Reflection: Arthur Miller’S Salem Witches

Reflection: Arthur Miller’s Salem witches

Introduction.

Under the context of American colonial history, we have the events that occurred in the small town of Salem, which are described in the play “Las Brujas de Salem” written by Arthur Miller in 1952, is composed of 4 acts where it narrates One of the greatest and most representative massacres around the so -called witch hunt given in 1692.

Arthur Miller presents a work full of historical realism where he reflects the atrocities of those radical doctrines that make up and constitute the thinking of an entire people. We can say that the author when writing the work in question was clearly influenced by the characteristic reality that was lived in the twentieth century, however it already transmitted indicative of social criticism in his previous works, so it was from 1950, where he suffered the true persecution based on ideologies as a victim of the "witch hunt" (abuses against people who considered themselves and many times rumored to follow communist doctrines, during the rise of the cold war) in the United States, which I consider it influenced to convey this situation in Salem, since the people,

Within the work the “Salem Witches” the author allows clearly appreciating the narrative context from the beginning to the end of it, this being American colonialism immersed in state thoughts and controls governed by religion. This situation throughout its lines, denote the importance that the people give to spiritual rulings, leading to the residents to relate any aspect of their life between the right or wrong before the laws of God.

In this way any different thought or contrary to what the parishioners, inspired by Puritian thoughts, considered correct would be condemned suffering social and legal repudiation.

Personally, the theme of the work seems very interesting, as well as I appreciate the writing offered by the author when describing a clear example of ideological imposition, where there was no place for contradiction, catapulting pyramids of state powers maintained on foundations of foundations of ignorance and submission.

Developing.

Arthur Miller presents in 1953 "Las Brujas de Salem", a work in which the hostile environment experienced by the population of Massachusets under religious dictations, governed and repressed by the collective fear that promoted the Protestant church around the actions of the actions of the actions of the actions of the actions of the actions of the actions of the actions of The devotees, always pointing out that every work outside the laws imposed would be classified as demonic. That lack of tolerance repealed a total submission of the people, taking into account that the State punished anyone who denoted contrary to what is established, in most cases with death.

In a colonial environment oriented by the 1600, the political regime was influenced almost entirely by spiritual laws of a religious nature, its norms and forms of conduct were governed by those dogmas. Likewise, in an environment with few resources the way of communicating was developed through the sermons, the open talks that priests or preachers offered the people were their most faithful means of learning. 

It is important to emphasize that the form of communication between the population was orally or written through letters and ads that were placed on doors or walls. However, emphasis is placed on the importance of rumors as an instrument of social communication, because, in an environment with few faculties of access to information, a rumor could determine the reputation of an entire family or repeal crimes, rumors They became the most sharp social exaltation tool, penetrating the memory of an entire town, in this way becoming a fragile weapon. 

In colonial society, rumors were born as a result of an inaccurate individual observation, of person in person, from mouth to mouth, rumors served as a means of denunciation and claim, the public voice was present in judicial processes as regulations, and that the people of witness were cataloged in the actions of the denounced.

The existence of a rumor merited of a social group that disseminated the message, who began it was nothing more than the result of the prejudices and hatred of a manipulative society, whose only purpose was the total control of the individual, in every aspect of his life. The rumors were the most representative communication technique of the colonial era, without Emabgo they were inverse in ambiguity and paradigms that people interpreted at their convenience. Within a small town such as Salem, the strange events or other people’s science were investigated by the Church, who in turn responded alleging that this came from the supernatural referenceing demonic powers, in this way, "the witches" were used to respond to strange events such as diseases and deaths that society could not explain.

However, the term witchcraft had no substantial tests of proof, in the middle of a society with an unbalanced social system, camouflaged by alleged moral and Christian values, there are successions of complexes and ethical confrontations that said system causes, which the Church and Parliament was responsible for justifying with the "witchcraft" and "demonic" entities. “For this reason, witches and sorcerers become the villains of social moralities, who are awarded the most inhuman characteristics and crimes.

