Tituba, Reluctant Witch of Salem

Devilish Indians and Puritan Fantasies

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, Colonial Period (1600-1775)
Cover of the book Tituba, Reluctant Witch of Salem by Elaine G. Breslaw, NYU Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Elaine G. Breslaw ISBN: 9780814786215
Publisher: NYU Press Publication: August 1, 1997
Imprint: NYU Press Language: English
Author: Elaine G. Breslaw
ISBN: 9780814786215
Publisher: NYU Press
Publication: August 1, 1997
Imprint: NYU Press
Language: English

In this important book, Elaine Breslaw claims to have rediscovered Tituba, the elusive, mysterious, and often mythologized Indian woman accused of witchcraft in Salem in 1692 and immortalized in Arthur Miller's The Crucible.

Reconstructing the life of the slave woman at the center of the notorious Salem witch trials, the book follows Tituba from her likely origins in South America to Barbados, forcefully dispelling the commonly-held belief that Tituba was African. The uniquely multicultural nature of life on a seventeenth-century Barbadan sugar plantation—defined by a mixture of English, American Indian, and African ways and folklore—indelibly shaped the young Tituba's world and the mental images she brought with her to Massachusetts.

Breslaw divides Tituba’s story into two parts. The first focuses on Tituba's roots in Barbados, the second on her life in the New World. The author emphasizes the inextricably linked worlds of the Caribbean and the North American colonies, illustrating how the Puritan worldview was influenced by its perception of possessed Indians. Breslaw argues that Tituba’s confession to practicing witchcraft clearly reveals her savvy and determined efforts to protect herself by actively manipulating Puritan fears. This confession, perceived as evidence of a diabolical conspiracy, was the central agent in the cataclysmic series of events that saw 19 people executed and over 150 imprisoned, including a young girl of 5.

A landmark contribution to women's history and early American history, Tituba, Reluctant Witch of Salem sheds new light on one of the most painful episodes in American history, through the eyes of its most crucial participant.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In this important book, Elaine Breslaw claims to have rediscovered Tituba, the elusive, mysterious, and often mythologized Indian woman accused of witchcraft in Salem in 1692 and immortalized in Arthur Miller's The Crucible.

Reconstructing the life of the slave woman at the center of the notorious Salem witch trials, the book follows Tituba from her likely origins in South America to Barbados, forcefully dispelling the commonly-held belief that Tituba was African. The uniquely multicultural nature of life on a seventeenth-century Barbadan sugar plantation—defined by a mixture of English, American Indian, and African ways and folklore—indelibly shaped the young Tituba's world and the mental images she brought with her to Massachusetts.

Breslaw divides Tituba’s story into two parts. The first focuses on Tituba's roots in Barbados, the second on her life in the New World. The author emphasizes the inextricably linked worlds of the Caribbean and the North American colonies, illustrating how the Puritan worldview was influenced by its perception of possessed Indians. Breslaw argues that Tituba’s confession to practicing witchcraft clearly reveals her savvy and determined efforts to protect herself by actively manipulating Puritan fears. This confession, perceived as evidence of a diabolical conspiracy, was the central agent in the cataclysmic series of events that saw 19 people executed and over 150 imprisoned, including a young girl of 5.

A landmark contribution to women's history and early American history, Tituba, Reluctant Witch of Salem sheds new light on one of the most painful episodes in American history, through the eyes of its most crucial participant.

More books from NYU Press

Cover of the book In the Beginning by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book City of Promises by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book Refining Expertise by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book Working the Diaspora by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book Getting to the Rule of Law by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book Why Girls Fight by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book Archives of Flesh by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book Visions of Zion by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book Border Politics by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book How to Read African American Literature by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book Beyond Deportation by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book Pride in the Projects by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book Dancing Tango by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book Freedom’s Gardener by Elaine G. Breslaw
Cover of the book No Escape by Elaine G. Breslaw
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy