Maryse Condé wrote this novel about the Salem witches. Although I had heard about the history of the Massachusetts Salem witches trials, I had never read their story before. The fictional book narrates the life of Tituba and was originally written in French, later translated into Spanish in 2022. Tituba was the daughter of the enslaved person Abena, the result of a rape by an English sailor. The book won the Grand Prix de Littérature Féminine in France in 1986.
Darnell Davis was the first Englishman to buy Abena, along with two other men from the Shanti tribe. Besides, Darnell brought Tituba’s mother to care for his wife, Jennifer, who was around the same age. He wanted Abena to entertain Jennifer with dancing and other activities.
Although Jennifer and Abena became friends, when Darnell learned of Abena’s pregnancy, he became enraged and gave her away to an enslaved person to be cared for. Yao, the chosen “husband,” was a rebellious man who had attempted suicide. However, when he saw the pregnant Abena, he felt compassion for the young woman who had already suffered so much and treated Tituba as his own daughter.
Abena regretted that her baby was a girl, for she knew the difficult life women faced. Tituba felt her mother’s unconscious rejection, undoubtedly linked to the traumatic memory of the rape.
Sadly, Abena was sentenced to death for resisting her master’s sexual desires. After her death, Tituba was expelled from the plantation and taken in by Mama Yaya, an elderly healer feared for her powers. With her, Tituba began her journey of plant knowledge, connection with nature, and intuition.
Tituba’s first love, John Indien
After Mama Yaya’s death, Tituba withdrew from society and lived in seclusion in the forest. She rarely went out and, not grooming herself, her disheveled appearance instilled fear in people when they saw her. The people of the community feared Tituba, considering her strange and different.
When Tituba met John Indien, she became so obsessed that she wanted him to fall in love with her at all costs. She asked the spirits of Man Yaya and her mother to help her with tricks to win him over. Yet, they disagreed, thinking John could have been a better man for Tituba.
“Why can’t women do without men?” she groaned. “Now you’re going to be dragged off to the other side of the water.”
Tituba changed her lifestyle to be with John. She agreed to go back to being an enslaved person in the house of John’s mistress, Susanna Endicott, who had kept him in her home since childhood. Although she hated this situation, she endured it to be by John’s side and share nights of love with him.
To be with John, Tituba not only had to become a slave wife and accept all her mistress’s demands, but she also had to convert to Christianity and take part in religious rituals.
For John, all this was acceptable. He asked Tituba to follow her mistress’s rules and respect them. Tituba did not understand John’s submission. She even questioned him and herself about the things John said:
“He seemed annoyed. “Yes, I belong to Susanna Endicott, but she’s a good mistress. . ..”
I interrupted him. “How can a mistress be ‘good’? Can a slave cherish his master?”
Tituba made great sacrifices and went against her own beliefs to be at the side of the man she loved. Subjected again to slavery and an alien religion, she endured humiliation just to please John. He accepted adapting to the oppressive system to survive. Tituba, with her free spirit, could not understand John’s passivity, and he did not value her efforts to be together. Love led her to make decisions against her nature.
They call me Witch for the first time.
John was afraid that Tituba would be judged as a witch; even when he mentioned it to her, Tituba was utterly unaware of this term. She didn’t understand its true meaning, let alone why people called her Witch.
This part of the book surprised me because it shows how often we classify people under assumptions or beliefs that belong to us but do not necessarily belong to others. The diversity of the world and the different perspectives on life reflect our shared humanity. But, our lack of tolerance leads us to reject those who think and act differently from our views. Why do we always believe that what is ours, such as our culture or religious beliefs, is better than others? Why do we want to impose our beliefs as absolute truth? Aren’t there different realities, each with equal value? When will we learn to accept these differences that are part of this world?
Although Tituba tries to fit in at Susanna Endicott’s property, she fails. Even as time goes by, a hateful relationship develops between the two women. In the end, as a form of revenge, before dying, Susanna sells John Indien to Samuel Parris so that they must leave Bermuda for Boston, USA. Thus, Tituba has no choice but to go with John so she can be with him.
