I, Tituba: Black Witch of Salem

Chapter 3 opens with Tituba’s testimony. Excerpts are reproduced verbatim from the original Deposition of Tituba Indian filed at the Essex County Archives, along with documentation regarding the other persons involved in the Salem trials—those who judged, sentenced, or claimed to be afflicted; those who were accused, executed, or pardoned—who are named as characters in this fictional account.

Tituba exacts her revenge on Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne, naming them both. In the closing sentence of Chapter 3, Tituba recalls Samuel Parris visiting her after the trial and shifts from past-tense narration to present: “I hate myself as much as I hate him” (106).

Chained up in a barn, Tituba does not witness the hysteria that strikes Salem. Elizabeth Parris repents and visits Tituba, admitting that the witch hunt is a plot by Parris and his followers to ruin others. As she shares details of the witch hunt, Tituba worries for John Indian. His rare visits reveal that he is well fed and healthy, and Tituba recalls Hester’s words: “Life is too kind to men, whatever their color” (109).

Tituba’s feelings for John Indian change as she sees how he is changes and discovers that he has joined the girls in pretending to be tormented.