Salem Witch Trials Salem Witch Trials and Lord of the and Lord of the

FliesFlies

Based on a student presentation by: Jim D., Alex N., Leah H., Jestina H., Donna S.Based on a student presentation by: Jim D., Alex N., Leah H., Jestina H., Donna S.

Lord of the FliesLord of the Flies and the Salem and the Salem witch trials had different witch trials had different elements and causes of fear. . .elements and causes of fear. . .

* * In Lord of the FliesIn Lord of the Flies, a small boy with a mulberry birth-, a small boy with a mulberry birth-mark brought up the question of the “beast.” This mark brought up the question of the “beast.” This seemingly childish, innocent question later escalated in seemingly childish, innocent question later escalated in to a full blown hysteria. The question was brought up to a full blown hysteria. The question was brought up again and again until a rift between the boys who again and again until a rift between the boys who believed in the beast and those who didn’t was formed. believed in the beast and those who didn’t was formed. The small boy who later went missing planted the initial The small boy who later went missing planted the initial seed of fear.seed of fear.

““Perhaps the best way to identify a witch Perhaps the best way to identify a witch hunt, today or 300 years ago, is to look for hunt, today or 300 years ago, is to look for the fear, because fear spawns witches” the fear, because fear spawns witches” The Lesson of SalemThe Lesson of Salem

This statement is a perfect example of the important This statement is a perfect example of the important fact for Salem-- the force that spawned the witches fact for Salem-- the force that spawned the witches was fear. Fear makes us, as living beings, irrational. was fear. Fear makes us, as living beings, irrational. Take a child in the dark, for instance. The child, in Take a child in the dark, for instance. The child, in response to fear of the darkness, will more likely response to fear of the darkness, will more likely than not imagine beasts and witches in the shadows. than not imagine beasts and witches in the shadows. Thus it was with the people of Salem. Once the Thus it was with the people of Salem. Once the notion was set loose that witches were about, fear of notion was set loose that witches were about, fear of dark spells causing sickness, blighted agriculture and dark spells causing sickness, blighted agriculture and deaths reigned with enough strength for people to deaths reigned with enough strength for people to actually be killed.actually be killed.

Piggy and Giles CoryPiggy and Giles Cory

Both characters were disliked because of their Both characters were disliked because of their tendency to tell the truth.tendency to tell the truth.

Giles Cory, one of the few men accused of Giles Cory, one of the few men accused of being a wizard, died a different death than being a wizard, died a different death than anyone else. While the others were hanged, anyone else. While the others were hanged, Giles was crushed by a large rock pushed Giles was crushed by a large rock pushed down a hill, very much like Piggy.down a hill, very much like Piggy.

Outcasts and LonersOutcasts and Loners

Just like Piggy, Simon, and the Just like Piggy, Simon, and the littleun with the birthmark, most of littleun with the birthmark, most of the accused witches and wizards the accused witches and wizards were set apart from society in some were set apart from society in some way.way.

Outcasts and Loners IIOutcasts and Loners II

Tituba, the first Tituba, the first woman to be accused woman to be accused of witchcraft, was a of witchcraft, was a slave. Sarah Good slave. Sarah Good was a poor beggar on was a poor beggar on the streets. Sarah the streets. Sarah Osborne never went Osborne never went to church, and she to church, and she and Bridget Bishop and Bridget Bishop had multiple had multiple husbands. husbands.

Samneric and the Average Samneric and the Average CitizenCitizen

Much like Samneric, the ones who represent the Much like Samneric, the ones who represent the average people in a society in LOTF, the average average people in a society in LOTF, the average Salem citizen went along with the Trials and kept Salem citizen went along with the Trials and kept any opposing thoughts to themselves, for fear of any opposing thoughts to themselves, for fear of being the next ones to be accused of witchcraft and being the next ones to be accused of witchcraft and hung in the Gallows.hung in the Gallows.

““All that is necessary All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for for evil to triumph is for

good men to do good men to do nothing.”nothing.”

Edmund BurkeEdmund Burke

Simon’s Death and Witch’s Simon’s Death and Witch’s DeathsDeaths

Simon’s death was Simon’s death was caused by many factors caused by many factors happening at the same happening at the same

time. The same was time. The same was true for the witches and true for the witches and wizards. An outbreak of wizards. An outbreak of

smallpox, political smallpox, political trouble with England , trouble with England , and tensions with the and tensions with the

Indians caused the Indians caused the same deadly conditions same deadly conditions there were for Simon’s there were for Simon’s death: fear and chaos.death: fear and chaos.

“ “ It’s proven true over time that it’s It’s proven true over time that it’s necessary to deny people’s humanity, necessary to deny people’s humanity, to take that humanity away from your to take that humanity away from your opponent before you can do serious opponent before you can do serious harm to them. What happened in harm to them. What happened in 1692 was that a group of people 1692 was that a group of people dehumanized its opponent and then dehumanized its opponent and then it killed them” -Elie Wieselit killed them” -Elie Wiesel

In order to do any real harm to an In order to do any real harm to an opponent, one needs to strip the enemy opponent, one needs to strip the enemy of all human qualities to inflict any of all human qualities to inflict any damage. As was the case in both the damage. As was the case in both the Salem witch trials and Salem witch trials and LOTFLOTF. In . In LOTFLOTF, , Roger the executioner thought of the Roger the executioner thought of the humans on the island as animated humans on the island as animated objects. “Below him, Ralph was a shock of objects. “Below him, Ralph was a shock of hair and Piggy a bag of fat” (Golding 208). hair and Piggy a bag of fat” (Golding 208). In the witch trials, the accusers thought In the witch trials, the accusers thought that the witches were just another form of that the witches were just another form of the immortal devil or “beast”. the immortal devil or “beast”.

