In Margaret Atwood's Poem Mary Webster

In Margaret Atwood’s Poem Mary Webster was hanged from a tree in Massachusetts, for being accused of practicing witchcraft. She hung there all night until early the next morning she was cut down and found still alive. Margaret Atwood is the author of this poem “Half-Hanged Mary”. Margaret Atwood’s diction used in the poem is one of the main aspects that develop the mood for the audience. She addresses the women, the men, and her faith in God throughout this whole poem, using her word choice to set a specific mood.

Within the poem Atwood uses words that express the women in the town where this hanging happened. “Oh yes, and breasts, and a sweet pear hidden in my body. Whenever there’s talk of demons these come in handy.(pg.1) In the 1680’s numerous women were accused of Witch Craft, more than the men were. Women were deemed to be weaker than men, and further susceptible to the Devil’s influence. Most women had professions such as healing, being midwifes, and cooking, which could be associated with the regard of invocation. Invocation is revolved around making potions and spells. When someone says the word “witchcraft”, one thinks of cursing. Women would lash out at others with their tongues, while on the other hand men lash out with their fists. Atwood uses the simile “I might rub off on you, like soot or gossip.” (pg.1) To show that if the women were to help her down, they could possibly be accused of witchcraft also. The word choices she uses that refer to the women in the poem, impact the mood by giving the audience the emotion of feeling ashamed. The women felt disgraced by the men, because they act superior in rank over them. Women were ashamed to be a called a women, because of the fact that the word brought bad connotations in the Puritan days. Her diction of the men in the poem also affects the mood given to the readers.

In the poem Mary Webster does not think highly of the men because of the way they treat her and many other women accused of practicing Witchcraft. “The men of the town stalk homeward, excited by their show of hate, their own evil turned inside out like a glove and me wearing it.” (pg.1) This shows that since the men have been unfaithful and sinful they have to find someone to put the blame on and unfortunately she was that person. She was put to death for everyone else’s shortcoming; she was going to die because of