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The Witches, Salem 1692

1137 Words5 Pages

Paranoia can make a deep impact on tightly knit communities. During 1692, in the small colony of Salem, a witch panic spread rapidly. While many readers prefer not to read non-fiction, The Witches, Salem 1692 by Stacy Schiff will grab their attention with her critically acclaimed retelling that is not only educational and informative, but also enriches and points out the deep background and cultural impact of the Salem witch trials In colonial America, women are not to be considered powerful or influential. So when “women play the villains in fairy tales - what are you saying when you place the very emblem of domestic duty between your legs and ride off, defying the bounds of community and laws of gravity” (Schiff 8). At the time, women …show more content…

For example, “The acclaimed biographer … evokes a claustrophobic, paranoid Salem, a joyless stratified society where citizens lived in the dark, literally and figuratively” (Kingston 1). This shows the skill in Schiff’s writing. She masterfully portrays a Salem that is not often seen. It is also said that “Schiff's exhaustive account of wilful blindness and human treachery can be exhausting, even claustrophobic to read” (Kingston 1). Her writing is vividly descriptive and gives illumination to the details of the time. It can also be claustrophobic as it can incessantly leaves the reader tongue-tied. The tale that Schiff masterfully spins, is heart-breaking and ludicrous in the way that it portrays Salem (“Madness” 1). Through her exemplary writing, she clearly portrays a time of great sorrow and fear. Her vision of Salem, tugs at the heartstrings of readers. These reviews give much praise to the stellar work of Stacy …show more content…

Stacy Schiff’s exotic retelling touches on the effects of simple paranoia on a tightly knit community, and shows how easily regular roles may be disturbed. The witch panic in Salem has taught us as a race, that superstition can lead to great misfortune and it is sometimes best to stop and find reason, rather than simply following the paranoia of the

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