Part 3: Response to Sources (30 points)
The goal of this part of the assignment is to connect your secondary sources (SOME of which you might have uncovered in part 2see below) to the research question you formulated in part 1. In what ways do your sources help you to answer your research question? What have they enabled you to see in the text you hadnt noticed or realized before? What do you understand that you didnt upon first reading/watching? Use a mixture of summary, paraphrase, and quotation to draw in ideas and words from your sources, making sure to show your reader the way they have helped you to elucidate your research question.
The response will include a discussion of THREE (3) sources, one of which must be peer-reviewed; these sources MAY OR MAY NOT be drawn from your annotated bibliography (any combination is fine). It will include MLA in-text citations and a Works Cited page (MLA format) that includes your three secondary sources + your primary source (= film or play).
You may organize the response as you see fit; the main thing I want to see is deep engagement with your secondary sources and with the primary text. Depending on your focus and your major, you may choose to use a visual format (such as a presentation, a series of images, or another digital format) for this part of the project. If you are interested pursuing such a format, please talk to me (in person or via email).
Length: 800-1000 words (*with allowances made for alternative formats*)
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Azhelle Smith
Craig Bernadhini
Eng-111 302A
December 14,2019
Annotated bibliogrpahy of the film The Witch
The 2015 film The Witch by Robert Eggers is a horror movie that focuses on a Puritan family that has been cursed by the witch of the woods. What happens to the family seems like God punished them for leaving their Puritanical covenant. The father, William believed life should be lived the biblical way and that was against the Puritans religious practices. The film poses questions that questions how society views the true meaning of Gods Will, changing our perception on how to live our life for God. However, The Witch is all about the horror and drama that surrounds the family which is holding on to the faith of God and also on the verge of self-destruction. Characters in the film starts dissaperaring, the families morality and loyalty is tested.
The family in The Witch was banished from their Puritan village after a disagreement with the church elders. The parents William and Katherine are forced to relocate to a desolated area in the forbidden woods where they survive on farming. Thomasin (oldest daughter) was watching baby Samul when the witch abducts him leaving Thomasin in panic. She feels guilty of the missing child and all the blame is on her, Katherine (mother) tormented from the loss of her child would not ever forgive Thomasin. At the end of the film, we see abnormal things happening within the family- everyone believes Thomasin is the witch once unexplainable bad-things keep happening in her presence. The movie analyzes the families loyalty to their God and religious values through their time of triumph. While the story revolves around the accusation of Thomasin being the witch her final decision of joining the devil in the end would make it all true.
SOURCES
Collins, Brian. “The Witch Film. Directed by Robert Eggers. Parts and Labor Productions, 2015.” Religious Studies Review, vol. 42, no. 4, 2016, pp. 277-277.
Collins explores the film The Witch and how Thomasin is accused of being the witch by her siblings but her fate was already sealed. Collins explains the events in the film that leads to the characters beleiving their is a witch among them who is causing all the misfortunes.
Godbeer, Richard. The Devil’s Dominion: Magic and Religion in Early New England. Cambridge University Press, 1994.
According to Bodbeer, in the early years in England, people used magics for good (healing proetcion against harm) and in other cases, it was used to inflect pain. In the film The Witch, the witch is causing pain and suffering within the family as people are dissapearing and no one knew who did it. Bodbeer believes the Puritans believed strongly in predestination, some destine for salvation from God and hellfire for others.
MacDonald, Michael. “Religion, social change, and psychological healing in England, 16001800.” Studies in Church History 19 (1982): 101-125.
MacDonald focus on religion and the social changes that takes place. In his work he co-relates with the film The Witch where the family has been exiled from their home and in the new village which is away from religious protection (the woods), the family starts experiencing demonic events where the witch comes in snatches people. The family experiencing physical, emotional, and psychological torture- healing is not possible as many of them are not close to churches even if the parents are still strong beleivers. From the film it is clear the witches activities targeted the family because they revoked the protection of their community to practice their personal values. MacDonald explains that healing comes with religous involvement and beliefs.
