Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill

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hayleyb1
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Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill

Post by hayleyb1 »

Wicked Girls is a poetic novel with dozens of freestyle poems written from the perspective of the leading ladies of the Salem Witch Trials. The entire book jumps from perspective to perspective between three young girls and can get confusing if you do not pay attention to the name underneath each poem title. The theories behind the cause of the Salem witch trials as well as why they became so wide-spread and destructive are represented in Mercy Lewis, Margaret Walcott, and Ann Putnam Jr.
Mercy Lewis shows the views of a girl once born to a prosperous frontier family and reduced to servitude because her entire family was murdered by natives, while possibly suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. The poetry relates the nightmares she faced from watching her mother, father, and siblings die.
When I close my eyes to sleep / I see my Mother. She holds my father's scalp. Mouths of my sisters and brothers / gash open in scream. Yet I hear no cry, no yell, nothing.
She uses the "affliction" to accuse a trader that sold to the Indians that killed her family and also to accuse a Reverend Burroughs, who was known to beat and sexually abuse his wives and it is assumed both in factual history and this poetry that he also assaulted Mercy.
Margaret Walcott shows the theory of the girls faking the entire affliction to settle land disputes for their families that had been going on for years. She accuses people that she has a personal vendetta against, she speaks down to any other girls in the group that are educated because she has not been educated herself, and she pines for a young man that only wants a wife to serve him and turn a blind eye to his infidelities.
Young Ann Jr. is only twelve years old and is initially given leadership of the group because of her family standing, education, and decisions. Later the power goes to her head and she begins accusing people to "teach them a lesson" because they would cross her and disobey her orders. Poor Ann shows the theory that the girls could have started off physically ill from molded grains that caused hallucinations and other fevers known to do the same, and then once they were healthy again, continued to abuse to power they had achieved.
The three ladies' reaction to witnessing the hangings of their neighbors, was heart wrenching and clearly showed the tormented reaction to seeing the extent of their damages. This poetry even showed the punishment of the girls after the trial was over. They were not allowed to leave the house, not allowed to speak unless ordered to, and most of the girls died unmarried because the young men could not trust them enough to marry them.
Overall, Wicked Girls was insightful, haunting, and interesting to read. The form and frequent changes of viewpoint was slightly confusing, however I could understand why the author chose that form and style. I am looking forward to reading other poetic novels by Stephanie Hemphill to see her viewpoint of other historic persons.
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