My whole life, I have been intrigued by movies and shows about witches, demons, and vampires. I grew up watching tv shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and Doctor Who, which are all based on characters that have supernatural backgrounds. I was introduced to all of these shows by my dad, who is also an avid watcher of supernatural tv shows. I was always interested in the relationship each of these shows had for their main characters. The bond the characters shared with one another was always very important to me because my father and I shared a bond with each other while watching the shows together. After watching these shows multiple times, I decided it was time to start something new and this lead me to Charmed. I was drawn to this show, not only because of the supernatural plot, but because of the three main characters, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe Halliwell and their sisterly bond. My sisters, who are both older than me, grew up watching Charmed and always wanted me to watch it. The sisterly bond that has been portrayed on the show, has brought my sisters closer together, and they wanted to share this with me. Like the show, we are three sisters that all have different goals in life and sometimes that can complicate things, but like the Halliwell sisters, we are always able to move past our differences and work together. The history of sisterly bonding and supernatural background of this show has influenced my research and helped me understand more about how important having a sisterly bond is and how people can cast out others for meaningless stereotypes that have been around for years.
Annotated Bibliography
“Witch Familiars, Spirit Guardians and Demons.”
This article focuses on the stereotypes forced upon witches all the way back to the 14th century.
Witches and those who practice witchcraft have never been accepted in society and neither has
anything that’s been associated with them. This includes a witches familiar. In this time, when witches were tried and executed, often their familiars would be executed with them.
“Because of the assumed dangerous nature of the familiars, many animals were massacred, especially cats. These killings resulted in a tragic situation. In the middle 14th century Black Death was ravaging Europe. Some scholars suggest the huge reduction in cat numbers allowed rat and rodent population to boom...” (Ancient-Origins).
This information really shows how little people care for witches and Wicca. Many innocent people were killed during the witch trials, and apparently so were many innocent animals. People are so quick to judge others without allowing them to give an explanation for anything, and this will influence my writing.
“Why Teen Television.”
Charmed has been very popular among all ages, but teenagers and young adults is one of the shows biggest audience. This is because some of the things in the show are easily relatable to teens such of love and relationships. The biggest and most iconic relationship on the show is with the three sisters themselves, and viewers with sisters are able to use this to connect more with the show. In this article, Feasey says, “Although each of the sisters has, over the course of the showʼs history, made an effort to leave the family home, the “charmed ones” have always returned to the family manor because of the fundamental significance of the sisterly bond” (5). This shows how strong the Halliwell sister bond is, and how sisters are in general. A sisterly bond is like no other because you always get drawn back together. This will influence my writing by allowing me to understand more about how the Halliwell sisters really feel about each other.
“Witchcraft, Witch-Hunting, and Politics in Early Modern England.”
This article helps explain what life was like for early modern witches in England. Witches were often tried an executed without much evidence of the people being real life witches, which we now understand was the wrong things to do, but years ago, when everyone was terrified of what a witch could do, it seemed right. “...witchcraft prosecutions and convictions were heavily influenced by political concerns and partisanship” (Gibson 1684). This helps me understand how little thought went into trying and convicting innocent women as witches and eventually executing them. This shows how much hatred the public had for a group of people when the majority of people in the group were not affiliated with violence what so ever. This will help influence my writing because it shows how little the public cares for witches and how detrimental it can be if a witch is discovered.
“Witches, Demons, Mystics: When Writers Cross the Supernatural Line.”
This article consists of writings about multiple stories that have to do with supernatural beings. This article will help with understanding the feeling of being in the presence of a supernatural being. “He said is does not represent anything and that it’s like nothing we know here in this world. He said it’s not a metaphor, because there are no metaphors for this kind of evil. It was shadow. It was death. It was the gathered souls of all his dead friends” (Carroll). This quote helps share the feeling of how terrifying a demon can be and how strong the Halliwell sisters have to be in order to face them everyday. This will influence my writing because of the way this article educated me and let me realize how serious demons are.
“Why Sisterly Chats Make People Happier.”