The resident individuals of this colony resembled the strange with something demonic or supernatural, therefore, collective fear of suffering from a disease or even death led them to denounce any type of anomaly or rarity, and in the midst of a judicial system immersed in The superstition and in the little objectivity, condemning someone was very simple, only an accusation was needed and therefore "witnesses" that ensure that said accusation is true, without the need for evidence. 

In this way, rumors intervene, having as a means of credibility social opinion, a rumor could certify or deny an event, rumors appear as a direct witness about the moral of an individual, however, this collective opinion was open to falsehoods and artifice, also used to denigrate and condemn someone. “The mere mention of it evokes the ghosts of false accusations, presumption of guilt and destruction of the family and the community.

Paradoxically, those who claimed that they were victims of witchcraft, were the same ones who suffered some kind of economic shortage or disease, in this way their easiest blast of accusation were people with whom they had had discussions or did not maintain good relationships, with the purpose to harm. The accused were individuals with low fame within society, whose legal defense is minimal and their credibility with little importance. In addition, it is important to remember that the public was biased by the collective fear that the investigations against witchcraft and the Sunday preaching work caused around this superstition, therefore, they would not hesitate to seek the total extermination of this phenomenon supporting any regulation or process against those accused.

Within Salem, this situation of random accusations is presented, without any exact base or evidence at the time that Abigail, who was being questioned by the preacher, was between the sword and the wall since his actions in the forest with the Other girls had been discovered and therefore the people would not hesitate to accuse them of witchcraft, under this tension scenario, she exclaims:

I want to confess!… I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus!

I danced for the devil; I saw it; I wrote in his book; me

I return to Jesus; I kissed your hand. I saw Sarah Good with him

Devil! I saw Mrs. Osborn with the devil! I road

Bridget Bishop with the devil!

In this way, a series of accusations begins against people who threatened against her interests, in the same way she sought to save themselves from the prejudices that would undermine her for her actions in the forest. The extension of these accusations, referred to the subsequent prosecution of the accused individuals throughout the work, comments arose from different disputes that in turn became testimonies of people who had "seen" the defendants in demonic actions.

An aspect of relief within the structure in the collective comments was the psychological state in which the people were maintained, the situation with the girls immersed in the actions committed in the allegedly demonic forest, led to an environment of tension where religious attachment And Christian dogmatic was perceived in the leather. The people are under expectation by not finding clear answers, but the accusations and the rapid action of apprehensions against the alleged ‘demon assistants’, appeared a path in search of peace for their people, so that believing In presumptions that became controversial, it was very simple.

Within this colonial environment, social shortage was the context of development for these rumors of condemnation. The lines of the work, Sultan in sight the situation of inequality that lived to the people of Salem, giving greater relevance to religious leaders through their maintenance, and the payment of an excessive salary. The key characteristics of the colonialism of the seventeenth century present to the worker or worker as a last priority before state laws, the same situation that prolongs this environment of violence among the locals, feelings of resentment, greed, the desire for money and improve their own life, same to feel that it would derive the attacks by accusation between them, in search of the repression of others.

Conclusions.

In conclusion, the belief belief presented in the work "Las Brujas de Salem" is nothing more than the result of direct and personal relations between the locals of the people motivated by a religious and political indoctrination of a repressive and tax and tax. In turn, the laws prolonged the non -opening for rights since the judgments that arise were biased by such dogmas and Puritan beliefs, in this way the mention of any action against what is practiced by the parishioners and taught by the Church would be subjected to trial and convicted.

This discovery of allegedly "demonic" actions is given through the most popular means of communication and dissemination of information, the rumors, which are built from the criticism of a subject towards something specifically and, therefore, prolving by the other subjects. This mass communication tool, Figure as a key piece in prosecution, since the Courts allowed the opinion of the people as a means to verify information, however, the opinions and criticisms that foster these rumors, are intimately linked to personal claims inspired by resentment or hate, in the same way these feelings were created under a social environment of repression and lack of constitutional rights thus promoting the search for wealth individually.

Bibliography

• Godfrid, e. L. (1999). Salem witches, a historical fact and two literary texts .
• Meneses, or. J. (2000). Rumors, letters and roads in colonial society.
• Miller, a. (1953). Witches of Salem .