elizabeth wilson

Posted on June 5, 2007 by aaust6yp
  1. ignorant– not knowing of the fervently preached saving power of God’s mercy seems an almost shocking realization for someone in this time period. “during her confinement she was visited by serious people of different religious demonstrations, and appeared amazingly ignorant…” This is also a very important factor to consider when thinking about the pursuit of these ministers to try and reach out to these people while imprisoned before being executed. However, it is also an interesting concept to consider when thinking in terms of God’s grace as opposed to mercy. Regardless of whether this person, for instance, Wilson, is aware of any spiritual or religious teachings, nothing is really to say that she will not go to heaven after her execution despite her unawareness and lack of sufficient knowledge in respect to what was being taught in the different denominations.
  2. dungeon– this was an interesting word choice for prison I believe. When considering what we know about dungeons as seen in history and entertainment, we can really catch a glimpse of what prison was like for the people being confined there. Also, we thinking about what all a dungeon entails, darkness, dampness, hollowness, hardness, perhaps we can also see into the minds and hearts of the prisoners that would offer some insight into why Wilson chose such a word to describe where she was being held. Furthermore, the fact that Wilson chose such a word in the context in which she used it, “the dungeon was the happiest place she ever was in her life,” suggests the reader with even more understanding of, perhaps, how bleak her life must have been before even being imprisoned.
  3. woman– although a general term, it is very relevant not only to this text but others, like Patience Boston and Esther Rodgers. Gender is something always poking the back of the mind when reading these narratives and comparing crimes with crimes. There seem to be specific crimes in which the men we are reading about seem to partake and a separate type of crime in which the woman criminal participates. In all of the narratives, including this one about Wilson, the woman is guilty of fornication, a very specific, personal, intimate crime unlike theft, counterfeiting, and thievery that can be seen as crimes committed in different degrees. In a way, this causes the woman to appear less strong, even weak. The fact that her crime would be of an intimate manner may also suggest what many may view as a submissive behavior.
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