Week 5: Witches

For this weeks blog, I read "Aunt Mariah" by Diana Wynee Jones. Jones does not reveal that Aunt Mariah is a witch until way later in novel. The book contains a lot of magical elements. My favorite part of the novel was when Mig found out that Aunt Maria had turned Chris into a wolf. There was a great deal of intensity in this part. I like how Jones writes a lot of the emotions of the character because it really made me sympathize with the characters.
I thought the way Diana Wynee Jones characterized witches was very unique. Aunt Maria's characteristic is seemingly sweet, but mean and harsh at times. In one of the part, she makes other people close her corset for her. Also, she makes people cook for her. She is spoiled.
The first time she uses magic is when she turns Chris into a wolf. She was upset that he was being rude to her.
I feel that the witches in this story does take on the stereotypical aspect of a witch in being that it cast spells. But also, it changes the American idea of a witch being an ugly green mole-faced lady. She is just a normal lady that does not really use magic to do everything. Most of the time she is talking to people and making people do things for her by words. She doesn't fly in a broom or anything. She is mean, but not a stereotypical malicious evil witch.