The Lessons of Salem ZYH/GIANNA/BREEZUS/KAMERON/ANGELICA/EMMA Summary The Lessons of Salem written by Laura Sharpiro is based on witchcraft and how people are still fascinated by the trials, how they developed, and how they were resolved due to history repeating itself. People never forget about the witch hunts in Salem. People are living in a lie that became the truth to the community. Innocent people were accused by others of witchcraft and conjuring spirits just because they were afraid of the truth. Once that lie is told they continued to hide from the truth by making their fabrication a reality. Their inability to have no purpose in life or in their community caused hundreds of people their lives. The central claim Fear and hysteria are consistently used to control people throughout history, and while this fear can be directed at/prompted by different things in different times, it all has the same roots. Textual Evidence Susannah Martin was one of the women that scared people and it was hard to avoid. Shapiro writes "Today over 300 years ago, is to look for fear because fear spawns witches" (Shapiro 26) Essentially, where there is fear, people will begin to see things that simply confirm or reinforce their fears, even though such things are a complete fallacy. "Scholars believed that the girls in Tituba's kitchen had clinical hysteria(a complex neurosis in which physical symptoms such as amnesia, blindness, and paralysis, that have no underlying physical cause). Dr. Richard Pohl, of Salem Hospital describes hysteria and states "Can mimic all the physical disease known to man and occurs when repressed thoughts and emotions burst forth and take over the body" (Shapiro 25). Textual Evidence Abigail Williams and the rest of the "afflicted" girls would tell wild tales of spirits, feign sickness and go into fits of absolute insanity. Young girls were crazed and disillusioned by hysteria; their paranoia prompted false accusations. Some of them probably even convinced themselves that they were telling the truth Connections to The crucible In both texts, hysteria and cooped up tension contributed to the fear that triggered the Salem tragedy. People's own personal prejudice, distress and vendetta triggered paranoia and a desire to single people out for one excuse or another; be it witchcraft or communism. Young girls were crazed and disillusioned by hysteria; their paranoia prompted false accusations. Some of them probably even convinced themselves that they were telling the truth. Many of the characters and their agendas portrayed in the crucible were in fact quite authentic and true to the real life Salem. In both texts, hysteria and cooped up tension contributed to the fear that triggered the Salem tragedy. People's own personal prejudice, distress and vendetta triggered paranoia and a desire to single people out for one excuse or another; be it witchcraft or communism. Young girls were crazed and disillusioned by hysteria; their paranoia prompted false accusations. Some of them probably even convinced themselves that they were telling the truth. Many of the characters and their agendas portrayed in the crucible were in fact quite authentic and true to the real life Salem. Textual Evidence "Like all witch hunts, the troubles of 1692 began in a community that felt torn and besieged. Salem Village, now the town of Danvers, was about 8 miles from the seat of local power in Salem Town" (Shapiro 24). Like the Salem in the crucible, the real Salem was very isolated, and its inhabitants were tense and distrusting of one another. Not only that, but the town was incredibly alert, and unrelentingly critical of everyone and everything in it; the perfect set of conditions for a witch hunt. "One of the young ringleaders was 12-year-old Ann Putnam, whose older male relatives lodged many of the complaints. The Putnams, Salem Village landowners whose wealth and power were in decline, pursues witches with vigor, apparently in an effort to muster new political strength"(Shapiro 25). The Putnams in The Crucible were very true to their real-life counterparts, only Abigail was very similar to Ann Putnam, and in a sense, she may as well have been the Putnam's daughter in the play. "Like all witch hunts, the troubles of 1692 began in a community that felt torn and besieged. Salem Village, now the town of Danvers, was about 8 miles from the seat of local power in Salem Town" (Shapiro 24). Like the Salem in the crucible, the real Salem was very isolated, and its inhabitants were tense and distrusting of one another. Not only that, but the town was incredibly alert, and unrelentingly critical of everyone and everything in it; the perfect set of conditions for a witch hunt. "One of the young ringleaders was 12-year-old Ann Putnam, whose older male relatives lodged many of the complaints. The Putnams, Salem Village landowners whose wealth and power were in decline, pursues witches with vigor, apparently in an effort to muster new political strength"(Shapiro 25). The Putnams in The Crucible were very true to their real-life counterparts, only Abigail was very similar to Ann Putnam, and in a sense, she may as well have been the Putnam's daughter in the play. Thesis Statement Throughout history fear and paranoia are used as a means of exerting power over people. References Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Viking Press, Print. Shapiro, Laura. "The Lessons Of Salem". Newsweek 2016: 1-3. Print.