Wonders of the Invisible World is a book written by Cotton Mather, published in 1693, right after the Salem Witch trials. The objective of the book was to defend the role Cotton Mather played in the trials and is based on the man’s belief of witchcraft being real and perpetrated by evil powers. The book first sets the premise that witchcraft was real and the reason it appeared in the colony being that the Devil seeks to strike upon the pious (Hennessy 2012). Mather utilizes quotations from the Bible incessantly in order to justify all the premises of witch hunts, often misinterpreting the meaning to his advantage.
When discussing the cases Mather was present at, he makes an appeal to the legality of the event. He quotes the testimonies of various witnesses who claim that they have been bitten, drowned, and choked to sign a book or a contract of some sort (Hennessy 2012). The witnesses claimed they were assaulted by a shadow in the shape of the woman, Bridget Bishop (Hennessy 2012). Other evidence and witnesses claimed that Mrs. Bishop had a supernatural third teat, that she commanded demons that destroyed parts of homes, and that in her possession were items deemed suitable for witchcraft (Hennessy 2012). There were also accounts of oddly-shaped hogs and other animals to further evidence her guilt.
It is clear that Mather attempted to absolve himself and justify his actions in several ways. Firstly, he quoted the Bible to justify the existence of witches and demons. Then he appealed to the legality of the process by producing “evidence” against the accused. However, the quality of evidence he provided is suspect at best, as none of the witnesses were cross-referenced or even checked. Many of the claims sound made-up, being deliberate lies to further accuse Mrs. Bishop. Finally, Mather attempts to persuade the readers of his actions being justified by not presenting the explanations and evidence for the accused. It is likely that he is trying to convince himself as well as others to be innocent of any wrongdoing, for he knows that he is guilty of a great injustice.
Reference
Hennessy, D. (2012). Classics of American literature (Vol. 1). Elsevier.