Thomasin the Witch Thomasin the Witch is a character from the novel "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare. She is a young girl who is accused of being a witch in the Puritan society of 17th century New England. Thomasin is introduced as a kind, independent, and intelligent girl who is forced to leave her home in Barbados after her parents' death. She moves to the strict and religious community of Wethersfield, Connecticut to live with her aunt and uncle. As Thomasin tries to adapt to her new life, she faces numerous challenges and obstacles. She is constantly judged and persecuted by the Puritan society for her unconventional behavior and free spirit.
[THE WITCH] Regarding the ambiguity in the movie
I tried to make the title as ambiguous as possible to avoid spoilers, but be warned that this entire post is basically one large spoiler.
I watched The Witch last night, and one thing that stuck out to me was how each scene seemed to have seemingly pointless shots and a very purposeful ambiguity in, not just the story, but even the camera angles.
The movie, on the surface, is about a puritan family banished from their plantation under unmentioned reasons (though it's implied that it's because the father was too much of a religious zealot and that landed him in legal trouble after he held biblical law above commonwealth law). After they move and build a new hovel on the edge of the woods, the baby goes missing. On the surface, this is because a witch took the baby before continuing on to kill the rest of the family.
The movie is actually about a family succumbing to the elements, and the effect that starvation and religious guilt can have on you as a person.
This is first implied when they explain that the baby was taken by wolves. The rest of the movie seems to waver between that and the explanation that a witch took the baby, only fully moving to the witch theory when the family is at their most desperate. However, with that in mind, you can see this ambiguity in even the earlier scenes.
After the baby Samuel is taken, there's a montage where the baby is carried off into the woods by the witch, slaughtered, ground into a pulp and slathered onto the witch's naked body.
However, after that scene, Caleb wakes up and sees Thomasine (the girl who lost the baby) thrashing around in a nightmare. That would imply that the whole witch scene was her nightmare. To add to that, the knife used to slaughter the baby in the witch scene was the same knife later used when bloodletting Caleb.
Another example of this is when Caleb goes missing in the woods. While walking through the woods, Caleb sees a rabbit and follows it through the woods. He then goes missing, only to appear late that night, naked and delirious, seemingly bewitched. One particular scene is right before he dies, where he coughs up blood and spits out an entire apple. Earlier in the movie he says that he thought he saw an apple tree. What at first sight was a paranormal event could just as easily be a case of hypothermia. You'll have to remember that winter is coming and it's been raining. It's very easy to get hypothermia when you're already wet, and it's possible that he got hypothermia, got scratched up from the brambles and the apple was accidentally swallowed whole, coming up later when he coughed it up.
Later, Thomasine and the twins Jonas and Mercy are all accused of being witches, so they're boarded up in the goat shed with their female goat and with Black Philip, who at this point is considered to be a manifestation of Satan because he's a black male goat. That night, while their mother is having vivid hallucinations, the witch is milking the goat in the shed and starts to scream. Or is she even there? This part is hard to wrap into my theory, but you'll notice that you never actually see the witch and either Thomasine, Jonas or Mercy on screen together, but it does cut to Thomasine backing away and screaming at the same time that the witch is screaming, and Jonas and Mercy are already convinced at this point that Thomasine is the witch. They're mother's hallucinations can be hard to explain, unless you remember the earlier dinner scene where you see them all basically starving, sharing only a small amount of bread and some porridge. The hallucination could have been a psychological break from grief and hunger, or it could have been ergotism from the bread which, historically, is what fueled the Salem witch trials. Further doubt about whether or not the witch is even there is seen the next morning, when you see the boards on the shed busted outward and the female goat dead with wounds to the stomach and neck. I'm no expert, but I used to raise goats and those bite wounds looked remarkably similar to when coyotes got into the pen. Considering that and Black Phillip's history of aggression, it's likely that wolves came in, got into the shed and spooked Black Philip, causing him to ram through the boards.
You'll notice that only one death in the movie comes unquestionably from another person and not some act of nature, and that was in self defense.
The ending seems fairly straightforward, but you'll notice that she wakes up from a deep sleep right before it happens and, if the beginning witch scene is any indication, it's possible that this was also a dream and she did not actually wake up at that time.
TL;DR - a witch isn't to blame. It's just bad luck and finger pointing.
What do you think? Think I'm way off base? Think there's some merit to it? Feel free to let me know!
Thomasin (The Witch)
Thomasin is the main character turned antagonist in The Witch (2015). She is played by Anya Taylor-Joy.
She is constantly judged and persecuted by the Puritan society for her unconventional behavior and free spirit. Her love for nature, herbal medicine, and swimming make her an easy target for accusations of witchcraft, which was a serious offense during that time. Despite the accusations and gossip, Thomasin remains strong and true to herself.
Biography [ ]
Thomasin was the firstborn child of William and Katherine, a pair of English settlers living in 17th century America. She and her family were banished from a Puritan Plymouth colony over a religious dispute and left to live in the wild. Her family decided to build a house near a forest; unbeknownst to them, the forest was infested by witches.
Some time passes, and the family eventually manages to finish building their barn. During this time, Katherine gives birth to a newborn son, whom she names Samuel. One day, Thomasin is playing peekaboo with Samuel when the baby abruptly disappears. It is soon revealed that a witch has stolen the unbaptized Samuel, killing him and using his remains to make a flying ointment. Katherine left devastated by Samuel's disappearance, and spends her days crying and praying. About a week later, Katherine questions Thomasin about the disappearance of her cup and suspects her to be responsible for Samuel's abduction. After the children retire to bed, they overhear their parents discussing sending Thomasin away to serve another family.
