Oral Bac / 3

[AmandineB]

Bonjour à tous, voici mon oral d'anglais, j'aimerais savoir s'il y a des fautes, merci d'avance!

 

Today my presentation is going to deal with the myths and heroes through the theme of witches and scapegoats, in other words, a person or group that is made to bear blame for others during the 17th century in America. First, we’ll define the terms of the notion. A myth is a popular story or belief that evolves over time and that conveys the ideal of a given society. A hero is someone who performs extraordinary feats or admirable actions. Therefore, we can wonder how myths and heroes influence American society. First and foremost, we’ll study through the historical and cultural context, the values and beliefs at this time and then the repercussions this has caused.

 

To begin with, in the 1620’s and 1630’s the Puritans were English Protestant fundamentalists who, discontent with the church of England, sought to live according to their rigorous doctrine in the newly founded colonies of New England. According to the document Puritanism in 17’s century New England, it was based on a very strict moral code in which the notion of pleasure was a sin. The way Puritans dressed also revealed their moral code, since the only colour which was acceptable to them was the black or dark. Actually, colours were considered devilish. Hence, those who didn’t respect the Puritan code were rejected and sometimes imprisoned or put to death. Besides, Puritans believed in predestination and the « elect », which means that God chooses from birth whether someone is to be saved or damned. Adultery was not tolerated by Puritans. Thereby, adulterous relationships were punishable, sometimes by death. Puritans also believed that the forest was the home of the devil and a place for witches. Beyond that, when faced with difficulties he thinks are overpowering, man has a tendency to find someone else to blame. By doing this, he unifies his group and attempts to reassert his own failing power. In Salem, for instance, life was very hard and people were living in conditions of stress which caused a number of physical and psychological disorders. To make sense of this, and try to explain (and hence control) what was happening they resorted to old stories and myths : the demon was at work on earth, subverting people to his will. At the centre of this explanation was the mythical supernatural figure of the witch.

 

This leads to my second part where we’re going to focus on the tragic consequences and especially towards the witches in America.

The picture of The Crucible shows a woman dressed in black and wearing a white cap looking up with fear on her face. A group of five people are pointing accusing fingers at her. Judging from the bench behind her, the scene must take place in a courtroom. The woman must be on trial, suspected of witchcraft and has probably been charged with being a witch. She has no doubt been accused of conjuring up the devil or other evil spirits, casting spells and cursing people. Besides, in the background, to her left, we can see what looks like a rag doll which is often used in black magic rituals to cast evil spells on people. The woman looks terrified and helpless. This is emphasized by the use of a high angle shot that underlines her powerlessness. Witchcraft carried a death penalty and if she were sentenced, she could be hanged or burnt at the stake. In America, Salem, which is located in Massachusetts is the main home to etheral occurrences, tragic trials, and strange rumors of the supernatural for centuries. In the document «the witches of Salem», the picture shows one of Salem trials with a young intent-looking girl standing before what must be a judge wearing a skull cap. She must be bearing testimony to some of the visions she had or is having and is pointing at creatures that only she can see. This illustrates the fear and hysteria of the people at that time, grounded in ignorance and superstition. Indeed, first, when American colonists sailed to the New World, they brought over their belief in witches and in the devil with them. Thus, in 1692, when a group of girls fell sick in Salem, the whole community was baffled and thought they had been bewitched. The girls, who claimed that those responsible were within their own community, suffered convulsions, physical pain, fever, horrible visions and blasphemous screaming. Unable to explain the symptoms, physicians concluded that the girls were under the influence of the devil and this led to a Puritan inquisition. As a result, twenty people were hanged and two hundred were accused of witchcraft. To this day, the Salem witch hunts remain as a testimonial and a warning about the powers of the irrational over social sanity and reason. They reveal how a society, in a short length of time, can fall prey to irrational destructive behaviour. False accusations, prejudice, ignorance religious and social bigotry all validated by a biased judicial system had conspired to reduce countless lives to misery and ended in the deaths of 25 people.

 

In a nutshell, scapegoating and witch-hunting have many painful resurgences throughout history and its victims have always paid a heavy price even if they weren’t guilty. It is why it’s necessary to cast the light of reason on such happenings so that the monsters of superstition and prejudice can disappear forever. The myth of witches is very much alive in Salem today. There are museums, haunted houses, guided tours. A whole economic infrastructure depending on keeping the myth alive as it constitutes a major source of revenue for the town. The events are remembered with a mixture of venality and financial exploitation and a measure of shame and regret too.