Sisterhood is a very important bond between siblings, and this article is a good way to show and express the importance behind it. The bond between the Halliwell sisters is something that intrigues viewers and possibly is something that urges people to watch. “...people who had grown up with at least one sister tended to be happier and more optimistic” (The New York Times). With this in mind, this is able to help influence my writing to understand that the Halliwell sisters are better off with each other and they have grown up to be as optimistic as they are because they’ve had each other their whole lives. This will influence my writing because I now am able to comprehend how fundamental the Halliwell bond is to the story of Charmed.
“Witchcraft in the #MeToo Era.”
The final article I researched is about modern witches and how they’re seen in a modern light. Witches today are still not entirely accepted into society, but today’s views are more accepting to a witch than they were in the 14th century. “In such a large and diverse city, it is no surprise that the Craft is fairly accessible, if you know where to look. Nearly 80 covens and pagan organizations operate in New York Metropolitan area...” (Yar). Discovering this will influence my writing because I’m able to see how modern witches are more accepted into society, and this may allow me to create a world in which the Halliwell sisters are discovered to be witches and it will not be detrimental to them. I am still aware that witches are an outcast and not fully accepted by society, but this article shows that over time, it has become more accepted and less shameful to be a witch and it has even become something to be proud of for some people.
Ancient-Origins. “Witch Familiars, Spirit Guardians and Demons.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, 10 July 2016, www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/witch-familiars-spirit-guardians-and-demons-006261.
Feasey, Rebecca. “Why Teen Television.” Journal of Popular Film & Television, vol. 34, no. 1, Spring 2006, p. 2. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edb&AN=21864445&site=eds-live.
Gibson, Marion. “Witchcraft, Witch-Hunting, and Politics in Early Modern England.” American Historical Review, no. 5, 2017, p. 1684. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.525369738&site=eds-live..
Tobias Carroll. “Witches, Demons, Mystics: When Writers Cross the Supernatural Line.” Literary Hub, 21 Mar. 2019, lithub.com/witches-demons-mystics-when-writers-cross-the-supernatural-line/.
“Why Sisterly Chats Make People Happier.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Oct. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/health/26essay.html.
Yar, Sanam. “Witchcraft in the #MeToo Era.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Aug. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/nyregion/witchcraft-in-the-metoo-era.html.
Annotated Bibliography
“Witch Familiars, Spirit Guardians and Demons.”
This article focuses on the stereotypes forced upon witches all the way back to the 14th century.
Witches and those who practice witchcraft have never been accepted in society and neither has
anything that’s been associated with them. This includes a witches familiar. In this time, when witches were tried and executed, often their familiars would be executed with them.
“Because of the assumed dangerous nature of the familiars, many animals were massacred, especially cats. These killings resulted in a tragic situation. In the middle 14th century Black Death was ravaging Europe. Some scholars suggest the huge reduction in cat numbers allowed rat and rodent population to boom...” (Ancient-Origins).
This information really shows how little people care for witches and Wicca. Many innocent people were killed during the witch trials, and apparently so were many innocent animals. People are so quick to judge others without allowing them to give an explanation for anything, and this will influence my writing.
“Why Teen Television.”
Charmed has been very popular among all ages, but teenagers and young adults is one of the shows biggest audience. This is because some of the things in the show are easily relatable to teens such of love and relationships. The biggest and most iconic relationship on the show is with the three sisters themselves, and viewers with sisters are able to use this to connect more with the show. In this article, Feasey says, “Although each of the sisters has, over the course of the showʼs history, made an effort to leave the family home, the “charmed ones” have always returned to the family manor because of the fundamental significance of the sisterly bond” (5). This shows how strong the Halliwell sister bond is, and how sisters are in general. A sisterly bond is like no other because you always get drawn back together. This will influence my writing by allowing me to understand more about how the Halliwell sisters really feel about each other.
“Witchcraft, Witch-Hunting, and Politics in Early Modern England.”
This article helps explain what life was like for early modern witches in England. Witches were often tried an executed without much evidence of the people being real life witches, which we now understand was the wrong things to do, but years ago, when everyone was terrified of what a witch could do, it seemed right. “...witchcraft prosecutions and convictions were heavily influenced by political concerns and partisanship” (Gibson 1684). This helps me understand how little thought went into trying and convicting innocent women as witches and eventually executing them. This shows how much hatred the public had for a group of people when the majority of people in the group were not affiliated with violence what so ever. This will help influence my writing because it shows how little the public cares for witches and how detrimental it can be if a witch is discovered.
