by Amy L. Montz
Earhart, Rose. Dorcas Good: The Diary of a Salem Witch. New York: Pendleton Books, 2000. 375 p.
Some novels contain interesting concepts brilliantly executed. In truly forgettable works, terrible concepts are poorly executed. Rose Earhart's Dorcas Good: The Diary of a Salem Witch is an example of an interesting concept poorly executed. A chronicle of a young woman's experience with the Salem Witch Trials and the subsequent years following, Dorcas Good attempts to breathe life and give depth to history. Replete with actual characters from the trials themselves, the novel does lend an air of authenticity to Earhart's fictionalized account, but the poor editing and confusing frame device serve to deprive readers any enjoyment they may have found in the book.
The story itself is riveting, if not fascinating. Earhart did extensive research on the Salem Witch Trials, down to finding out how long it took for each hanging victim to die, and her efforts shine throughout the text. But the aforementioned problems vastly outweigh her authorial skills.
The novel is told through the eyes of victim Sarah Good's daughter, Dorcas Good, so the reader empathizes with the poor, motherless, misfortunate child who was accused of witchcraft herself at the tender age of four. The story develops mostly chronologically, with a few insights added by Dorcas as she reflects on her life. What is confusing about the novel is that readers are led to believe that Dorcas is only four when she is writing her diary, yet the insights, prose, and revelations are far more mature than any four year old could muster. The author attempts to remedy this situation by interrupting the prose with an interjection by Mistress Black, a character who takes young Dorcas under her wing in prison. Mistress Black states, "By now I feel it must be clear to any who have happened upon this diary, that the writing is not that of a child who is but four and a half years old. While our Dorcas has always been quite precocious for her age, with intelligence beyond measure, she is still but a child, with a child's speech upon her lips."
Mistress Black goes on to say that she and her friend fixed the prose whenever possible to make it more accessible to readers, but remained true to the feel and intent of Dorcas's speech. This statement leads the reader to believe that Dorcas is a child when she writes her memoirs, yet the end of the book reveals that Dorcas is a teenager when she begins her "little book."
Very few protagonists suffer as Dorcas Good does. She is a victim of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her father and her jailers. Later, when back in the custody of her father, he forces her to become the town whore to subsidize his drinking and wenching. She is put on trial during the Witchcraft Trials, then left to languish for years in prison. The Devil appears to her in a form of a child and attempts to steal her soul by offering money and security. Dorcas refuses him because she is a child of the goddess, and thus cannot be led from the path of good by such banal evil. The irony is that Dorcas Good seems to be the only true witch in Salem at the time of this trial. Both Sarah Good and Rebecca Nurse demonstrate Wiccan powers, but neither have powers to the extent that Dorcas does. Dorcas is telepathic, and has some clairvoyant abilities. However, everyone and everything Dorcas cares for is destroyed in the end, and she is left alone, battling the demons of Gallows Hill, attempting to free those poor spirits of the falsely accused. The novel shows the determination of the human spirit and the will to survive evident in those who suffer through great trial and tribulation. Although Dorcas constantly wishes for an end to her torment, she continues on with life, knowing that she has some purpose on this earth.
Dorcas Good takes the very real horrors of the Salem Witch
Craze and brings them to life in the figure of this young, misunderstood
woman. Earhart demonstrates the fear of strong women prevalent throughout
history, especially during the time of the Salem Witch Hunts. Dorcas and
her mother, Sarah Good, along with all of the other accused, are different,
and are therefore considered evil. The novel expresses their confusion
and anger against a society that does not try to understand them, but rather
condemns them. Deeply rooted in nature and gynocentric religions, this
novel shows the dark side of homogenous societies and religious beliefs.
While a real and moving testament to the accused of Salem, Dorcas Good
lacks continuity, structure, and copy editing. The typos, misspellings,
and incorrect word usages detract from the plot and irritate readers. The
confusion of the frame story adds to this irritation. The novel became
a chore to read, rather than an enjoyment.