Pillars of Salt

Humiliation- Humiliation, or loss of pride, took on two purposes. It was not only the stripping of dignity from the accused as part of the punishment, but for the onlookers, it was merely a form of entertainment. “New Englanders were encouraged to partake in the humiliation of public execution. In fact, the term “entertaining Death” is used to describe a criminal’s execution.
Wrath- Here wrath is directly connected to God, however, the term can also be looked at from the perspective of many other individuals taking part in public executions, (for example, the wrath that overtook James Morgan in his drunken state when he stabbed someone). It can also be viewed from the perspective of the judge and executioners and the feeling they must feel when prosecuting someone and torturing them.
God- God is personified in this chapter as the one who is really behind the punishment that the prisoners receiver. “God—and not the magistrates had assigned them their death roles.” The ministers are not really the ones doing the punishing, but are merely acting as God’s emissaries. Here we see another example of the ones responsible for punishment wanting to separate themselves from it, such as the vilifying of the executioner mentioned by Foucault.