The Salem Witch Trials occurred in Massachusetts during the year of 1692. The
Witch trials began due to Puritan people accusing people in society a witch. Although the
Salem Witch Trials are a part of our nation’s history; people also study about the witch
trials in American literature through the eyes of Cotton Mather, a Puritan minister (Cain
225). Nathaniel Hawthorne is another very popular author studied in American Literature
that also reflects on the Salem witch trials, but in a very different light than that of Cotton
Mather. The Salem Witch Trials, the writings of Cotton Mather, and some of the writings
from Nathaniel Hawthorne play a crucial role in America’s history. Mather stated this
about history, “History is the …show more content…
The people in the time of the witch trials stayed true to their
beliefs and did not want anything to change their beliefs, as that would lead the people to
drop their religion and possibly get caught up in what they would consider to be pagan
religions. Just like the characters in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter were afraid of the
unknown and wanted nothing to change their beliefs because for them it is easier to stick
to the stuff they already believe than to let other religions destroy the society. Even in the
work of Young Goodman Brown, readers can see that his writings reflect back on …show more content…
Young Goodman Brown tells the story of Young Goodman Brown’s life in
Salem. This particular writing from Hawthorne focuses on the resistance of evil and is a
way for Hawthorne to show the problems with the Puritan beliefs. Just looking at the plot
of Young Goodman Brown, people can see that Hawthorne’s writings all come back to
his past and how he feels about his ancestors. His view about the Salem Witch Trials and
people of that time can even be seen through some of the statements that he made
throughout his life. At some point in Nathaniel’s life he said, “Word – so innocent and
powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they
become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them” (Nathaniel Hawthorne
Quotes 1). His obvious opinion of the Salem Witch Trials would be that the Puritan
ministers and judges knew how to use their words in a way that would convince the
Puritan people to convict the accused witches. Hawthorne would propose that the
evidence accepted to convict the supposed witches would be circumstantial and should
not be used to determine their sentence. Throughout his life, Hawthorne makes some
Witch trials began due to Puritan people accusing people in society a witch. Although the
Salem Witch Trials are a part of our nation’s history; people also study about the witch
trials in American literature through the eyes of Cotton Mather, a Puritan minister (Cain
225). Nathaniel Hawthorne is another very popular author studied in American Literature
that also reflects on the Salem witch trials, but in a very different light than that of Cotton
Mather. The Salem Witch Trials, the writings of Cotton Mather, and some of the writings
from Nathaniel Hawthorne play a crucial role in America’s history. Mather stated this
about history, “History is the …show more content…
The people in the time of the witch trials stayed true to their
beliefs and did not want anything to change their beliefs, as that would lead the people to
drop their religion and possibly get caught up in what they would consider to be pagan
religions. Just like the characters in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter were afraid of the
unknown and wanted nothing to change their beliefs because for them it is easier to stick
to the stuff they already believe than to let other religions destroy the society. Even in the
work of Young Goodman Brown, readers can see that his writings reflect back on …show more content…
Young Goodman Brown tells the story of Young Goodman Brown’s life in
Salem. This particular writing from Hawthorne focuses on the resistance of evil and is a
way for Hawthorne to show the problems with the Puritan beliefs. Just looking at the plot
of Young Goodman Brown, people can see that Hawthorne’s writings all come back to
his past and how he feels about his ancestors. His view about the Salem Witch Trials and
people of that time can even be seen through some of the statements that he made
throughout his life. At some point in Nathaniel’s life he said, “Word – so innocent and
powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they
become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them” (Nathaniel Hawthorne
Quotes 1). His obvious opinion of the Salem Witch Trials would be that the Puritan
ministers and judges knew how to use their words in a way that would convince the
Puritan people to convict the accused witches. Hawthorne would propose that the
evidence accepted to convict the supposed witches would be circumstantial and should
not be used to determine their sentence. Throughout his life, Hawthorne makes some