Respond to these rapid questions in our The Witch quiz and we will tell you which The Witch character you are. Play it now.
It’s telling that “The Witch,” a period drama/horror film written and directed for the first time by Robert Eggers, refers to itself as “a New England folktale” rather than “a fairy tale” in its marketing materials. In their most basic form, fairy tales are morality tales that are told to children. The feminist story “The Witch,” which centers on an American colonial family as they suffer through what appears to be a curse from another world, reads more like a sermon than a story. Just as one of the characters in the story uses the Book of Job to better understand her place in her family, sermons ask questions and employ pointed allegorical symbols to prompt us to reevaluate the way we live our lives (more on Job shortly). However, “The Witch” is not a morality play in the sense that the term is typically understood. It’s a drama starring an ensemble cast about a disloyal family that’s on the verge of destroying themselves. And it is about women and the stresses of patriarchy that lead to their being denied voting rights. [Citation needed]
It isn’t immediately clear which of the characters in “The Witch” is the primary focal point of the story. Eggers gives ample consideration to the mourning of grieving mother Katherine (Kate Dickie), even though it is highly unlikely that she is the person responsible for the disappearance of her infant son Samuel, who went missing under peculiar circumstances. And it is not at all Katherine’s mischievous young twins Jonas and Mercy (played by Lucas Dawson and Ellie Grainger, respectively), even though Mercy does frequently speak for her and her brother’s inability to understand how the world works after their family is exiled to a foreboding forest by a neighboring colony. It’s possible that William (Ralph Ineson), Katherine’s troubled husband, will be the primary protagonist of this movie. Or it could be her eldest son Caleb, played by Harvey Scrimshaw, a young man who is eager to defend his father against his frustrated mother.
However, “The Witch” focuses the majority of its attention on Thomasin, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, who is the eldest of Katherine and William’s five children. Thomasin goes through the changes that come with puberty while her family watches with suspicion, but in all honesty, they are not overly concerned with her when the crops are failing, there is a lack of money, and Samuel is missing. Still, Thomasin is the one who takes the brunt of her family’s worries on her shoulders. Her younger siblings look to her for solace, but she resists the additional pressure, particularly after her mother makes her do more chores than the rest of her family members. There are a number of other threads that run throughout “The Witch,” but ultimately they all circle back to Thomasin. It is not just about the marginalized presence of women in a male-dominated microcosm, but also about the harsh conditions that can, even under extremely isolated circumstances, lead women to resentment and crippling self-doubt. That is the dark beauty of Eggers’ expansive story.
But you shouldn’t waste any more time and start this The Witch quiz.
In this regard, “The Witch” is an example of an anti-parable. Eggers does eventually guide Thomasin out of the woods, but he is very deliberate and cautious as he clears a path for her. Because it follows desperate, lonely souls who do everything—set animal traps, milk goats, till the fields, and do laundry—to avoid thinking about what’s really bothering them, the result sometimes feels like an imaginary version of “The Crucible” scripted by Harold Pinter. It is not until much later that Thomasin’s clan even begins to consider the possibility that their issues are the result of witchcraft or the influence of a demon. However, it does occur in the end. A tetchy goat, a twitchy hare, and some talkative crows are some of the animals that serve as warnings and portents before that point in time. In the end, Thomasin’s family gives flesh and blood to their anxieties regarding the natural world, a gnawing unease that is predictably gendered as feminine. And all of a sudden, the problems that the family faces on a daily basis—almost all of which stem from the fact that their land appears to be cursed—take the form of a wicked witch from a fairy tale.
The Witch Quiz
This brings up Job again, doesn’t it? In the book of Job, God allows Job to suffer in order to evaluate Job’s level of faith. The reader is aware that God is real and that he has a mysterious or perhaps even divine reason for testing Job’s faith. But until God causes Job’s body to be afflicted, he does not question whether or not there is a purpose behind his suffering. The same can be said for William and his family, in a general sense. He goes about his business in the most efficient manner he can muster up until the circumstances that have befallen his family cause them to begin ripping each other’s throats out. Because of this, when you watch “The Witch,” you may find that you have a hard time understanding what the movie is about. However, the title of the movie gives away a significant clue: this is a fantasy about achieving one’s potential, albeit in unconventional ways.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this The Witch quiz.
I have spent a lot of time discussing the subject matter of “The Witch,” but I haven’t mentioned how well it handles that subject matter. That’s in part because the movie is so captivating from beginning to end that I couldn’t help but give in to its charms right away. There is also an overt reference to one of Francisco Goya’s more famous paintings, but I can’t tell you which one it is because I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Eggers’ hyper-mannered camerawork draws you in by evoking the portraits of Johannes Vermeer and the landscape paintings of Andrew Wyeth. The intricate sound design and meticulous editing both contribute to the creation of an atmosphere that is (somewhat paradoxically) both inviting and solemn. You won’t even be aware that “The Witch’s” creators have been broadcasting exactly where they’re taking you because “The Witch” is so good at drawing you in.
For more personality quizzes check this: Hell Or High Water Quiz.
