¶ … witchcraft trials of Salem, and those that occurred on the other side of the Atlantic as well, have long been framed and understood as misogyny made visible in law. On that level, Karlen's The Devil in the Shape of a Woman adds little to scholarly analysis on the subject. However, Karlen's research presents evidence related to core Puritan beliefs that predicated the witchcraft trials, and discusses some of the economic and demographic contexts within which the trials occurred. The book relies heavily on primary source evidence, but the author's biases and points-of-view are also plainly evident throughout the text. Karlsen does accomplish the primary goal of elucidating the intersections between gender, class, and social power. In so doing, the author substantiates related research on the subject.
Fundamental to an understanding of the witchcraft trials that took place in the 17th century is an understanding of how, why, and when they came about. Karlson shows that there are two separate issues at stake. One is the prevailing belief about witchcraft, which is always framed within a Christian perspective for the Puritan. Another is the prevailing belief about the role, status, and nature of women in Puritan society. By the 17th century, witchcraft became a stigmatizing label that was essentially synonymous with deviance, criminality, and sinfulness. However, witchcraft and witch were labels that applied substantively if not exclusively to women. "The witch, after all, was the behavioural opposite of the stereotypical role model of the 'good wife.'"[footnoteRef:1] [1: Louise Jackson. "Witches, Wives, and Mothers." Women's History Review. Vol. 4, No. 1, 1995, p. 63]
However, Karlson avoids oversimplifying the witchcraft trials by depicting them as solely as the arena in which men acted out their fantasies of aggression and dominance. The witchcraft trials and the sociological and political factors they represented were far more complex than basic displays of male hegemony. As Swales and McLachlan point out, the accused were not mere scapegoats, and to present them as such strips the women further of their power, places the male center stage, and may even go so far as blaming the victim. Narratives related to witchcraft...
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