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Equity and justice is what we want to achieve for in our life, although it could not happen in every event. Under the institution of slavery, the unfairness is extreme obvious. Racism, Sexism and belief is the three major element separating people into different position at the time they born. “ Life is too kind to men, whatever their color(108)”, pointing out in the novel, I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, which is written by Maryse Conde. The story is talking about life of Tituba, a black girl in the slavery period. Her birth is because of raping. Although her mom finally finds someone who really loves she, it doesn’t last for a long time. Killing by her white master since she hurts him. The life for Tituba is extremely
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Abena, Tituba’s mother “sorely regretted that I was not a boy. It seemed to her that a woman’s fate was even more painful than man’s”(Conde, 6). The author has stated the position of man and woman in the beginning of the novel. Whatever the skin color is, man always locate in a higher position. This is why Abena regret. She understands the life of Tituba will be tough since she gets raped by a white sailor. She knows that fairness rarely happen in our actual life. The second sentence is a foreshadowing. As it states, woman’s fate is much harder than a man. The readers know about the life of Tituba won’t be great. There will be lots of obstacle in front of her. It makes a prediction and leads the entire story out. Not only Abena, but also Mama Yaya says “ Men do not love. They possess. They subjugate”(Conde, 14). They are not the age as Tituba. They actually does experience the society a lot. Instead of stating clearly that white man enjoy using their power, she classifies the black man and white man as a same group, doubting that a man will treat their wife equally. Mama Yaya and Abena are two most important women in Tituba’s life. They already summary the behavior of the man for the whole novel base on their own experience. Man does everything following their desire instead of taking care of someone else …show more content…
The repetition here actually describe the emotion of Tituba. Tituba can’t believe that Mr. Darnell kills her mother because she tries to protect herself, not being raped by her white master. “ She had struck a white man. She had not killed him.”(Conde,8). The white man has the entire power for deciding the life, even their lives, of his slave and wife. He regards them as their property. Once his property does not obey him, he “throw” it away. In Tituba’s mind, she doesn’t understand why Darnell kills her mother since she just make a small wound in him. She is still too young to realize that they are not
The Salem Witch Trials were a series of prosecutions of men and women who were accused to practice witchcraft or have associations with the devil. The first Salem witch trial began with two girls in 1692, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams who started to have “fits”, in which they would throw tantrums and have convulsions. The random outburst of the girls threw the town of Salem into a mass of hysteria. Although historians have not found a definite reason or cause for the witch trials, they have taken different approaches to explain the hysteria that took over Salem. Some historians approach a psychological theory by proposing the girls suffered from diseases that made them act out. Other historians refer to factors such as religion, economics, and weather to explain the beginnings of an unforgettable time in Salem, Massachusetts. For over 300 years, historians have tried to reveal the truth about the beginnings of the Salem Witch Trials, but in order to do so historians must look at both the way of life in Salem in the seventeenth century and use knowledge that is available now to explain the phenomenon.
I chose the character Tituba because she is one of the main reasons for the disturbance in this story. In the Puritan town Salem, Massachusetts of New England, a black slave named Tituba and a few girls were dancing in the forest. While dancing Reverend Parris caught Tituba and his daughter Betty acting out, suddenly Betty falls into a state like coma. Many town people gather at the Parris’s house with rumors of black magic. So Reverend Parris sent for Reverend Hale a professional on the art of black magic, then he began too question Abigail Williams which was his niece and the mastermind behind the whole episode that took place in the forest.
Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft is a concise, 231 page informational text by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum. Published in 1974, it explores the economic and social conditions present in the Salem village during the 1600s that led to the hysteria surrounding witchcraft. Multiple graphs and illustrations are present, as well as an average sized font, an abundance of footnotes typically on the left page, and a prominent voice from the authors. The book was written to serve as a more comprehensive informational piece on the Salem witch trials due to the authors finding other pieces written about the same topic to be inaccurate. Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum wanted to create something that utilized
The black women’s interaction with her oppressive environment during Revolutionary period or the antebellum America was the only way of her survival. Playing her role, and being part of her community that is not always pleasant takes a lot of courage, and optimism for better tomorrow. The autonomy of a slave women still existed even if most of her natural rights were taken. As opposed to her counterparts
Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft explores and breaks down the events that took place in the small village of Salem in 1692. Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum, authors of Salem Possessed, use primary sources, both published and unpublished, to tell the crazy and eventful history of Salem. They go into great detail in why some folks were accused of being Witches, the arrests and the so popular Salem Witch Trials. The main reason for this book was to try and find out what caused the terrible outbreak of events that happened in Salem and they do so by looking into the History and Social life in the famed Salem Village. The history of Witchcraft in Salem is a well-known story from High School on and this book goes in depth about why things happened the way they did and how the social aspect played a big role is the story.
