During the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692, many innocent people were accused and executed for practicing witchcraft. One of the individuals who found herself caught up in this hysteria was Dorcas, a resident of Salem Village. A marginalized woman with a reputation for being eccentric and practicing herbal medicine, Dorcas quickly became a target for the fervent witchhunt. Despite never confessing to any wrongdoing, she was tried and ultimately found guilty of sorcery. The main idea here is that Dorcas, along with many others, fell victim to the mass hysteria and paranoia surrounding the Salem witch trials. The trials, which resulted in the execution of numerous innocent individuals, continue to serve as a haunting reminder of the dangers of unfounded accusations and the power of fear in society.
Dorcas was an easy target during these trials. She was elderly, seemed to dabble in fortune-telling, and had been accused of burglary. The harsh magistrate John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin ordered her arrest after the accusations put to her by Jonathan Walcott and Thomas Putnam.
Hoar called them all liars but, when convicted in September and scheduled to hang with eight others on the 22 nd of the month, she confessed to witchcraft the night before she was to be hanged, and named others as witches. Everyone began accusing their neighbors or loved ones of being witches, but it was thought that an accusation of a witch from an afflicted person was the most accurate of all.
The trials, which resulted in the execution of numerous innocent individuals, continue to serve as a haunting reminder of the dangers of unfounded accusations and the power of fear in society..
The New World Times
A four year old child is chained to a wall after whimpering out a confession to witchcraft. Dorcas (Dorothy) was born to the poor Sarah and William Good. Sarah and William lost their home ten years ago when they had too many debts to pay and not enough money to pay them. The Goods became homeless, spending most days asking for food and money from their neighbors in Salem Village. Sarah and Dorcas Good were recently accused of witchcraft on February 25th, 1692, and arrested.
Sarah Good was often considered an outcast, since she begged for a living and was a woman who might argue with people who would refuse or disrespect her. When Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, and other young girls recently began having never-before-seen symptoms such as fits and visions as well as barking like dogs, the many doctors who came to try to cure them could not define it as any disease or sickness. So the people of Salem explained it in their own way: witches. Everyone began accusing their neighbors or loved ones of being witches, but it was thought that an accusation of a witch from an afflicted person was the most accurate of all. Sarah Good and Dorcas Good were accused by Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, and other afflicted girls. Sarah Good had no real place in the community, so her neighbors agreed she might be bewitching young girls since she was such an outcast.
Sarah Good was very stubborn and persistent during her trial. She was examined for witchcraft along with two other accused witches, Sarah Osborne and Tituba, at Lieutenant Nathaniel Ingersoll’s house on March 1st, 1692. Good’s daughter Dorcas also joined her, while almost the entire town watched in anticipation. Sarah Good was checked over for warts on her body, a clear identifier of a witch, during which she stood still as stone, not wanting her examiners to assume anything from her body language. After being examined, Sarah was questioned about her involvement in the ways of witches. She looked straight ahead, never hesitating, and refused to admit to being a witch. She answered question after question as her interrogators tried to get her to confess. Her own husband, William Good, said that he remembered noticing a wart on her for the first time the night before the trial. William was probably scared that his wife might actually be practicing witchcraft, so he would rather get rid of a potential witch than support his wife. When Tituba was questioned, she claimed that both Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne were her partners in crime, and were definitely witches. Sarah Good had many charges against her, but she still held strong.
Dorcas Good, however, could not stand the intensity of the trial. Finally, she could not sustain her silence. Whether or not she was actually guilty, Dorcas confessed to practicing witchcraft with her mother, Sarah Good. Tears of shame rolled down Dorcas’ cheeks as they hauled her and Sarah off to the prison in Salem Town. Sarah also had a newborn baby that she could not part with, and brought the baby with her into the prison. As some of the first few witches to be accused, there were not many others imprisoned currently, but the stench of previous usage was overwhelming. It was dim, dank and beyond unsanitary. Mother and daughter were chained close to the wall, barely able to reach out and touch each other because the chains were so tight. Sarah’s baby died not long after they were chained because of the dire conditions. There was not much for Dorcas to do except think about how she wished she had not confessed, and there was plenty of time to do that in the eight months she was imprisoned there.
Dorcas Good never recovered from her imprisonment. She probably went insane because of the tedious boredom of being chained up for eight full months, and not being able to move without the chains digging into her skin. She was never given proper care or love, since her mother Sarah Good was hanged for witchcraft on July 19, 1692, (along with four other accused witches) when Dorcas was just five years old. As for her father, he was an irresponsible man and couldn’t care for her like a proper father. But he was all that Dorcas had, so she relied on him to take care of her after her mother’s death. Dorcas could never become independent since her mind was shattered when she was so young, but at least she lived, unlike her mother Sarah. Dorcas Good and Sarah Good, like many others, would be scarred forever because of the betrayal of loved ones and inhumane punishments of the Salem Witch Trials.
At least five Beverly residents were accused of witchcraft in 1692: Dorcas Hoar, Job Tookey, Susannah Roots, Mary Morey and Sarah Morrell. We know the most about Dorcas Hoar, who was arrested at the end of April and questioned at Ingersoll’s ordinary in Salem Village on May 2. Abigail Williams claimed that Hoar was “the woman that she saw first before ever Tituba Indian or any other.” Other afflicted girls said the Devil could be seen whispering in Dorcas’s ear. Hoar called them all liars but, when convicted in September and scheduled to hang with eight others on the 22 nd of the month, she confessed to witchcraft the night before she was to be hanged, and named others as witches. Her last-minute confession saved her life. Reverends John Hale and Nicholas Noyes, along with two schoolmasters, asked for a reprieve of “one month’s time or more to prepare for death and eternity.” Chief Justice William Stoughton granted the stay and, by the time a month had passed, the trials were over.
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Reviews for "The Haunting Case of Dorcas: The Salem Witch Trials' Forgotten Victim"
1. Emily - 2/5 stars - While I appreciate historical fiction, I found "Dorcas Tried for Sorcery During the Salem Witch Trials" to be quite disappointing. The story lacked depth and failed to make me feel invested in the characters. The plot felt predictable and cliché, and the writing style was often monotonous. I expected a more engaging and thought-provoking exploration of the Salem witch trials, but instead, the novel fell flat and failed to deliver.
2. Michael - 1/5 star - "Dorcas Tried for Sorcery During the Salem Witch Trials" was a tedious and poorly executed novel. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any depth or complexity, making it impossible for me to connect with them. The dialogue felt stilted and unnatural, adding to the overall lackluster reading experience. Furthermore, the plot was disjointed and failed to evoke any sense of suspense or intrigue. Overall, I was highly disappointed with this novel and would not recommend it to others.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - As a fan of historical fiction and stories set during the Salem witch trials, I had high hopes for "Dorcas Tried for Sorcery During the Salem Witch Trials". Unfortunately, it failed to meet my expectations. The pacing was sluggish, and the narrative lacked the necessary tension to keep me engaged. Additionally, the characters felt underdeveloped and their motivations seemed unrealistic. While the author's research was evident, the execution of the story fell flat, and I was left feeling disappointed and dissatisfied with the overall reading experience.