Hour of the Witch

“They knew what was out there in the wilds, and what was inside them that was, arguably, wilder still.”

This quotation foreshadows the dangers yet to befall the characters in the narrative. These dangers, however, might come not from a force outside themselves, but from the potentially more uncontrollable nature of the human condition. Original sin is, after all, inherent and requires taming through good works and an unflinching faith in God.

“How is it I am humiliated when I am alone? Does not humiliation demand an audience?”

Mary’s personal thoughts and introspection, which figure heavily in the narrative and the theme of Predetermination Versus Self-Determination, often examine her feelings and responses to abuse, barrenness, and the men in Boston. This quotation reveals both the secrecy of Thomas’s abuse and Mary’s response to it, as she grapples with what the “humiliation” she feels while victimized means. Her musings also reflect the prevalence of humiliation as a tool of public discipline in 1660s Boston, as evidenced later by the Quaker who is marched through the streets.

“Signs, after all, were everywhere; it was just a question of knowing how to read them.”

Signs of both faith and sin appear throughout Hour of the Witch to guide Mary and her peers to the answers they seek (See: Symbols & Motifs). However, “knowing how to read a sign” depends upon the character and, for Mary, signs become muddled as she tries to determine the difference between her faith and her damnation—or, whether she is a product of the Devil or simply being human.