In both the Salem witch trials and the story In both the Salem witch trials and the story “Lord of the Flies”, leaders used lies to gain “Lord of the Flies”, leaders used lies to gain power. In LOTF, Jack called Ralph a coward power. In LOTF, Jack called Ralph a coward and made false statements about himand made false statements about him to get to get the other boys to follow him. In the Salem the other boys to follow him. In the Salem witch trials there were many people who witch trials there were many people who used the situation for personal benefit. used the situation for personal benefit. Families like the Putnams accused innocent Families like the Putnams accused innocent people of committing crimes merely to gain people of committing crimes merely to gain social status and respect.social status and respect.

USING LIES

A BeastA Beast

Though it did not Though it did not exist, the boys feared exist, the boys feared it.it.

The spark of fear of The spark of fear of an evil thing grew into an evil thing grew into a raging fire of terror.a raging fire of terror.

The fear of the The fear of the unknown and those unknown and those that were different led that were different led the the dance in the the the dance in the night.night.

The dance in the The dance in the night led to the night led to the death of an death of an innocent person.innocent person.

People People misunderstood or misunderstood or disliked were the disliked were the targets of the fear.targets of the fear.

A WitchA Witch

A story was spread A story was spread by one young slave by one young slave woman.woman.

The stories began the The stories began the suspicions of witches.suspicions of witches.

Fearing the unknown Fearing the unknown and fearing for the and fearing for the lives of their family, lives of their family, the fear of witches the fear of witches grew into a chaotic grew into a chaotic manhunt. manhunt.

Those Those misunderstood or misunderstood or disliked were disliked were accused of using accused of using witchcraft.witchcraft.

The “strange” The “strange” people of Salem people of Salem were the main were the main targets of targets of accusation.accusation.

A Witch and a BeastA Witch and a Beast Fear of the unknown led Fear of the unknown led

a once peaceful island a once peaceful island and a once peaceful and a once peaceful town to chaos.town to chaos.

Chaos led to the death Chaos led to the death of young men and of young men and women in Salem. Chaos women in Salem. Chaos led to the death of an led to the death of an innocent boy in LOTF. innocent boy in LOTF.

Fear of evil in any case Fear of evil in any case can lead to the death of can lead to the death of good in anyone.good in anyone.

A Hidden FearA Hidden Fear

In LOTF the fear of In LOTF the fear of the beast and the the beast and the evil of the island evil of the island was always there. was always there. It was not until after It was not until after much trouble and much trouble and friction between friction between people that the people that the ‘beast’ actually took ‘beast’ actually took on its form.on its form.

The fear and anger The fear and anger had always been in had always been in Salem, but it had lay Salem, but it had lay hidden. Only when hidden. Only when witchcraft was witchcraft was ‘suspected’ in Salem ‘suspected’ in Salem did the full force of did the full force of chaos come to. And chaos come to. And then it was directed then it was directed in the form of in the form of accusations.accusations.

Destruction of EdenDestruction of Eden

In LOTF, when the In LOTF, when the boys first arrived boys first arrived on the island, the on the island, the island was thought island was thought to be a place of to be a place of peace, fun, and no peace, fun, and no adults. But in fact it adults. But in fact it was a place of fear, was a place of fear, chaos, death and chaos, death and savagery.savagery.

The name Salem The name Salem means ‘peace’. But means ‘peace’. But after the Salem after the Salem Witch-hunts, the Witch-hunts, the word had little word had little meaning. A place meaning. A place thought to be a thought to be a place of peace place of peace turned into a town of turned into a town of fear, misjudgment fear, misjudgment and death.and death.

Chaos, frenzy, hysteria-- all mean nearly the same thing, and produce similar results. The presence of chaos was very visible in scenes of Lord of the Flies and the SalemWitch Trials.

* Chaos did not seem to appear from the fear until chapter nine and Simon’s murder. Itis written that “a circling movement developed and a chant . . . Piggy and Ralph, underthreat of the sky, found themselves eager to take place in this demented but partly secure society.They were glad to touch the brown backs of the fence that hemmed in the fear and made it governable. “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!”

These words make it clear that the fear that had begun since the beast was firstmentioned was finally growing into something frenzied and chaotic “Under threat of thesky.”

In Lord of the Flies, the instinct for survival fueled the fire for the attack on the parachuter: “The beast struggled forward, broke the ring . . . And fell down to the sand by the water. At once the crowd surged forward . . . Leapt upon the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws” (Golding ) Later, after the boys left, “Only the beast lay still, a few yard from the sea. Even in the rain they could see how small a beast it was, and already its blood was staining the sand” (Ibid. ). In the end, it is revealed that the “beast” is really just the children themselves and the body on the beach is their comrade. The one sentence “Simon was crying something about a dead man on a hill,” that occurred before the killing shows that, even if it was just for a moment, the boys knew it was Simon before they killedhim. Chaos caused by fear had erupted into cruelty . . . and murder.

““The Salem witch trials stand The Salem witch trials stand as a warning that justice can as a warning that justice can always be miscarried when always be miscarried when authorities become authorities become determined to prosecute non-determined to prosecute non-conformists, deviants, or conformists, deviants, or political enemies and political enemies and especially when the general especially when the general population supports these population supports these efforts, as was the case at efforts, as was the case at Salem.”Salem.”

-Elie Wiesel (Nobel Laureate and Holocaust -Elie Wiesel (Nobel Laureate and Holocaust

survivorsurvivor))