620:188:19 The Salem Witch Trials in Literature and History
Dr. Anne Myles
Fall 2005
Link to important Salem websites
Course Policies, Assignments, etc.
Reading Assignments, with links to online materials (below)
Reading the Salem Witch Trials in History
M 22 Course introduction; background lecture: outline of 1692 events
W 24 Discuss experience of interactive website, National Geographic: Salem Witch-Hunt--Interactive. Look at selections from historical interpretations online: http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/salemwc2.htm#demos. Background lecture: conflicts in historical interpretation of 1692 events.
F 26 Read Carol Karlsen, The Devil in the Shape of a Woman, chap. 1; look at The Malleus Maleficarum (1486); look at Cotton Mather, Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions (1689) (online, http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASA_MATH.HTM ). Background on history of witchcraft persecutions.
M 29 Richard Weisman, "The Salem Witchcraft Persecutions: The Framework for the Official Initiative," from Witchcraft, Magic, and Religion in 17th-Century Massachusetts. Begin Cotton Mather, Wonders of the Invisible World (if you prefer to read from page images of the original book, they're available here -- but you should print out the (cut-down) text in the first link).
W 31 Emory Elliot, “The Language of Salem Witchcraft,” from Cambridge Introduction to Early American Literature. Continue Mather, Wonders; look at this site with cases not included in the version of the text listed for Monday: Mather's case records
September
F 2 Bernard Rosenthal, Salem Story, Introduction and chap. 1; Elaine Breslaw, Introduction from Tituba, Reluctant Witch of Salem. Read Tituba case records from Salem Witchcraft Papers.
M 5 University Holiday – Labor Day
W 7 Rosenthal, chaps. 2-4. Read case record: Bridget Bishop; if possible look at C. Mather account in Wonders.
F 9 Rosenthal, chaps. 5-6. Read case records: Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse.
M 12 Rosenthal, chaps. 7-9. Read case records: George Burroughs (if possible also look at Mather account), Giles Corey, Mary Easty (note: name spelled “Esty” in some sources) (online)
W 14 Richard Godbeer, “The Rape of a Whole Colony: The 1692 Witch Hunt," from The Devil's Dominion: Magic and Religion in Early New England.
F 16 Mary Beth Norton, from In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692, Introduction and Conclusion
M 19 Carol Karlsen, The Devil in the Shape of a Woman, chap. 4
W 21 Karlsen, chap. 5
F 23 Karlsen, chaps. 6-7 plus Epilogue and Afterword to Norton Paperback Edition.
M 26 Elizabeth Reis, chap. 4, “Gender and the Meaning of Confession,” from Damned Women: Sinners and Witches in Puritan New England; Jane Kamensky, “Female Speech and Other Demons: Witchcraft and Wordcraft in Early New England," from Spellbound: Women and Witchcraft in America, ed. E. Reis.
W 28 Dissident Voices: Robert Calef, More Wonders of the Invisible World (1700)
F 30 Dissident Voices: John Hale, A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft (1702)
October
M 3 Three Sovereigns for Sarah, film and discussion
W 5 Three Sovereigns for Sarah, film and discussion
F 7 Three Sovereigns for Sarah, film and discussion
M 10 Three Sovereigns for Sarah, film and discussion
W 12 Salem’s legacy: Rosenthal, chap. 10; Frances Hill, “Salem as Witch City,” from Salem: Place, Myth, and Memory. For the latest update in the city saga, see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/09/AR2005050901352.html and http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/06/16/bewitched_statue_charms_salem_fans/
F 14 Time off for individual appointments, or catch-up day if needed.
Reading the Salem Witch Trials in Literature
M 17 Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown”
Paper 1 due
W 19 Hawthorne, “Alice Doane’s Appeal”
F 21 Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Giles Corey, Yeoman
M 24 Freeman, continued.
W 26 Esther Forbes, A Mirror for Witches Remember you need to order this text used online!
F 28 Forbes, continued
Last day to drop course without an “F”
M 31 Forbes, continued
November
W 2 Arthur Miller, The Crucible (text and 1996 film). English Ed majors may be interested in this site with links to many sites with ideas for teaching the play: http://www.webenglishteacher.com/miller.html
F 4 The Crucible, plus read John and Elizabeth Proctor records online.
M 7 The Crucible, plus read Edmund Morgan, “Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and the Salem Witch Trials: A Historian’s View”
W 9 The Crucible, plus read Arthur Miller, “Why I Wrote The Crucible”
F 11 The Crucible, plus read Wendy Schissel, "Rediscovering the Witches in Arthur Miller's The Crucible: A Feminist Reading," from Modern Drama 37.3 (1994). [last quiz date]
M 14 Begin group work on your chosen text (Conde, Cooley, Picoult, Rinaldi or Petry)
W 16 Group work time on chosen texts
F 18 Group work time on chosen texts
M 21 Group work time on chosen text.s By today groups must give me the portion(s) of their text they want photocopied for the class.
W 23 Thanksgiving Holiday
F 25 Thanksgiving Holiday
M 28 Group work time on chosen texts.
W 30 Group-led presentation and discussion of chosen texts
December
F 2 Group-led presentation and discussion of chosen texts
M 5 Group-led presentation and discussion of chosen texts
W 7 Group-led presentation and discussion of chosen texts
F 9 Group-led presentation and discussion of chosen texts if time is needed, else time for individual meetings about final paper.
Exam Week
T 13 10:00-11:50 a.m. scheduled exam time. No exam or required attendance. I will be available to meet in my office.
Paper 2 is due Wednesday 12/14, 12:00 p.m.