The witch hunt trials in Salem and other states during the late 17th century were a dark and eerie chapter in American history. The trials, which primarily took place in Massachusetts, resulted in the execution of 20 people who were accused of witchcraft. These trials were fueled by mass hysteria and fear of the supernatural, and they revealed the dangerous consequences of a society that allows paranoia to take hold. The Salem witch trials began in 1692, when a group of young girls in the town claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several women of practicing witchcraft. The accusations quickly spread, and soon, anyone who was suspected of being a witch became a target. The accused were subjected to rigorous examinations and forced to endure torturous tests, such as being submerged in water or having their bodies pierced with needles to search for "witches' marks.
The accused were subjected to rigorous examinations and forced to endure torturous tests, such as being submerged in water or having their bodies pierced with needles to search for "witches' marks." Many of the accused were elderly or socially outcast individuals who were easy targets for these accusations. One of the most influential factors in the witch trials was the religious and social climate of the time.
The Curse of Childhood Celebrity
In J. M. Barrie’s classic 1904 play, Peter Pan, or, The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up, Peter refuses to mature, and flies off to magical Neverland for adventures with mermaids, Indians, and the wicked pirate Captain Hook. Peter only wants to have fun. He wants to stay young forever.
Barrie’s timeless fairytale is embedded into our modern-day lexicon. The Peter Pan syndrome was coined by pop psychology author Dan Kiley in his book Peter Pan Syndrome: Men Who Have Never Grown Up. Although the Peter Pan syndrome is not a medically accepted diagnosis, it has relevance to aging child celebrities struggling with destiny and the misfortunes of fame.
In his song “Childhood” (1995), Michael Jackson reflected upon his lost youth: “People say I’m not okay ‘Cause I love such elementary things… It’s been my fate to compensate, for the childhood I’ve never known,” he lamented. Joseph, his manager father, physically and verbally abused him. It was the pound of flesh extracted from young Michael, who persevered and become one of the most influential performers of all time.
Two-edged sword
Childhood celebrity is a dangerous two-edged sword, a sinister proposition of the bitter and the sweet. Sitcom fame and perfectly scripted lines are often contradicted by real-life drama. The child star is granted instantaneous celebrity but robbed of their childhood. Many former stars offer dark cautionary tales. A sad list of child celebrities who self-destructed includes Scotty Beckett, Gary Coleman, Corey Haim, Anissa Jones, Ashleigh Aston Moore, River Phoenix, and Brad Renfro. Is there a child celebrity curse? Do the majority of child stars statistically end up as public train wrecks? Disney stars including Orlando Brown, Miley Cyrus, Bobby Driscoll, and Britney Spears would indicate a disturbing trend. Cast members of Different Strokes, Dana Plato, Gary Coleman, and Todd Bridges, have all suffered from drugs and criminality. Another cadre of troubled child stars provides a virtual trip through a daycare of broken hearts: Robert Blake, Amanda Bynes, Macaulay Culkin, Edward Furlong, Lindsay Lohan, Tatum O’Neal, Haley Joel Osment, and Mackenzie Phillips come to mind. Sadly there will be more.
Former “Partridge Family” star, Danny Bonaduce, fell on hard times after his TV series concluded. The celebrity ended on the streets, homeless, at one point living in his car. He developed a crack addiction and attempted suicide. But the former child star offers a telling anecdote. “When I went to rehab, I was the only ex-child star,” he said once, “but there were nine dentists.” The ensuing conversation should not be about the curse of childhood celebrity, but about the curse of fame. Fame makes the world small and insular. Like Copernicus, stars place themselves in the center of the universe concluding that the world revolves around them. As confidence is inflated, the larger picture is blurred and empathy for those “lesser” individuals, less dynamic, less successful, lost. Child celebrities are a personal link to our own childhood innocence. We remember them, frozen in a nostalgic, cinematic time capsule. We watched them grow before our eyes fondly remembering those wide eyes and inquisitive stares. But then too, we watch as the innocent, childlike image matures and hardens into an alien caricature of a previous self. The child star morphs into the adult. They develop wrinkles and sags and facial features that rebel against their former identity. The soft lines of youth replaced by a hardened, callused reality. How sad that they have grown when we liked them so much better in their youth.
Dubious mixed blessing
Fame is a dubious mixed blessing, or perhaps not a blessing at all. Stardom’s yellow brick road is littered with carcasses of those who mismanaged their success. Sudden fame can handedly destroy one’s identity and sense of self. What childhood celebrities desperately need is to be educated about the pitfalls of early success. Child stars need protection from an entourage of sycophants and unsavory influences exploiting the naive star for their own purposes. In August 2013, Garrett offered his hard-earned wisdom to one of today’s teen idols Justin Bieber. “Do not believe your own publicity,” Garrett advised the young pop star, in an interview with FoxNews.com. “Sussing out who your real friends are is full-time work. Every scum bag, every drug dealer, every chicken hawk wants a piece of you.” Garrett himself knows all too well how challenging it can be to gain fame so young. “When you’ve got that sort of power, at that young age,” Garrett said, “and everything at your doorstep, you put out that bad boy image. At that age, testosterone, hormones, all of the money, you see what else you can get away with.”
