Changing Times

Over the progression of years it is evident to see the way the role of women indeed did change through text. Starting with Cotton Mather, women were, as we have discussed, seen as fallen and evil if they were to go against the so called norms of society within those days.

In comparison with the Panther Narrative the woman runs away from home. In past texts this would have been portrayed has a fallen woman who was going against moral instruction and religious duty probably.

Yet, this woman, has gone from a woman running around with lewd men in the night and participating in promiscuous behavior to kind of like a G.I. Jane type hero. The Panther narrative gives her more of a voice and like they said, it was an adventure. Rather than the story being so focused on what the woman might have done wrong, it focuses more on her journey and what happened to her.

The conception of American audience has changed greatly by the way the texts are now written. In Mather, his writing was more of instruction and guidance of what one should do because that is how society was within that time period. Now, we can see how it has shifted to more of a fantasy and desiring romance within the Panther narrative.

I think that over time American society has diverged into two different views on morality and the sensual lifestyle of women. I think that the life of the media has accepted the “promiscuous girl” and given her a sophisticated lifestyle. For example, I can’t help but think of the television show, Sex and the City. I do have to say, this show is one of my favorite shows. Even though I do not live a lifestyle like any of these women, the show is still entertaining and intriguing, which thus, proves my point. This show is completely about the lives of those four women and the different sexual relationships they have with many different guys almost promoting that this is the life of the independent and successful women.

Comparing to the women of TCU, I think especially in the south because it is more conservative, there is a stigma that comes with that girl who “sleeps around.” She becomes known as the “shacker” amongst the other girls when she comes back with the guy’s clothes on from the night before. I think once a girl becomes known as that, gossip spreads, and she is considered a “slut” or “whore.” It’s just so ironic the polarity that existed between the stigma towards the “easy” girl and the guy who constantly sleeps around. Just as in the past, men are not nearly stigmatized the way women are today.

Even though women are not punished the way they were back then, they still have to battle the names and reputations that are given to them by people. In today's society I think that it is more of a reputation battle that a woman has to fight. If she wears something rather low-cut, it assumed that she is probably "slutty" or "easy." I think one way that women might be stigmatized is also being pregnant out of wedlock, most people usually ask, "who is the father? " and "when are you getting married?" And if you don't, it is almost frowned upon, even if words are not said, it is that social stigma that I think is still carried with society from our past. I am not saying it is always like this, but many times, this seems to be the case from people that I have known and things I have seen.

Witch and Goddess

In reactions to this movement that is discussed, I personally could not help but think a little cynically. I don’t know, maybe I have just had to read a lot of papers in anthropology lately having to do with feminism, I am not really sure. When it is said that the “ordinary” woman is both a goddess and a witch, I just found it amusing. The reason I think this is so is because by trying to reclaim this stigma of a witch as something seen as positive and powerful, I think that is just like trying to re-create the idea of a zombie within our minds. Zombies are usually depicted in books as dead, scary people found walking around haunting graveyards. In this same sense, I think that is what Rountree is doing within this article.I understand her message and what she is conveying. I know that she is not trying to claim any of this to be correct or incorrect. However, I find this depiction to be quite lofty. Just like she states in the beginning of her article, the “image of ‘witch’ incorporate[s] both the hideous hag and the irresistible seductress,” it says that women can self-identify with both witch and goddess. Which, in ways, I guess I can agree. Deception I think is something that is present within both the "witch" and "goddess" representation, which at times I know that I can relate to.

I found interesting this idea of the “feminist witch.” It all just seems a little too extreme to me. In order to be an independent woman, seeking affinity and power, I do not think one has to go the extremity to be labeled a feminist witch. Even though it is a movement of a subculture in itself, when she states the definition of “witch” it was a woman “who challenges patriarchal control and claims independent knowledge and power.” That sounds like the definition of a feminist to me.
This idea of re-creating the image of a witch from the past just seems interesting to me I guess. I am not condemning the idea nor condoning it, rather, I am just saying that I think it sounds a little silly. But hey, each to their own I guess.

Wonders of the Invisible World

When reading Mather I began thinking about a lot things that are now present within our culture and society. But first, relating back to his writing and his Puritanical roots, the idea of women having any voice of power whether it be good or evil was probably almost a kick in the face to him to fathom that idea.

I honestly have never really heard of any "witch-hunts" within my time. However, I do recall two different instances in my past where I guess one could say I encountered some people who shared some of these practices. When I was in high school there was a girl in my biology class who claimed that she was a practicing witch. One day, she proceeded to take her Tarot cards out in class and attempted to contact spirits to help her perform her reading. I just watched from the back of the class, interested to see what was going on. On another occasion, there was a guy in one of my classes who claimed that he was Wicca. He explained to me some of the stuff he practiced and did. It was very interesting to hear.

When considering the existence of evil in our contemporary world, I believe that evil always exists. Not to sound trite, but I think that with all good there is bad. Especially in our society today I feel that evil is more easily displayed sometimes almost as a good thing. Rather it be through books or television shows, I think that this existence of evil in our world is almost twisted into something intriguing and luring. For example, as mentioned in the prompt, modern day shows such as Charmed and Practical Magic display this sense of magical fantasy that draws us to be attracted to this idea of something mystical and dark.