A Break With Charity
A Break with Charity – Discussion Questions
1. “ Another world it was back then,”……What kind of marks is she talking about?
The world back then refers to “the witch madness of 1692” or “the recent tragedy” (pg. 3)
When the author says, “..those marks might as well be a limping leg or a scarred face or lost fingers on one hand…” she means that if you lived during the Salem witch trial era, it was a life altering event for you…after having gone through that horrifying and stressful period in history (falsely accusing someone of being a witch), your life would never be the same. It would affect how you looked at things for the rest of your life. It left deep emotional scars which although you couldn’t see them, were really as painful as a physical scar like a face scar or lost finger on a hand…
2. In Chapter1, ….What does it mean to be a of place of ideas? And why would ideas not be encouraged in a community?
To be a “place of ideas” is a place where open diaglog is valued and encouraged. You are free to express you true individual ideas and thoughts.
Salem was a place where there was “group think.” It was considered odd or weird if you expressed ideas and thoughts that were different from the majority of townsfolk.
Ideas may not be encouraged in a community when they want everyone to conform to one way of thinking. It may be scary and threatening to look into the future or think about something new and/or different.
It is important to note that later in the booek (p. 49 & 50, Chapter 4), Susanna’s father praises her for “thinking for herself.” He says, “We live in a country yet unexplored …Our young people should have the minds and hearts to match the territory we propose to inhabit.”
3. In Chapter 2, we learn more about Puritan Salem. What are some of the ironies that seem to be rooted in Salem’s culture?
a. The major irony is that the word “Salem” means “City of Peace” when in reality the City is filled with hatred. (p. 25)
b. The people are
1. “ Another world it was back then,”……What kind of marks is she talking about?
The world back then refers to “the witch madness of 1692” or “the recent tragedy” (pg. 3)
When the author says, “..those marks might as well be a limping leg or a scarred face or lost fingers on one hand…” she means that if you lived during the Salem witch trial era, it was a life altering event for you…after having gone through that horrifying and stressful period in history (falsely accusing someone of being a witch), your life would never be the same. It would affect how you looked at things for the rest of your life. It left deep emotional scars which although you couldn’t see them, were really as painful as a physical scar like a face scar or lost finger on a hand…
2. In Chapter1, ….What does it mean to be a of place of ideas? And why would ideas not be encouraged in a community?
To be a “place of ideas” is a place where open diaglog is valued and encouraged. You are free to express you true individual ideas and thoughts.
Salem was a place where there was “group think.” It was considered odd or weird if you expressed ideas and thoughts that were different from the majority of townsfolk.
Ideas may not be encouraged in a community when they want everyone to conform to one way of thinking. It may be scary and threatening to look into the future or think about something new and/or different.
It is important to note that later in the booek (p. 49 & 50, Chapter 4), Susanna’s father praises her for “thinking for herself.” He says, “We live in a country yet unexplored …Our young people should have the minds and hearts to match the territory we propose to inhabit.”
3. In Chapter 2, we learn more about Puritan Salem. What are some of the ironies that seem to be rooted in Salem’s culture?
a. The major irony is that the word “Salem” means “City of Peace” when in reality the City is filled with hatred. (p. 25)
b. The people are