Primary Source Analysis
A Tryal of Witches

 In his article “How to Read a Document” Mark Kishlansky discusses the multiple levels of reading that must be done to understand a primary source properly.  For this assignment, I want you to read A Tryal of Witches on two levels by answering the following two questions.

The first question is an interpretive one in that you are asked to take facts that you have already uncovered and then assess and interpret them to reach a specific conclusion.  I want you to pick one of our two witches, Amy Denny or Rose Cullender, and reach a few general conclusions about that person and her character from the text.  What type of person were they?   What conclusions can you reach from the evidence about their personality?   As you answer this question, keep in mind the biases in the text.  In addition make sure that you pay close attention to specifics and details.  Stay away from generalities.  Support your interpretive answer with evidence.  When you cite evidence, place the page number in parentheses next to your sentence.

The second question works at a deeper level and is analytic.  What can we learn about the society that produced this document?  See Kishlansky’s discussion of this question on page 65.   I am asking you to read into this document rather than simply reading it.   Avoid the simple and general answer, e.g. this was a superstitious culture.  We could have reached this answer without even reading the text!  Instead use the evidence, use the assumptions, use what is NOT being said to make a more specific observation about this society.  Again be specific as you deploy evidence.

Both questions should be answered in a separate paragraph.  You are not writing a unified essay but answering two distinct questions.  Your response to both questions should be no longer than two pages.