34 pages • 1 hour read
Richard GodbeerEscaping Salem
Richard GodbeerNonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2004A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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The Devil’s Mark
The Devil’s mark, or witch’s teat, is an abnormal growth thought to be found on a witch. It was believed to act as a third nipple, from which demonic creatures could suck. The Devil’s mark was important because it was one of the few concrete pieces of evidence available to the accusers. Kate, during a fit, accused Goody Miller of having one, and Mercy Disborough was convicted based on the existence of one. However, it was also considered to be controversial, at best, and the existence of one could only be confirmed by male physicians.
Reliability
Trust and reliability are important motifs throughout the text. Katherine Branch’s reliability was continually called into question; in fact, one might argue that this questioning of her reliability contributes to Godbeer’s argument, and one might remember that Katherine Branch’s testimony was deemed to be insufficient for conviction. (It is important to reiterate here that a witchcraft charge was one of religious transgression; the personal injury to Katherine Branch was irrelevant.) However, these motifs recur in other ways, as well. Quarrels, which formed the basis of accusations, typically arose from a break in trust among neighbors; to that end, these motifs tie directly into the aforementioned theme of the shared responsibility of the community, as the community can only share responsibility if it can trust those involved.
Rumor and Hearsay
Much of the trial discussion was based on rumor and hearsay, and much of the magistrates’ responsibility was determining to what extent rumor and hearsay could be considered to be reliable evidence. It’s important to remember that the concept of objectivity was different in an age without photographic evidence; while it is easy to point to rumor and hearsay as clearly insufficient, it was often the only evidence available to the magistrates, particularly in witchcraft trials, where hard evidence was difficult to obtain. As such, we frequently return to rumors and gossip, and it’s necessary to wrestle with it as members of the town at the time would: given the varying accounts, what is trustworthy? How do we separate what’s reliable from what isn’t?
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