In the 1680's, during an era of anti-witch hysteria, the Puritans of Boston condemned an innocent woman to hang on the Commons for practicing witchcraft. Unfairly accused and sentenced, Goody Glover's plight was not helped by the fact that she was a proud Irish Catholic — a small group that was hated and despised in Boston at the time. A poor women ripped from her home in Ireland, sold into slavery and eventually settled as a servant in the New World, Goody Glover would find that the old miseries of hatred and intolerance had followed her across the Atlantic.
Below is the brief story presented in it's entirety. Click each image to read three pages at a time.
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Historians offer many explanations of witchcraft. These interpretations differ widely but nearly all of them agree that although people did believe in witches and demonic possession, the origins of their beliefs can be understood in social and historical terms.
In other words, the possessed children, the witches' accusers, and even sometimes the "withces" themselves believed sincerely in witchcraft, but hysterical outbreaks of the type John Walsh depicts here were rooted in the social and cultural tensions of the time.
These included fear of sexuality, fear of women, envy of one's peers, and hatred of outsiders, especially Catholics.
It is the last of these themes that John Walsh captures so vividly, in stark black and white, in this cartoon. Goody Glover WAS a witch -- by Puritan standards. That is, she was Irish, she was a woman, and she had the bad luck to be around the young daughters of her social superiors.
Add Cotton Mather to the mix and her fate was sealed.
"Goody's Lament" captures a world of history in 12 graphic pages.
Hi, John,
Came over from your LinkedIn post to have a peek. Nice work overall. I'm only confused about one detail. You seem to be using "Goody" as if it's Glover's first name. I always thought Goody was short for "Goodwife" and therefore the colonial equivalent of "Mrs". Yes? No?
K S Hayes
K S Hayes—
Thanks for the comment. Goody's actual first name was either Ann or Mary; there are conflicting reports on this matter. Since her first name was a matter of debate (and as a century or two passed), she came to be called simply "Goody" as a way to shorten Goodwife—exactly as you mention!
Congrats on being published...great job!!!
Great job-- I'm always a huge fan of using comics to impart a little history. This tale of past injustices makes me seth inwardly-- a good thing.
George—Thanks for the compliments! High praise indeed coming from the creator of "Journey into Mohawk Country" from First Second!
Anyone who likes graphic novels should certainly check George's work out!
As a European, I grew up with amazing cartoons and yours tops them! Your style is a lot like the leading cartoonists in France and Belgium - I love it!
I studied witch trials in lawschool. In Europe, prosecuting witches (also male ones!)served several purposes.
Once accused, no lawyer in the world could help you and you were facing a certain death. This served some second sons very well to became the main heir.
The same applied to political opponents, troublesome spouses, etc.
Times were harsh and uncertain, and people clung to the church for stability. Being part of the flock and believing that you would have a great afterlife was rewarding for them. Most people couldn't read or write, and followed the clergy blindly.
Having a scapegoat serves an important social function: it enforces the concensus (lifestyle, norms, etc.) in a group. The best way to bind members closer and enforce group values, is to find an outsider or group to blame, to hate and (in worse cases) prosecute.
Many European witches were women who just didn't conform to the standard profile at the time. Too clever, too "strange", too independent,too different....
The authorities (church and state) also used witchhunts to keep their people "in place".
Poor Goody was at the wrong time, at the wrong place...
Debra Daumier
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