When I first started to read this article I felt as if I were reading something from the Joan of Arc trial. Winthrop starts by telling Hutchinson what she did that lead to her trial, and all he seems to speak of are things that she had said that he did not agree with. This reminded me a lot of the Joan of Arc trial which were based on similar allegations. These two trials are also similar in that the accused is constantly being asked about their faith and whether or not they have any. Hutchinson seems to keep having to explain that she has faith.
Even through the dialect between Winthrop and Hutchinson she continuously asks what she is being charged with and Winthrop seems to be speaking in circles around the same thing. Hutchinson speaks as if she is almost openly mocking Winthrop and the nonsense he is saying. Winthrop tries to get Hutchinson to agree with him but every time she tries to clarify something or ask any question at all he throws a rule and God's name at her. Then Deputy Gov. Thomas Dudley comes to testify against Hutchinson explaining that she was trouble from the start. It seems that everyone just wants her to be found guilty because they do not like her. Dudley tries her to say that she said "the ministers did preach the convent of works." They have a conversation back and forth for about 8-10 lines were he is trying to get her to say this line and but then says he will say she did even though she denied ever saying so. After which a parade of men arrive to speak against Hutchinson all saying "the ministers did preach the convent of works." She continuously has to defend herself and deny the allegations. By the end of the trial it just seems that Winthrop is tired of arguing with Hutchinson and decides to banish her.
I found the whole proceedings ridiculous. The ministers clearly can't remember exactly what was said and because of that are loathe to take an oath on what was said but once they realize that their oath will be taken as the truth it feels to me that they use the opportunity to make the oaths, which were made as vague as possible, in order to get the court to banish Hutchinson. The way it looks here is that they have a petty grudge against her because they felt insulted and use ideas of her being a disturbance in order to get revenge. I also feel that there is a lot of sexism going on here. I think the fact that Hutchinson is a woman makes Winthrop and the other members of the court bias against her in general and therefore willing to believe the charges against her. It's hard to imagine that in this country's early stages someone could be so punished for speaking their mind. As bad as our rights have gotten at least they're a lot better than this.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what Bryan said: these men are clearly sexist. This petty grudge in part springs from the thought of Hutchinson "acting the part of the husband," entertaining both sexes in her house, and "neglecting" her family to speak blasphemy. She is stepping beyond the boundaries of her sex, and it makes these men puff out their chests and take notice. They go ahead with this rediculous trial to try and kick her out without really having a case or evidence, and as Jessica said, when Hutchinson simply asks what she is supposed to have done, she only gets nonsensical answers tossed back at her. This is the sort of trial you get before the Bill of Rights, and it makes for a rediculous, though no unenjoyable, read.
ReplyDelete"It's hard to imagine that in this country's early stages someone could be so punished for speaking their mind. As bad as our rights have gotten at least they're a lot better than this."
ReplyDeleteI'm betting when Bryan wrote this he wasn't thinking about the bias against religous speech of today. I have taken several classes in the last couple semesters, and with the polarizing presidential elections we've had, and with the falling of the economy, it has become increasingly interesting to watch the attacking of christians and christian values. In fact we have gone from religous intolerance, to a new form of religous intolerance. This is the beginning of Religous Intolerance in this country. IN this instance the intolerance is based on strict interpretation. As we begin this new century our intolerance has become secularism. It begs the question, Are we ever truly free to speak our minds?
I think that it is made pretty obvious that this is a totally sexist trial. Winthrop and his cronies already had a determined fate for Ann. They tried to also say that she was disobeying the fifth amendment which is "honor thy father and thy mother." How is that even possible? They were trying to use anything they could against her. Winthrop was pulling every move possible to get Ann to crack, but she didn't. I think she is a a very respectable and brave person, woman or man.
ReplyDeleteI agree that these men are completly sexist. Especially when they tell her you are acting like a husband and not a wife, or like a preacher and not a hearer, and a magistrate and not a subject. I also like the comparison to Joan of Arc. These men dont seem religious to me at all. They take from the bible what directly gives them power, and throw away whatever doesn't. They want to be the connection between God and the town. What Hutchinson is trying to do is give that connection back to the people.
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling that Winthrop didn't really care if Anne was guitly. He just wanted to stifle someone who was strong and had a different set of opinions. He was punshing her for not falling to his supreme authority. Winthrop sounds like he is trying to confuse Anne into saying something bad. His questions and responses are long and drawn out and don't seem to go anywhere. I agree that Anne is being given a hard time on account of her sex.
ReplyDeleteIt is just amazing to see that sexism has been going on for so long. Still to this day I feel that women have to convince men that they are capable to achieving anything. Similar to the trial of Anne Hutchinson. I found the whole trial to be a big waste of time in which the Puritans could have been "worshiping God." They do not practice what they preach in the fact that they did not believe Anne was saved. In the 4 stages of conversion you know whether you are saved or not saved. It is no one's opinion that matters during this time of conversion.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else has stated, this entire trial is bassed on sexism. Hutchinson represents a "threat" to their religious ideals, but even more so because she is a woman. I think it is ridiculous that throughout the trial Hutchinson is given very few real chances to speak up and when she does, the majority of the men seem to immediately dismiss what she says. The men ramble on and on as if attempting to cover up the fact that the do not have substantial reasons for bringing Hutchinson to trial, and she relies on their senseless statements to further confuse them.
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