Cotton Mather

Cotton Mather: How does he explain the causes of the outbreak of “witchcraft” in Salem? How do you explain it? How does his Puritan mindset determine what he can see in the events that unfold around him?Be sure to quote frequently from your chosen text. About 15-20% of your overall word-count should consist of quotation. Use at least three quotations per body paragraph and analyze them closely.Be sure to cite and document your quotations correctly according to MLA style.Do not write a simple biography, a summary, or a high school “book report.” Just answer the exact question posed in your chosen topic. Keep the focus tight, and avoid irrelevant filler. Consider the topic as a little puzzle or problem for you to figure out. 100% of your essay should be devoted to this. Your introduction should set up thisquestion/problem/puzzle, and your thesis statement should voice a clear point-of-view about it. Don’t rush through this part of the essay.Make it clear to your reader why you’re even asking such a question, and then give some indication of how you’ll tackle it, how you’ll make sense of it.Grading criteria:Substantive points of argument for thesis and topic sentencesClose/detailed/precise analysis of textsTheoretical sophistication, depth of thoughtLiterary-historical context in the introduction paragraph and, when appropriate, throughout.Overall quality of your writing: organization, style, grammar/mechanicsAt least 1000-1250 words