because she still lingers in the community. “So that after much time and many arguments had been spent to bring her to see her sin, but all in vain, the church with one consent cast her out”.
'They do say,' Mr. Adams said to Old Man Warner, who stood next to him, 'that over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery.' Old Man Warner snorted. 'Pack of crazy fools,' he said. 'Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live hat way for a while. Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery,' he added petulantly (Jackson 4).
An outspoken female in a male hierarchy, Hutchinson had little hope that many would speak in her defense, and she was being tried by the General Court. In 1636 she was charged with hersey and banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony. Several years later, when she moved to New York, she was killed in an Indian attack. Anne challenged the Puritan clergy. She believed that: "1.One can feel one's salvation and is filled with the spirit of God after conversion.
Shirley Jackson’s “Lottery” satirically creates a society that puts the importance of tradition above even the life of the members of the community, as indicated by Old Man Warner’s response to Mr. Adams stating, “‘[O]ver in the north village they’re talking of giving up the lottery.’ Old Man Warner snorted. ‘Pack of crazy fools … Listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them … There’s always been a lottery,’ he added petulantly” (413). Here Old Man Warner defends the tradition of their society, though notably without justifying the tradition. Rather, he focuses on the people of other villages and the tradition as self-evident, both logical fallacies. The first argument he makes in favor of continuing to have a lottery is an ad
Similarly, a boy from the Watson family was nervously drawing for his mother and himself. This is where the tension and the suspense of the story begin to build, as the reader can tell that the characters are growing increasingly worried as more names are called. Mr. Adams and Old Man Warner discuss the north village, a town contemplating abandoning the lottery. Old Man Warner calls them “crazy” (Jackson 294), and that “there’s always been a lottery” (Jackson 294). This is another example of the rigidness of the townspeople when it comes to their old traditions, as well as beginning to show that the lottery isn’t exactly a positive event, as many towns are dropping it.
One Puritan woman, Anne Hutchinson, was believed to have predictions from God. This infuriated the Puritans because they did not believe in the idea of God giving her visions and thoughts. They believed that Satan was the one giving her these visions and thoughts. Consequently, the Puritans then banished her into the wilderness outside of Massachusetts Bay. This shows that the Puritans treated anyone who did not totally agree with them as an outcast to their society.
In Puritan led Massachusetts Bay Colony during the days of Anne Hutchinson was an intriguing place to have lived. It was designed ideally as a holy mission in the New World called the “city upon a hill,” a mission to provide a prime example of how protestant lives should have subsisted of. A key ingredient to the success of the Puritan community was the cohesion of the community as a whole, which was created by a high level of conformity in the colony. Puritan leaders provided leadership for all facets of life; socially, economically, religiously, and even politically. A certain hierarchy was very apparent in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in which ministers always seemed to have gotten their way. Governor Winthrop got his way in 1637 by banishing a woman, Anne Hutchinson, whom he thought posed a threat to the structure of the colony. I believe that there is a legit rationale for her banishment, this being her religious ideas that were very close to that of the Antinomians who Governor Winthrop was not too fond of. I also think that this was not the primal reason. In my mind, Anne’s gender played a large role in determining whether or not she actually posed a serious threat to the solidarity of Massachusetts.
The male Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony did not like women to think that they were above them, such evidence is the trial of Anne Hutchinson at Massachusetts Bay in 1637. The document is a transcripts of Anne’s trial. Anne Hutchinson was a rebel during her time and she was fond of the concept of Antinomianism, if your not as fond with this concept,let’s break it down “Antinomiansim” is a greek word it is formed from the words “anti” and “nomos”, “anti” means against and “nomos” means law when combined they form antinomianism which means in its simplest form, against the law or against laws. The transcript was most likely at first kept just for records but eventually it was kept not only to preserve history but to capture the human spirit.
The “Trial of Anne Hutchinson” written on 1637, was during the period where women are to subject to the man. Hutchinson being a woman did affect her trial. This is seen in the trial with Governor John Winthrop. He mentioned that she had done things that are not “fitting” for her sex. Not only did she get into trouble with the churches, who were headed by man, but was also accused for promoting her opinions that salvation is God’s gift that does not need to be earned. On the other hand from John Winthrop’s “Speech to the Massachusetts General Court” in July 3, 1645, he describes about two kinds of liberty, natural and moral. “Natural” liberty was liberty to do good or evil; it is based on one’s opinion. This form of liberty is less inconsistent
Gunn, G. (1994). Trials and interrogation of Anne Hutchinson. In G. Gunn, Early American Writing (p. 159...). New York: Penguin Books.