“Witches, Demons, Mystics: When Writers Cross the Supernatural Line.”
This article consists of writings about multiple stories that have to do with supernatural beings. This article will help with understanding the feeling of being in the presence of a supernatural being. “He said is does not represent anything and that it’s like nothing we know here in this world. He said it’s not a metaphor, because there are no metaphors for this kind of evil. It was shadow. It was death. It was the gathered souls of all his dead friends” (Carroll). This quote helps share the feeling of how terrifying a demon can be and how strong the Halliwell sisters have to be in order to face them everyday. This will influence my writing because of the way this article educated me and let me realize how serious demons are.
“Why Sisterly Chats Make People Happier.”
Sisterhood is a very important bond between siblings, and this article is a good way to show and express the importance behind it. The bond between the Halliwell sisters is something that intrigues viewers and possibly is something that urges people to watch. “...people who had grown up with at least one sister tended to be happier and more optimistic” (The New York Times). With this in mind, this is able to help influence my writing to understand that the Halliwell sisters are better off with each other and they have grown up to be as optimistic as they are because they’ve had each other their whole lives. This will influence my writing because I now am able to comprehend how fundamental the Halliwell bond is to the story of Charmed.
“Witchcraft in the #MeToo Era.”
The final article I researched is about modern witches and how they’re seen in a modern light. Witches today are still not entirely accepted into society, but today’s views are more accepting to a witch than they were in the 14th century. “In such a large and diverse city, it is no surprise that the Craft is fairly accessible, if you know where to look. Nearly 80 covens and pagan organizations operate in New York Metropolitan area...” (Yar). Discovering this will influence my writing because I’m able to see how modern witches are more accepted into society, and this may allow me to create a world in which the Halliwell sisters are discovered to be witches and it will not be detrimental to them. I am still aware that witches are an outcast and not fully accepted by society, but this article shows that over time, it has become more accepted and less shameful to be a witch and it has even become something to be proud of for some people.
Ancient-Origins. “Witch Familiars, Spirit Guardians and Demons.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, 10 July 2016, www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/witch-familiars-spirit-guardians-and-demons-006261.
Feasey, Rebecca. “Why Teen Television.” Journal of Popular Film & Television, vol. 34, no. 1, Spring 2006, p. 2. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edb&AN=21864445&site=eds-live.
Gibson, Marion. “Witchcraft, Witch-Hunting, and Politics in Early Modern England.” American Historical Review, no. 5, 2017, p. 1684. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.525369738&site=eds-live..
Tobias Carroll. “Witches, Demons, Mystics: When Writers Cross the Supernatural Line.” Literary Hub, 21 Mar. 2019, lithub.com/witches-demons-mystics-when-writers-cross-the-supernatural-line/.
“Why Sisterly Chats Make People Happier.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Oct. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/health/26essay.html.
Yar, Sanam. “Witchcraft in the #MeToo Era.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Aug. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/nyregion/witchcraft-in-the-metoo-era.html.
Annotated Bibliography
“Witch Familiars, Spirit Guardians and Demons.”
This article focuses on the stereotypes forced upon witches all the way back to the 14th century.
Witches and those who practice witchcraft have never been accepted in society and neither has
anything that’s been associated with them. This includes a witches familiar. In this time, when witches were tried and executed, often their familiars would be executed with them.
“Because of the assumed dangerous nature of the familiars, many animals were massacred, especially cats. These killings resulted in a tragic situation. In the middle 14th century Black Death was ravaging Europe. Some scholars suggest the huge reduction in cat numbers allowed rat and rodent population to boom...” (Ancient-Origins).
This information really shows how little people care for witches and Wicca. Many innocent people were killed during the witch trials, and apparently so were many innocent animals. People are so quick to judge others without allowing them to give an explanation for anything, and this will influence my writing.
“Why Teen Television.”
Charmed has been very popular among all ages, but teenagers and young adults is one of the shows biggest audience. This is because some of the things in the show are easily relatable to teens such of love and relationships. The biggest and most iconic relationship on the show is with the three sisters themselves, and viewers with sisters are able to use this to connect more with the show. In this article, Feasey says, “Although each of the sisters has, over the course of the showʼs history, made an effort to leave the family home, the “charmed ones” have always returned to the family manor because of the fundamental significance of the sisterly bond” (5). This shows how strong the Halliwell sister bond is, and how sisters are in general. A sisterly bond is like no other because you always get drawn back together. This will influence my writing by allowing me to understand more about how the Halliwell sisters really feel about each other.