Tituba’s condemnation
This time, Tituba establishes a good friendship with her mistress, Elizabeth, Samuel’s wife. A complicity is born between the two despite their social and religious differences. What these two women had in common was the rejection and fear they felt towards Samuel, a man who committed unpleasant acts in the name of God. We see a man who is very restrictive because of his strict religious beliefs.
At first, things seemed to go well for Tituba in her new home. However, the tranquility is short-lived when rumors arise about Tituba and her healing methods using herbs and prayers. Eventually, even the girls start imagining things and pretending that Tituba is a witch who attracts demons. They simulate convulsions as if possessed every time Tituba approaches them.
Thus, with the passage of time and the spread of rumors based on lies, Tituba is unjustly convicted of witchcraft. The Salem witches trials started.
During her condemnation, we see Tituba’s tremendous pain and suffering because of the rejection and finger-pointing. Additionally, she experiences the betrayal of people she cherishes and thinks the feeling is mutual. Others considered her an evil witch just because of the dark color of her skin. Her home remedies using medicinal plants were seen as spells rather than healing, even though they had healed Elizabeth of a severe illness.
Tituba’s most significant pain was not feeling loved and everyone seeing her as an evil woman with malicious intentions when she was a noble and kind woman who sought to help others despite her brutal life as an enslaved person.
The Salem witch trials.
Tituba is condemned unjustly only because of prejudice and unfounded rumors. People deliberately lie to blame her, driven by their own interests and not by the search for truth. They don’t care if Tituba is guilty and want to see her convicted. It signifies the lack of justice and irrational persecution at that time, where prejudice precedes facts. Tituba is a victim of the intolerance and false judgments of a community driven by superstition and ignorance.
The Real Witch
This book helped me better understand the real meaning behind the term “witch.” I had thought they were evil women, but the reality is different, at least according to what the religious figures wanted us to believe. Witches were women connected to their intuition and nature. They were cheerful and enjoyed dancing, although that was frowned upon. Also, they embraced pleasure and sexuality. Moreover, they believed in the medicinal properties of plants, spiritual connections with ancestors, and other dimensions.
Tituba was condemned for wanting to live according to her own beliefs and culture. She was a good woman – incredibly resilient, straightforward, and eager to help others with her knowledge. She loved passionately, but ultimately, that led to her downfall. Indeed, she tried fighting for her beliefs, but others refused due to her being a woman, an enslaved person, and having a dark skin color.
From the book, I noticed how religion prevented the enjoyment of life for many – everything seemed harmful and sinful. They lived in an emotional and mental cage. Although they saw themselves as more civilized than enslaved people, their actions reflected the opposite. There’s a part where Tituba questions this hypocrisy.
“Perhaps it’s because they have done so much harm to their fellow beings, to some because their skin is black, to others because their skin is red, that they have such a strong feeling of being damned?”
Overall, this novel let me see another side of history and understand that “witch” was used to oppress free-thinking women who sought to live in harmony and help others. Tituba represents the struggle against the ingrained intolerance and prejudices of that society.
Conclusion
The book left me with a reflection: we must all learn to understand that there are people with cultures and beliefs different from our own. Just because they are different does not mean they are wrong. They are simply different, and we should stop fearing what is unfamiliar. Of course, the familiar will always feel more comfortable and reassuring, but the difference does not equate to harmful or dangerous.
One day, we will become more aware and learn to live peacefully amidst differences without prejudice or finger-pointing.
In conclusion, it is a good, entertaining book for understanding the history of the Salem witches and the perspective of these women condemned in 1690. At the same time, it makes us reflect on the meaning of “witch.” But, I would have liked Tituba’s character to be more deeply developed. We do not see her evolve over the story despite all her experiences. I surely would have wanted to see a more mature Tituba by the end. But still, it is worth reading.