Early the next morning, Thomasin finds Caleb preparing to hunt for food in the forest and forces him to take her with him by threatening to awaken their parents. In the woods, the two spot a hare, which sends their horse into a panic and their dog Fowler promptly chases. Caleb pursues, while the horse throws Thomasin off, knocking her unconscious. Caleb, meanwhile, becomes lost in the woods, and eventually ends up being attacked by the witch.
In the woods, the two spot a hare, which sends their horse into a panic and their dog Fowler promptly chases. Caleb pursues, while the horse throws Thomasin off, knocking her unconscious. Caleb, meanwhile, becomes lost in the woods, and eventually ends up being attacked by the witch. William finds Thomasin and takes her home where Katherine angrily chastises Thomasin for taking Caleb into the woods before William reluctantly admits that he sold Katherine's cup.
More and more problems begin plaguing the family, such as their vegetation being rotten and their goats producing blood instead of milk. Caleb then is found outdoors in the rain that night, naked and delirious from an unknown illness. When he awakens the next day, Caleb expels a bloody apple from his mouth; Katherine believes it to be witchcraft. Caleb passionately proclaims his love to Christ before he dies, though Katherine believes Caleb to have been under some sort of spell. The twins then accuse Thomasin of witchcraft and, in retaliation, Thomasin reveals to the parents that the twins have had conversations with Black Phillip, the family's Billy goat, of whom the twins say is telling them that Thomasin is evil. Thomasin turns the accusation around and tells William that she believes the twins are witches, and that Black Phillip might be Satan himself. The twins refuse to respond to the accusations, however, and a frustrated William ends up boarding both Thomasin and the twins inside the goat house. Thomasin overhears William break down and confess to God that he has been prideful and made his family leave their old village out of stubbornness rather than sincere religious devotion.
Later in the night, the three children are woken by the sounds of rustling in the goat house and discover an old woman drinking blood from the goats. Meanwhile, inside the house, Katherine awakens to a vision of Caleb holding Samuel. After a brief discussion, Caleb offers Samuel to Katherine so she may breast feed the baby but the baby is shown to be in fact a crow that is pecking away at her breast. The next morning, William wakes up to find the stable destroyed, with some of the goats dead, the twins missing, and Thomasin lying down unconscious with blood-stained hands. As Thomasin awakens, Black Phillip suddenly attacks and kills William before her eyes. A now unhinged Katherine then confronts Thomasin, and blames her for the tragedies that have beset the family. She then attacks her daughter and pins her to the ground, but Thomasin fights back in self-defense and kills her mother by slashing her to death with a nearby cleaver.
Alone, Thomasin enters the stable and urges Black Phillip to speak to her. The goat responds by asking if Thomasin would like to "live deliciously" and materializes into a tall, black-clad man. Black Phillip orders Thomasen to remove her clothes and to sign her name in a book that appears before her. Thomasen follows Black Phillip into the forest, where she joins a coven of witches holding a Witches' Sabbath around a bonfire. The coven begins to levitate and a laughing Thomasin joins them, ascending above the trees.
Thomasin (The Witch)
Thomasin is the main character turned antagonist in The Witch (2015). She is played by Anya Taylor-Joy.
She forms a close friendship with a Quaker girl named Kit, who is also an outcast in their community. Together, they find solace and support in their friendship and shared experiences. As the story progresses, Thomasin becomes more entangled in the witch trials that grip the community. She is accused by her own cousin and faces intense interrogation and public humiliation. Throughout this ordeal, Thomasin maintains her innocence and refuses to conform to society's expectations. In the end, Thomasin plays a pivotal role in exposing the true witch in the community and bringing an end to the hysteria. She proves her loyalty, bravery, and resilience, ultimately earning the respect and admiration of those who doubted her. Thomasin the Witch is a complex and well-developed character who challenges the societal norms of her time. She represents the strength and determination of young women who refused to be silenced or oppressed. Through her journey, the novel explores themes of prejudice, fear, and the power of friendship. Thomasin's story serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up for oneself and staying true to one's beliefs, no matter the circumstances..
Reviews for "The Psychological Aspect of Thomasin's Witchcraft in "The Witch" Movie"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Thomasin the Witch". The storyline was confusing and the characters were not well developed. I found it hard to connect with any of them, and by the end, I didn't really care what happened. The pacing was also quite slow, and I felt like the movie dragged on longer than it needed to. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it.
2. Michael - 1 star - "Thomasin the Witch" was a complete waste of time for me. The acting was subpar, and the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. The plot was predictable and lacked any originality. The film simply didn't deliver on the suspense and horror that it promised. I was left bored and uninterested throughout the entire movie. Save yourself the trouble and skip this one.
3. Emily - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Thomasin the Witch" based on the trailers, but it fell flat for me. The cinematography was beautiful, but that was the only redeeming quality. The story was confusing and left me with more questions than answers. The pacing was slow, and I found myself checking my watch frequently. The ending was also unsatisfying and left me feeling frustrated. I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone looking for a captivating and well-executed horror movie.
4. David - 1 star - "Thomasin the Witch" was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. The acting was laughably bad, and the dialogue was cringe-worthy. The special effects were poorly done, and the scares were cheap and ineffective. The whole film felt like a cheap knockoff of better horror movies. I would advise anyone to steer clear of this one if they value their time and money.
5. Rachel - 2 stars - "Thomasin the Witch" had potential, but it failed to live up to it. The concept was interesting, but the execution was lacking. The pacing was slow, making it hard to stay engaged throughout the film. The scares were predictable and didn't have the desired impact. I felt let down by the lack of character development and the underwhelming ending. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied with this movie.