Slavery in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries consisted of brutal and completely unjust treatment of African-Americans. Africans were pulled from their families and forced to work for cruel masters under horrendous conditions, oceans away from their homes. While it cannot be denied that slavery everywhere was horrible, the conditions varied greatly and some slaves lived a much more tolerable life than others. Examples of these life styles are vividly depicted in the personal narratives of Olaudah Equiano and Mary Prince. The diversity of slave treatment and conditions was dependent on many different factors that affected a slave’s future. Mary Prince and Olaudah Equiano both faced similar challenges, but their conditions and life styles
Tituba's life is one full of magic and wonder, yet also fraught with suffering. The majority of Tituba'' pain and suffering is caused by the hands of men, in particular, white men. The most prominent destructive white male in Tituba's life is Samuel Parris. From the moment Tituba is placed into Parris' ownership, he is quote clear about his hatred for Negroes. He thrives on he power bestowed upon him by the forces of racism and, at the same time, cowardly hides behind the mask of religion. He treats Tituba as if she is worthless, and undeserving of a happy life, which breaks down her sense of self-worth and self-confidence. Because of his status as a Puritan white male, this infringement upon fundamental human rights is overlooked by the public.
It is well known that slavery was a horrible event in the history of the United States. However, what isn't as well known is the actual severity of slavery. The experiences of slave women presented by Angela Davis and the theories of black women presented by Patricia Hill Collins are evident in the life of Harriet Jacobs and show the severity of slavery for black women.
The term witchcraft is defines as the practice of magic intended to influence nature. It is believed that only people associated with the devil can perform such acts. The Salem Witch Trials was much more than just America’s history, it’s also part of the history of women. The story of witchcraft is first and foremost the story of women. Especially in its western life, Karlsen (1989) noted that “witchcraft challenges us with ideas about women, with fears about women, with the place of women in society and with women themselves”. Witchcraft also confronts us too with violence against women. Even through some men were executed as witches during the witch hunts, the numbers were far less then women. Witches were generally thought to be women and most of those who were accused and executed for being witches were women. Why were women there so many women accused of witchcraft compared to men? Were woman accused of witchcraft because men thought it was a way to control these women? It all happened in 1692, in an era where women were expected to behave a certain way, and women were punished if they threatened what was considered the right way of life. The emphasis of this paper is the explanation of Salem proceedings in view of the role and the position of women in Colonial America.
Puritans believed in the devil and his role as strong as they believed in God and his role. For many centuries, Puritans had the idea that the weakest individuals in society often committed diabolical acts and sins. Furthermore, Satan selected the most vulnerable individuals to do his bidding, among these individuals, women were often held responsible for many sins, including witchcraft. (Godbeer 12). According to Richard Godbeer, in his book, The Salem Witch Hunt, “it was Eve who first gave away to Satan and seduced Adam.” (Godbeer 12). In 1692, witchcraft became a panic among Puritan society. Even though both men and women were accused of witchcraft, women were seventy-six percent more likely to be accused in Salem than men. (Godbeer 12). Puritan society was a male dominate society and men looked down upon women. There were two particular reasons to why women were often accused of being witches. The first reason, was in due to the Puritan belief that women were the source of evil. The second reason was because of certain events that associated with accusations. These events were being of relatively low social status and income, being rich or financially independent and being a midwife or nurse.
Miller touched on the subject of racism and related it to the present time with his characterization of the woman, Tituba. Historically, Tituba was a native woman; however, in the story she was portrayed as a black woman. Tituba was a servant of Reverend Parris and one of the first to be accused of witchcraft. She was an easy target because she was a minority and did not have a lot. Her different culture made her stick out, which caused people to surmise that she was a witch.
In the novel, the author proposes that the African American female slave’s need to overcome three obstacles was what unavoidably separated her from the rest of society; she was black, female, and a slave, in a white male dominating society. The novel “locates black women at the intersection of racial and sexual ideologies and politics (12).” White begins by illustrating the Europeans’ two major stereotypes o...
In conclusion, women were considered property and slave holders treated them as they pleased. We come to understand that there was no law that gave protection to female slaves. Harriet Jacob’s narrative shows the true face of how slaveholders treated young female slave. The female slaves were sexually exploited which damaged them physically and psychologically. Furthermore it details how the slave holder violated the most sacred commandment of nature by corrupting the self respect and virtue of the female slave. Harriet Jacob writes this narrative not to ask for pity or to be sympathized but rather to show the white people to be aware of how female slaves constantly faced sexual exploitation which damaged their body and soul.
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.
What do you think when someone calls someone a witch? What comes to mind? Do you think of the movie, ‘Hocus Pocus’ or do you think of the black pointed hats and the long black, slit ended dresses? What about witchcraft? Does the term “Devil worshiper” ever cross your mind? Do you think of potions and spells? For many, many generations, we have underestimated what the true meaning of a witch and what witchcraft really is. What is the history that hides behind it? Witches and witchcraft have been in our history since the ancient times. There is a little bit more than the ghost stories told on Halloween, the movies shown on TV and dressing up on Halloween.