R. Suffer Not A Woman To Speak.

Through “Suffer Not A Woman to Speak,” one idea became very evident to the reader. In colonial times, women were faced with hardships in life more than physical pain and work. They were faced with an emotional toll that would drive many people nowadays seeking therapists and counselors, or even the punching bag at the gym. These hardships also led those same women to benefits in the end, however. This is similar to all the late night work from an AP class paying off with a college credit.

Everyone knows the classic story of Adam and Eve; Eve gave Adam forbidden fruit which was eaten, and human nature became sin. The Calvinists interpreted this story with the conclusion that women possessed devilish powers. One bad apple, and a whole lot of work resulted for the generations of the ladies to come. From there, they were required to serve under their husbands to work.  Anne Hutchison was a woman who had to suffer because of everything believed about women, their evil seductive powers, and the roles they were expected to play everyday. Thet typical colonial wife was another gray face of conformity, a housekeeper, mother, under the man, and kept care of the children. John Knox sums it up; women were there “… to serve and obey man...” Anne Hutchinson stood up against all of those beliefs in one sitting, and suffered pretty badly against the theocracy of a government. Her leadership positions, being a lay preacher and even altering whole religious ideas led to expulsion and death.

The idea of Eve and women’s evil seduction came into play into the Salem witch trials, and many women were accused of being a witch if they didn’t conform like the others.  The average women’s hard, monotonous life also played into the witch trials.  They were not supposed to imagine, or fantasize, or play games like so many people do today. When they heard of witches they probably were curious, and imagined what these people were like. Not being used to these thoughts, some poor women confessed to witch craft.

The Protestantism allowed good things to happen through the emotional strain. The strain caused women to read Scripture constantly to be brought to salvation, and they became more literate. Girls and boys both learned writing and reading in Protestant day school for this reason as well. Women were even supported to speak about religious issues. Women could do this, but with caution, or the same thing could happen to them as Anne Hutchinson.  In Britain, Femme Covert led to a married woman having no rights to property. The colonies changed that so that a woman could, although she still had no direct court access.

  The author of “ Suffer A Woman Not to Speak”  explains how protestantism had many negative affects on women, but also some positive affects for their education and how the law applied to them. They mostly suffered, accused and some executed as witches, thought of as easily possessing evil to society, and being forced under the rank of their husbands. Literacy and education resulted out of this, and even the rights of marital widowed property. The author uses this text to explain the benefits and hardships, or qualifies, female Protestant lifestyle.

"Suffer Not A Woman to Speak." Pages 15-25.

(I could not find all the MLA citing information.)