Character Analysis Of Cotton Mather s The Wonders Of The...
Conversely, Cotton Mather stood by the use spectral evidence even after his father had condemned
it. In The Wonders of the Invisible World, Mather outlined his belief that the convictions in Salem
were justified. In fact, it was the judges of the court of oyer and terminer who asked Mather to
write a book to clear their name. Directly contradicting his father s stance on the admission of
spectral evidence, Cotton Matherstated that, We are Humane Creatures, and we are safe while we
say, they must be Humane Witnesses, who also have in the particular Act of Seeing, or Hearing,
which enables them to be Witnesses, had no more than Humane Assistances that are to turn the
Scale when Laws are to be executed. Cotton openly opposes his father by... Show more content on
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The parallel continues in regards to the presentation of evidence. In modern child abuse cases,
authorities historically tended to believe what children said because they did not want to believe
that they could make up such harsh accusations. However, this blind faith in a child s testimony
has recently been challenged as children have been increasingly educated on the warning signs of
abuse and are, therefore, more capable of making fake accusations. Much the same, the authorities
in Salem did not want to believe the girls could make up such severe claims of witchcraft, even
though they had been increasingly made aware of the folklore and, therefore, able to fake the
symptoms. It has also been noted that the girls supposed fits, if not truly choreographed and acted
out, could have been the result of asthma or even epilepsy. Asthma can be caused by stress, changes
in room temperature, or the presence of mold. However, attacks can also occur randomly without
warning. Therefore, when they do occur, it will look as though the person experiencing the attack is
in critical condition. It has been concluded that, If asthma played a part, it is not surprising that the
girls attacks of choking were common indoors, in damp and moldy houses, and in the evening,
when fires were stoked, rooms became smoky, and temperatures increased. Furthermore, asthma is
most
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