Witch Hunt

What’s in a Word?

Using “witch” as an insult against perceived outsiders has deep roots in our cultural and literary traditions, says English Professor Elif Armbruster.

Although the modern usage is less literal than in 1692 when 20 accused witches were executed in Salem, echoes of misogyny and scapegoating remain. Armbruster designed the Literary Witches and Wizards course in response to the 2016 presidential election.

“I thought of a ‘witch’ as the ultimate ‘nasty woman.’ A woman who is vilified and penalized just for being outspoken,” says Armbruster.

Readings for the class span centuries. Students study the witches who open Shakespeare’s Macbeth, read the dramatization of Salem’s Witch Trials in Arthur Miller’s Cold War allegory The Crucible, and find a magical context for discriminatory language (see: mudbloods) in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

But to find witchcraft’s mark on modern discourse, Armbruster and her students turn to the daily news.

On the day of the class trip to Salem, Armbruster is concerned about derogatory, victim-blaming language used in news articles about Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and the abuse of women. A few days later, director Woody Allen would tell the BBC that he feared the Weinstein situation would lead to a “witch-hunt atmosphere, a Salem atmosphere” where men worry about being wrongfully accused of harassment.

“The irony of those terms — used for centuries to marginalize women and vulnerable groups — in this context is astounding,” Armbruster says.

Hallowed Ground

Nowhere is the real “Salem atmosphere” — historical reverence tinged with the macabre — more apparent than at the city’s Witch Trials Memorial. Dedicated by Nobel Laureate Elie Weisel in 1992 — the 300th anniversary of America’s most infamous witch hunt — the memorial is a contemplative space where victims’ names are inscribed in stone alongside snippets of their courtroom statements, intentionally cut short to represent the silencing of their voices.

On the day of the Suffolk students’ visit, fresh flowers left on each victim’s name highlight the resonance of this cautionary tale. Caglar is immediately drawn in.

“When I walked in there were two memorial graves that pulled me,” she says. “It was like, ‘Come to me, learn my story, understand me.’”

“You read a book, you can imagine how it is, but when you’re physically there, seeing the tombstones, seeing the places and hearing the stories right where it happened, you really understand. Fear still lives here.”

Never Again

At the House of the Seven Gables, students walk the ground between American history and their reading list. The colonial mansion inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous novel, which begins with a curse on a powerful man who uses witchcraft accusations to steal a poor man’s land.

“It could be that Hawthorne, a descendant of one of the Salem Witch Trials’ ‘hanging judges,’ wrote the story in part to assuage feelings of family guilt,” says Armbruster.

“One of my main goals for bringing students here today was to have this conversation about learning from this shameful history. What are we doing right now in this country that’s similar to that past? We have to watch out for that, and we have to open our minds.”

Hex the Patriarchy

Today’s visit is more about critical reading than palm reading, but studying the reality of modern-day witches means understanding a complex brew of feminist theory and spiritual practice.

English major Victoria Williams has been to Salem before, but this visit is different. She feels the heightened energy and activity of the city, she says. And when the group meets up with a self-identified witch for a historical walking tour preceded by a Wiccan blessing, she’s introduced to a new, positive interpretation of the word.

“From what I’ve learned today about witches, it’s really opened my eyes to the religious aspects of how they practice,” says Williams. “It just wasn’t something that I thought happened a lot. It’s interesting to see how many people study it and how.”

Caglar takes that sentiment a step further, noting how much the class has changed her perspective on the world.

“I’ve always named myself as a feminist, but now I’ve kind of switched to just calling myself a witch. Even on my Instagram bio it says ‘Witch for Life.’”

Magical Thinking

Also on Armbruster’s agenda? Helping students find their voices — and use them. She’s heartened by the robust discussions students from diverse majors are having in class and by the friendships she sees solidifying on the trip.

Both Caglar and Williams say they’re learning from the perspectives of fellow students, like public relations major Spencer Vu, who couldn’t make the trip to Salem. Spencer is one of a handful of male students in the class and an international student from Vietnam.

“My culture is very familiar with supernatural phenomena and practices,” says Vu. “I believe in a source of magic living among us.”

Armbruster hopes to see each one of her students “tap into their own magic.”

Caglar sums up her takeaways from the course and the visit: