It's so easy to become the witch
Thoughts on why we ostracise people, how language defines community, and a review of Hannah Kent's 'Devotion'.
Welcome back to First, We Eat! In this weekend’s edition for paid subscribers I share some thoughts on the nature of ostracisation within community. When and why are people cast out? That’s the question that led me to reread Hannah Kent’s latest novel Devotion (2022, Pan Macmillan). It touches on so many of the questions I have at the moment: Are the rules that guide and govern community intended to keep people in or others out? Why are some women branded “witches”, and others not? And, if you are cast out… what awaits you in the wilderness?
The concept of the witch is interesting to me because of its close ties with the enclosure movement of the 1600s. (Mostly peasant) women would gather food and medicines on the commons before the fences went up, and when they continued to do so after the land was enclosed they risked being branded a witch, and punished. All to protect private property and the newly privatised resources.
I wrote briefly about the enclosure movement this week. And I may come back to it down the line but for now I want to head in a different direction. Out into the proverbial wilderness.
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