Damned Women: an Analysis
Damned Women: An Analysis
Many forms of literature paints us an interesting portrait of women in Puritan society. by Women,s roles, specifically concerning religious conviction, are very interestingbjhighlighted images Reis. In particular, women were commonly seen as witches. "Derogatory cufural
of
women fueled witchcraft accusations and proceedings and women's guilt over their perceived spiritual inadequacies could even lead them to confess to specific transgressions they apparently had not committed."(Reis
X\r). Therefore. Puritan \\'omen confessing for things they never
committed- showing the1. u'ere a little rveaker mentall1'and spiritually than today's females. In the analysis of the book, Damned ll''onten- each chapter u'ould be briefly analyzedrn order to understand how and why the Puritan society these rvomen the way they do. In the first chapter, an investigation of how Puritan theology functioned as a lived religion is introduced.
"ln
this chapter, I will explore the underside of covenant theology in both the perpectives of men and women, and how it differentiates between the sexes."(Reis,12). Basically men, women, and
children lived under the doctrine of original sin. Assurance of salvation vied with the certainty of depravity. This profoundly affected how some women responded to witchcraft. The Puritan culture is based upon the fear of the devil, and this is why they are very religious. It was preached over and over to these followers that since the day they were born through the rest of their lives, they have a constant battle with the devil for their souls. During the sermons, the people were categonzedinto three groups: those who considered themselves among the elect, those who
Bolaji2 remained anxious and unsure of their election, and those who were absolutely convinced of their place among the sinning reprobates. (Reis,15). Thomas Hooker talked about the natural sin man from birth, and that if he does not give his
Many forms of literature paints us an interesting portrait of women in Puritan society. by Women,s roles, specifically concerning religious conviction, are very interestingbjhighlighted images Reis. In particular, women were commonly seen as witches. "Derogatory cufural
of
women fueled witchcraft accusations and proceedings and women's guilt over their perceived spiritual inadequacies could even lead them to confess to specific transgressions they apparently had not committed."(Reis
X\r). Therefore. Puritan \\'omen confessing for things they never
committed- showing the1. u'ere a little rveaker mentall1'and spiritually than today's females. In the analysis of the book, Damned ll''onten- each chapter u'ould be briefly analyzedrn order to understand how and why the Puritan society these rvomen the way they do. In the first chapter, an investigation of how Puritan theology functioned as a lived religion is introduced.
"ln
this chapter, I will explore the underside of covenant theology in both the perpectives of men and women, and how it differentiates between the sexes."(Reis,12). Basically men, women, and
children lived under the doctrine of original sin. Assurance of salvation vied with the certainty of depravity. This profoundly affected how some women responded to witchcraft. The Puritan culture is based upon the fear of the devil, and this is why they are very religious. It was preached over and over to these followers that since the day they were born through the rest of their lives, they have a constant battle with the devil for their souls. During the sermons, the people were categonzedinto three groups: those who considered themselves among the elect, those who
Bolaji2 remained anxious and unsure of their election, and those who were absolutely convinced of their place among the sinning reprobates. (Reis,15). Thomas Hooker talked about the natural sin man from birth, and that if he does not give his