Children in Puritan Massachusetts were to be seen and not heard. The adults totally controlled their lives. The girls were sent to work in the homes of couples with children so they could learn how to be a good wife and mother. They were given no pay and were sometimes treated unkindly. Abigail knows that the penalty for dancing and conjuring in the woods is at the minimum a public whipping, but it could also be worse, such as accusing the girls of performing witchcraft. This really scares the girls since it is a "hanging offense". As some people tend to do when they're trouble, Abigail tries to lie her way out of trouble. When the questioning becomes harsher, she puts the blame on Tituba since she's a black slave, and no one will believe her over the girls. This is typical human nature. When we get into trouble, we always try to blame it on someone else, and this is what Abigail does. She doesn't realize at the time how far things will go, but she enjoys the power over adults so much that she allows innocent people to die.
No comments:
Post a Comment