Salem Witch Trial In The Sacrifice

During the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, they used to tie accused witches to chairs and throw them in a lake, if they sank they were innocent. The Salem Witchcraft Trials were crazy, irrational and disturbing times. Young girls accused their neighbors and strangers of practicing witchcraft. The town decided to hold trials to see whether or not the accused really were witches. While they awaited their trials, they were held in a filthy jail. Everyone was scared and suspicious, the town was in chaos. Abigail, the main character in The Sacrifice, is a young girl who was one of the many accused as a witch. She sees first-hand the all the horrors of the time. In The Sacrifice by Kathleen Benner Duble, the Salem Witchcraft Trials are accurately depicted

The jail smelled bad because of all the body odor and filth, one of the first things Abigail notices as she enters. It was always an uncomfortable temperature, too hot in the summer, to cold in the winter. It was crowded, at one point there was up to 150 people in Salem Jail (Weiser). Prisoners were required to pay for basic essentials, and if they couldn’t afford it, they went without. Poor people were put in cells so small you couldn’t lie down and were given nothing to survive on. The witches were tied up with cords and chains so they “couldn’t torment anyone while imprisoned”. Salem Jail was very close to the coast, and when it rained the jails flooded. Water would cover the floor, rising up to prisoner’s ankles. The jails were infested with rats and lice, which was very unhygienic, many people died of illnesses. Over a dozen people died in Salem Jail (Weiser), if the family wanted to give the relative a proper burial, they had to pay for the removal of the body. Sarah Good was sentenced to death, but was pregnant so her execution was delayed (Weiser), similarly to what Abigail’s mother did to get her children out of prison. Kathleen Benner Duble’s The Sacrifice, accurately describes the Salem Witch Trials, as the author describes puritan life during the witch hysteria, and the shocking conditions of Salem Jail where witches were held as they awaited trial. The novel portrays everyday lifestyle during the Salem Witch Trials, giving the reader a better understanding of the time, and accurately depicts Salem Jail, describing how the accused lived in bondage. The Salem Witch Trials were very irrational, but people were so fearful they did terrible