Reading Guide for Robert Calef's "More Wonders of the Invisible World"

Vocabulary

Cast of Characters

According the details of the intro biography, would Calef fall into the Englightenment thinker's category or the more medieval, Puritan thinker's way of thinking? Briefly support your argument with a couple of details from the intro or the narrative. Keep it short, please.

According to the intro what are the two main 20th century arguments about what caused the Salem events?

What was Calef's main concern while examining the events surrounding the witchcraft scare and what did legal precendent did he begin as a result of this concern?

According to the introduction, Calef believed that in order for truth to emerge, there must be WHAT? Do not quote the book.

* * * * * * * * *

Why might the age of Margaret Rule be of particular significance here given some of the odder events in the narrative?

In the second question Mather asks of Rule, who is the "master" he refers to and why, do you think Mather avoids naming that master in the third and following questions?

What color is the "master," and why is that significant [takes speculation on your part to answer fully]?

What are the 2 main forms of treatment for M. Rule and why do those forms of treatment seem to work do you think?

After reading the Q and A with Rule, how would you judge the quality of the questions asked of her? Are the questions sensibly asked to get a factual and trustworthy answer or is there something "off" about the form in which the questions are asked. What would you say?

Why would Mather conclude that Rule shows the same problem as Short?

Is there any evidence in the account which might lead one to believe that Rule is "putting them on" for some reason? What might be her motivation if this is so?

When is brushing most effective and how do you think it is working to have that most effective result?

In the September 19th account of Rule's affliction, a new set of symptoms appears: what are the new symptoms and how is that like Madeline's symptoms [from a previous reading]? Could the cause of the affliction be the same for both Rule and Madeline Usher?

After reading Calef's account, what would you, as a modern psychologist/psychoanalyst/doctor think her affliction is? How would you diagnose her and why would you pick that diagnoses? [This, of course, assumes that spectres are not really torturing her so the question is biased. You may conclude otherwise.]

* * * * * * * * *

Cotton Mather accusses Calef of mis-recording the questions which were asked of Rule: What is his complaint exactly and what difference would it make if he were correct?

Does Mather read Calef right when he objects to Calef's description of the "brushing" treatments? Show your answer to be accurate by placing a phrase or sentence from Mather with a phrase or sentence.

Why do you think it makes a difference, where the imp is located? How might this be related to the treatment of Rule and the "smutty thing" Mather thinks he's being subtly accused of?