Magic Lessons

The narrative of Magic Lessons is deeply rooted in the historical reality of the 17th-century witch hunts that swept across Europe and the American colonies. This era was marked by widespread social anxiety fueled by political turmoil and religious upheaval. The Massachusetts Bay Colony, a 17th-century English settlement founded by Puritans seeking to create a model Christian commonwealth that upheld a strict and patriarchal interpretation of biblical ideals, lost its original royal charter due to escalating defiance of British law and economic control—early signs of a brewing revolution. The loss of the charter left the region under uncertain political leadership and without a clear legal framework. The ensuing political unrest created a fertile ground for “the ruling Puritan elite [to shift] the focus away from their own failings by finding scapegoats: witches. […] Women who didn’t fit into society’s narrow roles were often the first to be accused. Independent, outspoken, or simply different—these women became the perfect targets” (Fahreza, Riefky. “Witch Hunts and Power Stunts: The Political Side of the Salem Witch Trials.” Medium, 22 Sept. 2024). 

This persecution of witches was already rampant in England during the 1640s. National Geographic notes that “[w]itch trials were not unique to Salem. Europe had undergone a witch-hunting craze from the 15th to the 18th centuries, prosecuting an estimated 100,000 people—mostly women. […] European colonization spread this preoccupation as social unrest and religious and political changes in Salem made it susceptible to witchcraft accusations” (Blakemore, Erin. “Witch Hunts Were Common in the 17th Century. Here’s What Made Salem Infamous.” National Geographic, 7 Oct. 2024). Self-proclaimed “Witch-Finder General” Matthew Hopkins exploited this fear for personal profit. While he claimed religious motivation, his activities were also a lucrative enterprise; he and his associates charged towns significant fees for identifying and prosecuting alleged witches. His methods, detailed in his 1647 pamphlet The Discovery of Witches, relied on coercion and torture. 

The novel captures this system of misogynistic control, emphasizing the ways accusations of witchcraft targeted women who defied social norms, such as Hannah Owens, who is unmarried, independent, and literate and possesses knowledge of herbal medicine. The novel’s inclusion of John Hathorne, a real and notably unrepentant Salem magistrate, grounds the story in the brutal consequences of Puritan fanaticism. By weaving in these historical figures and events, Hoffman illustrates how the witch hunts functioned as a systemic mechanism for policing women’s knowledge, independence, and autonomy, punishing any who existed outside the rigid patriarchal structure.