Fame comes with a price. Being famous stunts one’s emotional and social development. Personal freedom and independence are delegated to others. The star loses his/her ability to resolve life conflicts. There is no need to be concerned with the little details because you are the star. People cater to you. They take care of your business. They write your lines, select your wardrobe and create your character and off-camera persona. Many authorities cite the vast amount of responsibilities these celebrity children encounter, thrust under the spotlight and forced to face all of the emotional aftereffects of growing up too quickly — all of this happening at a breakneck speed accentuated by media reporting on the celebrity’s every word and action. There is no respite. The coverage is incessant and relentless. Even when they walk off the stage, their private lives are invaded by paparazzi and celebrity gossip.
Allure of celebrity
Frank Sinatra warned about the allure of celebrity and the spider’s web of fame. Ol’ blue eyes wrote to a young George Michael, who at 27 complained about the “tragedy of fame” in 1990: “Talent must not be wasted. Those who have it … must hug it, embrace it, nurture it and share it, lest it is taken away from you as fast as it was loaned to you” (Arroyo, 2016). Fame is the ultimate gateway drug. It offers an exhilarating high that rapidly conquers and destroys. We read about the tragedies, drug use, incarcerations, and fatalities of youthful stars. Bad news travels fast. Catastrophes make titillating headlines. Stories about stars who squandered their innocence and bright promise for immediate gratification are many. Singer George Michael provided a stark example of those titillating headlines. Michael was arrested in 1998 in a Beverly Hills park, after being caught in a “lewd act” in a public lavatory by an undercover officer. That unfortunate event would haunt the singer for his remaining years. Michael, who died in 2016 should have heeded Sinatra’s advice and nurtured his fame.
Still, many childhood stars, provided with proper guidance and parenting, have managed a happy, productive life. They have not resorted to substances to deal with life’s stressors, have not self-destructed in view of their adoring public. Shirley Temple, Ron Howard, Jodie Foster, Neil Patrick Harris, and countless others represent that healthy and functional cluster of child celebrities. In another category are those survivors who have hovered near the brink: Drew Barrymore, Todd Bridges, Robert Downey Jr., Corey Feldman, Jaimee Foxworth, Rob Lowe, and Britney Spears are in that privileged group. Michael Jackson, who epitomizes the Peter Pan syndrome, was not among the fortunate ones. He died in 2009 from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication. The King of Pop once admitted, “I am Peter Pan in my heart”. Jackson named his 2,700-acre Los Olivos, California property “Neverland Ranch.” He said that it was his way of claiming a childhood that he never had.
Maxim W. Furek, MA, CADC, ICADC is passionately researching
the essence of happiness. His rich background includes aspects of
psychology, addictions, mental health and music journalism. His book
Sheppton: The Myth, Miracle & Music explores the psychological horror
and eventual survival experienced by two entombed coal miners. Learn
more at shepptonmyth.com
In J. M. Barrie’s classic 1904 play, Peter Pan, or, The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up, Peter refuses to mature, and flies off to magical Neverland for adventures with mermaids, Indians, and the wicked pirate Captain Hook. Peter only wants to have fun. He wants to stay young forever.
Puritanism was the dominant religion in New England, and its strict adherence to moral codes and fear of the supernatural created the perfect breeding ground for accusations of witchcraft. In this society, any deviation from the norm was seen as a sign of witchcraft, and paranoia quickly took hold. Additionally, the trials provided a way to settle personal grudges or gain power over others by accusing them of witchcraft. The witch hunt trials spread beyond Salem and into other states, such as Connecticut and New York. These trials followed a similar pattern, with accusations being made based on hearsay or personal vendettas. However, they did not reach the same level of intensity as the Salem trials and eventually began to decline in the early 18th century. The legacy of the witch hunt trials is a lasting reminder of the dangers of hysteria and the importance of due process. Innocent lives were lost, families were torn apart, and an entire community was left scarred by the events of the trials. The trials serve as a cautionary tale of the consequences that can arise when fear and paranoia drive a society to turn against itself. In conclusion, the witch hunt trials in Salem and other states during the late 17th century were a dark and tragic period in American history. The trials were fueled by mass hysteria, religious beliefs, and personal vendettas, leading to the execution of innocent people accused of witchcraft. The legacy of these trials serves as a reminder of the dangers of paranoia and the importance of safeguarding the principles of justice and due process..
Reviews for "The influence of mythology and folklore on the perception of witches during the trials"
1. John Doe - 1 star
"The witch hunt trials in Salem and other states commonlit answers" was a complete disappointment to me. The article lacked depth and failed to provide any real analysis of the events surrounding the witch trials. It merely provided shallow answers to simplistic questions, without delving into the complexities of the historical context or the psychological factors at play. I was hoping for a more nuanced and comprehensive examination of this dark chapter in American history, but unfortunately this article fell short.
2. Jane Smith - 2 stars
I was not impressed with "The witch hunt trials in Salem and other states commonlit answers". The article seemed to gloss over important details and failed to truly capture the gravity of the witch trials. It focused too much on basic facts and did not provide enough analysis or critical thinking. I was hoping for a more engaging and informative read, but this article left me wanting more substantial content. Overall, it was a letdown.
3. Sarah Thompson - 2.5 stars
While "The witch hunt trials in Salem and other states commonlit answers" did provide some basic information about the witch trials, I found the writing style to be lacking. The article read more like a dry textbook than an engaging piece of historical analysis. I was looking for a more lively and insightful exploration of the topic, but this article failed to deliver. It could have benefited from a more narrative approach and a deeper exploration of the societal and cultural factors that contributed to the hysteria of the witch trials.