Step Inside a Different Pair of Shoes

Hello APEs, 

This week and the past week I have receive some true insight of how the earlier world of America took place. It was a different world then than now even if we are on the same planet. Here’s a short story of an opposite perspective of the past world.  

My named is Annie, I’m 17 years of age and I lived in small town named Salem with my father, mother, and two older brothers. I am the youngest and only girl in the family.   Salem is a small town that sits in middle of an open area and a couple meters out, lies the edge of the forest, the Devil’s foreground. The people of Salem live by the Puritan methods which are a strict biblical regime.  The girls my age work for other families, go to church and only read the bible. I am born a Puritan and must stay a Puritan until death do I part or the congregation exiles me. The Men rule this town even if they are not in the judges of ministry.  All ministers are men, so men are even seen as judge, jury, and executioner. All women are trained to see men in this way including their husbands, father, and sons. As I write to you do not judge me as men judge women who think for themselves and see another way of life. Try to understand I am no witch, but I see this town differently than everyone else who are conform by the church. If women are not married or widower they are often suspected of witch craft. They are the outsiders that oppose the Puritan methods. There’s no such thing of difference here in this town everyone follows the rule to the very last letter. I have never seen witch craft nor have most people either but it’s the lie that is offered for the reason of why such unnatural things happen. Living this way is more of a cage lifestyle for us. From this enclose space the pressure rises and everyone is unbalance and paranoid. When an opposing member of society appears in town, there is punishment in the name of justice of God. Even John Proctor can advocate he stated "I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. There are many others who stay away from church because you hardly ever mention God any more." There is so much punishment that this religion has turned into a cult where we burn women at the stake or cast them out and punishment for not worshipping God enough. I am awake in a town that lives in the darkness but I have no other choice but to keep writing to you for I fear the consequences of the judgement I may face.