Bağatır 1 Cem Bağatır Cem Kılıçarslan AKE203 28.11.2022 The VVitch Review Historically in western culture witchcraft was condemned as an unspeakably evil act against God because it defied religious orders set by the Old Testament. Christianity had an overwhelming influence on peoples way of life. This is conveyed or at least tried to be in The VVitch. It takes place in 17th century New England which is when the first accusations of had just emerged. The film is very direct on the impact religion has on its characters and the use of imagery helps convey an even deeper subtext of the overall story. The family is from a Puritan Christian background, who immigrated from England in an attempt to purify their religion back to its ideal form. In the opening scene, the family is banished into the empty wilderness because of religious reasons. It almost mirrors the banishment of Adam and Eve who also were forced to leave the holy place because of their sins. The father William is excommunicated because of his prideful conceit. The son Caleb is guilty of the sin of lust, the lust he has towards his own sister Thomasin. Just like the story of Adam and Eve, he keeps referring to an apple tree and ends up choking on a red apple near the end of the film, just moments before praying and asking for forgiveness from God leading to his inescapeable death. In Puritan households, the male figure of the family played a vital role as the dominant authority figure and females were to play a more submissive role in child raising. The hunting scene strongly sets up the father’s intentions of rearing his son into an authority figure. They talk about selling Thomasin to another family since she is nearing puberty. This was not an uncommon occurence in Puritan households. They sold or at least sent away their pubescent daughters to seperate them from the mother because they believed that it would bring them closer to God. This becomes Thomasin’s final of killing her mother in an attempt to grow closer to God. However this is in fact the work of the devil. Thomasin’s transition into a witch is completely justifiable given how she is tricked into accepting her fate. Thomasin attempts to hold dearly to her beliefs but eventually gives in to temptation when no other option of hope is available. Her parents are prepared to sell her when she hits puberty and eventually the entire family seems to conspire against her. She is the last person to see every other children before they go missing, placing her as the suspect to their disappearance. We see Thomasin slowly accepting her label of being a witch and giving in to temptation at the end.