Women in the 17th century Salem

A woman tied-up in the 17th century

During the witch trials in the 17th century, the place of women was very complex because many things had to be taken into consideration. For instance, sex was seen as sinful and so their sexual natures like pregnancy, delivery or menstruations could not be hidden. People reflected these negative attitudes towards women. Moreover, women were seen as great tempters like Eve in the Hebrew mythology, who some said, she was the "forbidden fruit" offered to Adam. And so in Salem we can think about all the women who agree to have sex with a man. They are like a gift to them, we can name prostitutes like Glorianna with Cotton Mather - who is a man of God - since she offers her ‘services’ to please him. However, women like Mary Sibley or Tituba and young innocent girls like Mercy and Anne Hale are also part of those who want to have sexual intercourses. In fact, sex was a very significant element during the witch trials in Puritan New England because in order to keep their moral values, women were expected to be obedient to men and pure. But many reports showed that they were not faithful to their husbands or they seduced men (and other women sometimes). This is shown in Salem, indeed, there are some kissing scenes between women such as Mary/Anne, Mary/Tituba, Mary/Mercy, the Countess Marburg/Anne and the Countess Marburg/Mary. Even if these kisses do not represent any real relationship, they are erotic gestures. 
In the TV series, there are also scenes of adultery: Mary kisses and sleeps with many men (even if most of them are just fantasms) while she is the wife (and then widow) of the mayor George Sibley ; this is also the case of Tituba who shares an erotic moment with John who is supposed to be Mary’s lover. There is also an odd fact between the Countess Marburg and her son, the Baron Sebastian, because she can kiss whenever they want in order to feel someone else.

Promotional poster of Salem, showing women only

Another reluctant point is that women’s social role was not the same as men and so they were easily accused during 1692’s trials in Salem. Moreover if they had temper they would be likely considered as witches avid for power because their voice did not count in church or government. Men were the person to have power in political actions such as in court. And in Salem it is proved because George Sibley often has the last word as he is the mayor. However we cannot deny the discrimination against women so people compared them with the devil and linked them to crimes of witchcrafts. Their daily duties were to take care of children and execute household chores so they clearly had an inferior social status that helped for blaming. Only few men were accused and it was because they were relatives of accused women. But In Salem, all women evolve in a certain way. During the third season we notice that the ingenuous Anne Hale starts to have more power and be a main character in the city as she discovers she is a witch. For instance she reproduces the same torture as Mary Sibley did to shut George’s mouth; that is to say, she put her beloved rat (named Brown Jenkin) into Cotton’s throat the same way Mary put a toad into Georges’. On the contrary, Mary slowly loses her influence upon Salem and she is literally powerless as her son removed them. She is a strong woman that stands for her ideas but she shows her innocence of a lonely girl she used to be, a weakness that people like to attack. Concerning Mercy Lewis, still in the third season, she is rejected by the Countess Marburg and her son so she retired. Then she starts to create a dark place with girls from the street and she becomes a brothel keeper and manipulates the Magistrat to get revenge over her enemies. Since she has been thrown out by important women, she is full or hatred and decides to prostitute girls. A new character is introduced in the third season, Billy who is actually a young girl who had to hide her gender not to be killed. So she pretends to be a boy to be able to help Captain John Alden in his battles against the French.

Through the TV series Salem, we notice many similarities with the reality of the 17^th century in Massachusetts, about gender discrimination and how women were considered at a time when men were seen as the only authority. As England was corrupted, men wanted to create a good religious world as the Bible depicted it but women were mistreated and accused to be witches.