Analysis of Escaping Salem Book by Richard Godbeer - Essay Example

In an attempt to find what she is suffering from – mind, it is an era that witchcraft was common -- Kate accuses others of bewitching her. Two women were finally put on trial. The book Escaping Salem takes the reader through the Connecticut courtroom. Witchcraft in a courtroom is more dramatic than one would ever imagine. The town’s people are scared of the act and its practice in the township, and this is a view that the judges are quick to point out. Witchcraft poses a great danger to society.

However, how would Branch prove that the women were behind her ailments? Her accusations come from the fact that some evil spirit informed her about it. How would she prove this and how would she prove that the spirit was indeed factual? Escaping Salem offers an insightful revelation of lifestyle in early seventeenth-century America. In addition, it offers proof of the existence of white magic, an issue that has strongly been argued. The only pitfall that Godbeer‘s work seems to pose is the use of some of the photos that are manipulated.

The photos help offer illustrations and add to the maps; the selected bibliography seems to provide some proof too. However, the use of photos is overrated. This is a historical book and the images ought not to appear to be fictitious. In retrospect, the book is a must-read for any undergraduate student of American History or Political Science. The insights it offers are indeed factual and one would relate them to the life of that period.