violence, persecution, and dancing with the devil…
I’ve been reading this book about a witch in a Puritan town. It’s one of those books that you read that reminds you why you liked reading in the first place. I was enjoying it so much until they wanted to hang her which was also around the time that there was so much press on the Cornell 7 and I just couldn’t tolerate consuming more media about violence against women. I wish I could say all of these smart, analytical things, but all I really want to say is: it makes me really sad. Because the witch in my book, can light a man on fire, she can slash a man’s stomach and let his intestines spill out, and she can even use magic to make 4 clean cuts and crack a man apart.
The men in her story get to die slow painful deaths. The best I can do is write about it in my silly little blog and be sad instead of angry because you conditioned me to be this way. And just so we’re on the same page you can’t call it revenge, she isn’t suddenly made whole from her killing spree, she’s just satisfied enough to live with the things she experienced for the rest of eternity.
Samson a.k.a her friend who is a.k.a the devil says that he is “Father of the wildfolk, the guardian of Mother Earth” that he his both “the Shepard and [the] slayer. I am life and I am death”. She’s given two choices, live in debilitating pain for the rest of her life or drink his blood and walk with the beasts. I’ve been thinking a lot about Samson’s powers and if this story upholds the narrative that women need to be saved by men. How they explain it in the book is that Samson was a majestic white stag essentially turned wicked by the greed of man; the hatred and violence that lives in him was created by man. So, he was made by violence, he perpetuates violence, and he is the keeper of suffering and pain. So I decided it’s better to be Abitha (the witch) because sure, she might live with pain and be prone to violent acts but she’s not responsible for it. I think that this story teaches us that men have to contend with the beast that they created.
And even though women are powerful, powerful enough to be such a threat to men, they can never truly be at peace. There’s no option where women are free from suffering, but there are options where we get to be magical, ungovernable, and walk as beasts. And I don’t want to be at peace, I feel that would make me ignorant and complacent. And I do think that as long as men continue to take life from us while we are still living, they should suffer too. Even if you think you aren’t responsible for violence; to me you will always be guilty.
One of my friends tells me that they couldn’t see me with a man because I don’t really like them and the older I get and the more I see, the more I think she’s right. I’ll laugh at jokes and smile to keep myself safe but yeah, I don’t think they should be able to have too much fun or drink pumpkin spice. Aside from my dad and a few close friends, I’m honestly kind of good. The only thing I find impressive about men is their aptitude for violence. But if one of them wants to give me some extra power, seek some vengeance, or spill some blood for me I probably won’t say no. jk jk jk.