[Jean B]

Bonjour,

Today my presentation is going to deal with the myths and heroes through the theme of witches and scapegoats, in other words, a person or group that is was made to bear blame for others during the 17th century in America. First, we’ll define the terms of the notion. A myth is a popular story or belief that evolves over time and that conveys the ideal of a given society. A hero is someone who performs extraordinary feats or admirable actions. Therefore, we can wonder how myths and heroes influence the American society. First and foremost, we’ll study through the historical and cultural context, the values and beliefs at this time and then the repercussions this has they caused. < Le 17ème siècle, c'est de l'histoire ancienne => prétérit

 

To begin with, in the 1620’s and 1630’s the Puritans were English Protestant fundamentalists who, discontent with the church of England, sought to live according to their rigorous doctrine in the newly founded colonies of New England. According to the document Puritanism in 17’s century New England, it was based on a very strict moral code in which the notion of pleasure was a sin. The way Puritans dressed also revealed their moral code, since the only colour which was acceptable to them was the black or dark. Actually, colours were considered devilish. Hence, those who didn’t respect the Puritan code were rejected and sometimes imprisoned or put to death. Besides, Puritans believed in predestination and the « elect », which means that God chooses from birth whether someone is to be saved or damned. Adultery was not tolerated by Puritans. Thereby, adulterous relationships were punishable, sometimes by death. Puritans also believed that the forest was the home of the devil and a place for witches. Beyond that, when faced with difficulties he thinks are overpowering, man has a tendency to find someone else to blame. By doing this, he unifies his group and attempts to reassert his own failing power. In Salem, for instance, life was very hard and people were living in conditions of stress which caused a number of physical and psychological disorders. To make sense of this, and try to explain (and hence control) what was happening they resorted to old stories and myths: the demon was at work on earth, subverting people to his will. At the centre of this explanation was the mythical supernatural figure of the witch.

This leads to my second part where we’re going to focus on the tragic consequences and especially towards the witches in America.

The picture of The Crucible shows a woman dressed in black and wearing a white cap looking up with fear on her face. A group of five people are pointing accusing fingers at her. Judging from the bench behind her, the scene must take place in a courtroom. The woman must be on trial, suspected of witchcraft and has probably been charged with being a witch. She has no doubt been accused of conjuring up the devil or other evil spirits, casting spells and cursing people. Besides, in the background, to her left, we can see what looks like a rag doll which is often used in black magic rituals to cast evil spells on people. The woman looks terrified and helpless. This is emphasized by the use of a high angle shot that underlines her powerlessness. Witchcraft carried a death penalty and if she were sentenced, she could be hanged or burnt at the stake. In America, Salem, which is located in Massachusetts is <(*)> has been the main home to etheral occurrences, tragic trials, and strange rumors of the supernatural for centuries. In the document «the witches of Salem», the picture shows one of Salem trials with a young intent-looking girl standing before what must be a judge wearing a skull cap. She must be bearing testimony to some of the visions she had or is having and is pointing at creatures that only she can see. This illustrates the fear and hysteria of the people at that time, grounded in ignorance and superstition. Indeed, first, when American colonists sailed to the New World, they brought over their belief in witches and in the devil with them. Thus, in 1692, when a group of girls fell sick in Salem, the whole community was baffled and thought they had been bewitched. The girls, who claimed that those responsible were within their own community, suffered convulsions, physical pain, fever, horrible visions and blasphemous screaming. Unable to explain the symptoms, physicians concluded that the girls were under the influence of the devil and this led to a Puritan inquisition. As a result, twenty people were hanged and two hundred were accused of witchcraft. To this day, the Salem witch hunts remain as a testimonial and a warning about the powers of the irrational over social sanity and reason. They reveal how a society, in a short length of time, can fall prey to irrational destructive behaviour. False accusations, prejudice, ignorance religious and social bigotry all validated by a biased judicial system had conspired to reduce countless lives to misery and ended in the deaths of 25 people.

<(*)> Il y a un lien passé-présent => present perfect

In a nutshell, scapegoating and witch-hunting have many painful resurgences throughout history and its victims have always paid a heavy price even if they weren’t guilty. It is why it’s necessary to cast the light of reason on such happenings so that the monsters of superstition and prejudice can disappear forever. The myth of witches is very much alive in Salem today. There are museums, haunted houses, guided tours. A whole economic infrastructure depending on keeping the myth alive as it constitutes a major source of revenue for the town. The events are remembered with a mixture of venality and financial exploitation and a measure of shame and regret too.