You Can Not Stop The Emendable In The Witch By Shirley Jackson

Submitted By Meaghan13
Words: 352
Pages: 2

You Can not Stop the Emendable in “The Witch”

In “The Witch”, Shirley Jackson suggest that though symbolism of the old man to the young boy which contrast males young and old; that everyone grows up. The young boy is at first sweet, caring and behaving . He even gets rewarded for good behavior “she began to cry….[Johnny] beg[ged] her not to cry….and the little boy received a lollipop from his mother”(1). When someone has the ability to control something or someone they have a sense of peace, but enable to maintain this peace of control you must give something in reward; Johnny gets rewarded for showing a sense of maturity and respect. However, Johnnies’ immature attitude when answering simple questions like how old he was, show him as a symbol of young and innocent. When the old man is introduced he shows a level of maturity; also he has a cigar while Johnny has a lollipop. The little boy says “’ My father smokes cigars,’” and the man replies “ ‘All Men smoke cigars, Someday you’ll smoke cigars, too‘”(1). The cigar is a symbol of old and wise; a boy will smoke cigars when he becomes a man. Where as the lollipop is a symbol of youth; something that brings children joy. In addition the old wise man decides to test Johnnies maturity by telling him a frightful/evil story; this then aggravates the mother by making her feel as if she is about to lost her little boy. The mother then tries to regain control of her little boy, to reestablish that he is a little innocent boy