Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Salem Witch Trials

Dear all,

Warm greetings from Minas Gerais! Hope all is well with you. Last week we were talking about Puritanism, Salem witch trials and their impact on American culture and literature. For more details, please scan the Wikipedia page on Cultural depictions of the Salem witch trials (in literature, film, television, comic books and music): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_depictions_of_the_Salem_witch_trials

Have you seen any of these movies, read or heard about any of the books or heard any songs mentioned in the article? In your opinion, why have Salem witch trials caught the popular imagination?

Please post your answers on the blog (under Post a comment) until Thursday, March 3. You can also make comments on other students´ responses (agree or disagree with them). If you have any difficulty with the language, please contact Andrea, our monitor. She can help you with grammar, vocabular or clarify any other doubts that you might have. I am looking forward to talking to you on the blog!

Best wishes,

Oxana

12 comments:

  1. Hi teacher and guys!

    The only one book in this list that I know is Harry Potter, and the film Hocus Pocus!

    I guess the explanation for this fame about the Salem witches is 'cause there was a terrible tragedy.
    Some people started to create an image about witches with diferent clothes and dangers powers.
    After the deaths, people started to think more about the freedom of religion.
    Because of that, they see this event as a error: people died because others believed in a superstition.
    Nowadays, many people desagree for this hunt.
    People respect more the religions. And try to understand before judge.

    The imagination about witches continue in many cultures, but now, is more to have fun than to hunt and kill!

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  2. Hello teacher!!

    From the list... I would say: The witches of Salem - the movie. And Harry potter.
    Today we only mention wiches in jokes.

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  3. Hello Isabel and Fredi!

    Thanks for this. Indeed, the success of Harry Potter movies shows how much people are still fascinated by witchcraft. And you are right, Isabel, the American people have thought of Salem witch trials as an error, something to feel guilty about. We will talk more about this sense of guilt when we discuss later American literature.

    What do the others think about this? Hello, where are you, guys? :)

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  4. Hello everybody!
    I have never seen or read any of these mentioned movies or book (what a shame!!). But I can see the influence of the kind of thought present in them.
    Nowadays it is seen that a lot of religions think this way.
    The troble is on the extremism. Supernatural events can affect our lives, but there are cases in which problems are from physical and psychological origin.

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  5. Hi!!

    I didn't see or read any of the books or movies mentioned. According to Isa, really, the Salem witches had fame for the cruelty... For more details, please scan the Wikipedia page on Salem witch trials: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials

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  6. Actually, the popular imagination in relation to witches transfomered only in fun.

    Observation: Sorry, I retarded to answer because I were without computador but now the problem is resolved...

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  7. Yes, I've already seen some movies about witches, They were ... Jovens Bruxas, Elvira,Bruxas de Blair (This last one was really bad in my opinion) and Bruxas de Salem "Salem Witch Trial". I think that, everything is out of the habitual life, including all mistical beliefs, always stirs our imagination.

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  8. I love the Simpsons! However , long time , I haven't seen it and I remebered that I Watched the filme "Treehouse of Horror VIII" and I liked so much. I remebered that in that movie Marge is accused of witchcraft in a Puritan rendition of Springfield . I don't like to watch horror movies. And I didn't know that it was based in the Salon Witch Trials! In my opinion , maybe people like to watch gruesome situations, even as I, saying that no, we humans have a great curiosity to see or watch things with death, blood, monsters. etc..

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  9. Vinicius: I don't like movies about witches, but i've heard some songs mentioned in this article: Witch Hunt (Rush), Burn the Witch (Queens of the Stone Age) and Lords of Salem (Rob Zombie).

    In my opinion this issue has popular because society at the same time who fears, is interested in the occult.


    Izabel: I've watched the movies: Hocus Pocus and Harry Potter. I also watched the TV serie: The Vampires Diaries

    I think that the Salem witch trials became popular because there are many secrets behind this story, so the media and people fantasize a lot about this theme.

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  10. Beatriz, Dandara e Dayana: In relation to books and the movies, we did not see or read any their. We tkink that in this epoch had very real and imaginary and many american people feel guilty today of several innocents have died at that time with witchcraft.

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  11. Harry Potter and the chamber of Secrets.
    fluing Cars,trees fighters,mysterious elf, with a warning even more mysterious. Harry Potter is ready for the second year of his amazing journey into the world of wichcraft.

    `Harry Potter and the prisioner of Azkaban`
    When the despicable Aunt Marge floats across the night sky, Harry departs for the third year at Hogwarts.
    Harry and his friends learn the delicate art of magic, and is also bring a prisoner in Diagon alley, this story brings laughter, suspense and surprises for those who like the movie.

    `Harry Potter and the goblet of fire.`
    When the name of Harry Potter emerges from the goblet of fire, he becomes a competitor in a grueling battle for glory among three wizarding schools- the Tournament Tribuxo.

    I saw other movie, but don’t remember the name.
    I liked the Harry Potter spell, indicate King of the wonderful polar bears has nothing to do with witches but has a lot of magic.
    Jaqueline carvalho.

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