This week, we were asked to read Akata Witch, with out alternative choice, Aunt Maria by Diana Wynne Jones as another option. Aunt Maria was a stereotypical crone/witch. Her delicacy and persnality seen by others was just an act to fool those around her,. She is intrusive, demanding, decitful & very hateful. She is the type of relative that eats away at your patience until it becomes unbearable. She if very manipulative by having Mig, Chris and the mom continue to stay under false pretenses. She pretends to have disabilities yet can literally do almost everything with absolutely no any issue. She is an immensly powerful witch and not only manipulates her family, but the entire town. She has brainwashed all the children as well as turned the men into nothing but zombie drones.
The witches in Aunt Maria were not as stereotypical as I thought they'd be. I believe they were more archetypical, being part of a witch’s community of thirteen. They were not old, ugly and frail as you would imagine. Some of them were a lot younger, wore makeup and perfume and were genuinely a lot friendlier looking. They all were part of the hive, yet each had their own quirks. Elaine was almost “police-like” and would follow Chris like a detective. She is loud and hearty, not low-key or feeble like I would've imagine.
What I thought the characters say about how culture models’ women with power was partially true. Some people (men in particular) do believe that powerful women want to rule a “Stepford Husband/Stepford Child” world, being slaves and submissive. Aunt Maria controlled everyone, she loved all of the power she had over others. She was an expert at bluring the truth, making things appear not as they are, but as she wanted them to see. Making her victims feel guilty and inflect terrible circumstances if anyone does not follow her. Some people feel that strong, powerful women got that way by taking advantage of other people’s weaknesses.
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