The Heretic's Daughter Essay

Trust
Experiences in life can bring out the best and worst of people, they teach life lessons, such as who to trust. In The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent explains that the basis of the Salam witch trials relies on lies and false testimonies. The words spoken by different individuals had influence over everyone. The individuals were brought into the public eye to demonstrate facts about the accused and not lies to cause grievances for everyone involved. Many young girls lied about the actions of the accused and in turn created what is known today as the Salam witch trials. These young girls used both their words to convey what they thought, as well as their actions. They deceived the judges and most of the town. They created a certain understanding

Mercy uses this to her advantage to cause havoc for the people who she detests. Mercy’s level of deception is gradual. She steals food and mocks at the start of her life in Billerica. When she becomes more comfortable and learns peoples’ ways, she gets greedier. She knew how good of a life she had with the Carriers, and she wanted to keep it. She claimed that she was pregnant with Richard’s child, as Sarah says, “Mercy must also have thought that this day was a good one to do some bartering with my mother, trading the scandal of a bastard child she said was to come for the respectability of Richard’s name in marriage” (101). Putting on an unconvincing show would never have deceived Martha. She was clever and saw past this statement. The biggest atrocity Mercy committed has to do with her involvement in the Salem witch trials. Mercy was able to use peoples’ gullibility to voice false accusations and make people believe there were witches. Elizabeth, a resident of the Billercia says, “I have heard Mercy Williams and Phoebe Chandler tell Mary Lacey and others that Goodwife Carrier practices witchcraft against them and that she goes nightly to Blanchard’s Pond to have meetings with other witches” (158). Therefore, by convincing Elizabeth and many others she was able to have the people she despised and many other innocent people killed. Whether this was her intention or not, she showed no remorse and never admitted to the lies. Martha and the rest of the carriers welcomed Mercy into their home, in return she was jealous and greedy. She wanted what she could not have and in turn took her anger out on many innocent lives. Mercy, just as much as everyone else, is influenced by the people she has