ANNE HUTCHINSON

ANNE HUTCHINSON was a deeply religious woman. In her understanding of Biblical law, the ministers of Massachusetts had lost their way. She thought the enforcement of proper behavior from church members conflicted with the doctrine of predestination. 

She asked simply: 

"If God has predetermined for me Salvation or Damnation, how could any behavior of mine change My Fate?"

Mary Dyer was the first woman executed for her religious beliefs in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

This sort of thinking was seen as extremely dangerous. If the public ignored church authority, surely there would be anarchy. The Power of The Ministers would decrease. Soon over eighty community members were gathering in her parlor to hear her comments on the weekly sermon. Her leadership position as a woman made her seem all the more dangerous to the Puritan order.

The clergy felt that Anne Hutchinson was a threat to the entire Puritan experiment. They decided to arrest her for HERESY. 

In her trial she argued intelligently with John Winthrop, but the court found her guilty and banished her from Massachusetts Bay in 1637.

ROGER WILLIAMS was a similar threat.

The ideas of religious freedom and fair dealings with the Native Americans resulted in Roger Williams' exile from the Massachusetts colony. This 1936 postage stamp commemorates his founding of Rhode Island.

Two ideas got him into big trouble in Massachusetts Bay. 

First, he preached separation of church and state. He believed in complete RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, so no single church should be supported by tax dollars. Massachusetts Puritans believed they had the one true faith; therefore such talk was intolerable. 

Second, Williams claimed taking land from the Native Americans without proper payment was unfair.

Massachusetts wasted no time in banishing the minister.

In 1636, he purchased land from the NARRAGANSETT Indians and founded the colony of RHODE ISLAND. 

Here there would be complete religious freedom. Dissenters from the English New World came here seeking refuge. 

Anne Hutchinson herself moved to Rhode Island before her fatal relocation to New York.

America has long been a land where people have reserved the right to say, "I disagree." 

Many early settlers left England in the first place because they disagreed with English practice. Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson were two brave souls who reminded everyone at their own great peril of that most sacred right.

The Crucible

A NOTE ON THE HISTORICAL ACCURACY OF THIS PLAY 

 This play is not history in the sense in which the word is used by the academic 
historian. Dramatic purposes have sometimes required many characters to be fused into 
one; the number of girls involved in the “crying-out” has been reduced; Abigail’s age 
has been raised; while there were several judges of almost equal authority, I have 
symbolized them all in Hathorne and Danforth. 

However, I believe that the reader will 
discover here the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in 
human history. 

The fate of each character is exactly that of his historical model, and 
there is no one in the drama who did not play a similar - and in some cases exactly the 
same - role in history. 

As for the characters of the persons, little is known about most of them excepting 
what may be surmised from a few letters, the trial record, certain broadsides written at 
the time, and references to their conduct in sources of varying reliability. 

They may 
therefore be taken as creations of my own, drawn to the best of my ability in conformity 
with their known behaviour, except as indicated in the commentary I have written for this 
text. [ ...Don’t Sue. ]

SOLVE ET COAGULA : Myth is What Remains After When History Meets Narrative

Women are Circular, 

Men are Linear;


Women are more interested in PEOPLE,

Men are more interested by THINGS


This is a study of the Malignant Narcissism, lust and desire to for vengeance of a single individual (a young, non-virginal woman) seizing complete control over the Female Gossip-Gestalt of an entire Society.


This is a pertinent passage felt the need to share from from Arthur Miller’s preface to his original play (w. my Emphasises) :


“The FATE of each character is EXACTLY that of his historical model, and there is no one in the drama who did not play a similar - and in some cases EXACTLY THE SAME - role in history. 


As for the characters of the PERSONS, little is known about most of them excepting what may be surmised from a few letters, the trial record, certain broadsides written at the time, and references to their conduct in sources of varying reliability. 


They may therefore be taken as creations of MY OWN, drawn to the best of my ability in conformity with their known behaviour, except as indicated in the commentary I have written for this text. [e.d.  “Don’t Sue.” ] “