“Witchcraft, Witch-Hunting, and Politics in Early Modern England.”
This article helps explain what life was like for early modern witches in England. Witches were often tried an executed without much evidence of the people being real life witches, which we now understand was the wrong things to do, but years ago, when everyone was terrified of what a witch could do, it seemed right. “...witchcraft prosecutions and convictions were heavily influenced by political concerns and partisanship” (Gibson 1684). This helps me understand how little thought went into trying and convicting innocent women as witches and eventually executing them. This shows how much hatred the public had for a group of people when the majority of people in the group were not affiliated with violence what so ever. This will help influence my writing because it shows how little the public cares for witches and how detrimental it can be if a witch is discovered.
“Witches, Demons, Mystics: When Writers Cross the Supernatural Line.”
This article consists of writings about multiple stories that have to do with supernatural beings. This article will help with understanding the feeling of being in the presence of a supernatural being. “He said is does not represent anything and that it’s like nothing we know here in this world. He said it’s not a metaphor, because there are no metaphors for this kind of evil. It was shadow. It was death. It was the gathered souls of all his dead friends” (Carroll). This quote helps share the feeling of how terrifying a demon can be and how strong the Halliwell sisters have to be in order to face them everyday. This will influence my writing because of the way this article educated me and let me realize how serious demons are.
“Why Sisterly Chats Make People Happier.”
Sisterhood is a very important bond between siblings, and this article is a good way to show and express the importance behind it. The bond between the Halliwell sisters is something that intrigues viewers and possibly is something that urges people to watch. “...people who had grown up with at least one sister tended to be happier and more optimistic” (The New York Times). With this in mind, this is able to help influence my writing to understand that the Halliwell sisters are better off with each other and they have grown up to be as optimistic as they are because they’ve had each other their whole lives. This will influence my writing because I now am able to comprehend how fundamental the Halliwell bond is to the story of Charmed.
“Witchcraft in the #MeToo Era.”
The final article I researched is about modern witches and how they’re seen in a modern light. Witches today are still not entirely accepted into society, but today’s views are more accepting to a witch than they were in the 14th century. “In such a large and diverse city, it is no surprise that the Craft is fairly accessible, if you know where to look. Nearly 80 covens and pagan organizations operate in New York Metropolitan area...” (Yar). Discovering this will influence my writing because I’m able to see how modern witches are more accepted into society, and this may allow me to create a world in which the Halliwell sisters are discovered to be witches and it will not be detrimental to them. I am still aware that witches are an outcast and not fully accepted by society, but this article shows that over time, it has become more accepted and less shameful to be a witch and it has even become something to be proud of for some people.
Ancient-Origins. “Witch Familiars, Spirit Guardians and Demons.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, 10 July 2016, www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/witch-familiars-spirit-guardians-and-demons-006261.
Feasey, Rebecca. “Why Teen Television.” Journal of Popular Film & Television, vol. 34, no. 1, Spring 2006, p. 2. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edb&AN=21864445&site=eds-live.
Gibson, Marion. “Witchcraft, Witch-Hunting, and Politics in Early Modern England.” American Historical Review, no. 5, 2017, p. 1684. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.525369738&site=eds-live..
Tobias Carroll. “Witches, Demons, Mystics: When Writers Cross the Supernatural Line.” Literary Hub, 21 Mar. 2019, lithub.com/witches-demons-mystics-when-writers-cross-the-supernatural-line/.
“Why Sisterly Chats Make People Happier.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Oct. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/health/26essay.html.
Yar, Sanam. “Witchcraft in the #MeToo Era.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Aug. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/nyregion/witchcraft-in-the-metoo-era.html.
Annotated Bibliography
“Witch Familiars, Spirit Guardians and Demons.”
This article focuses on the stereotypes forced upon witches all the way back to the 14th century.
Witches and those who practice witchcraft have never been accepted in society and neither has
anything that’s been associated with them. This includes a witches familiar. In this time, when witches were tried and executed, often their familiars would be executed with them.
“Because of the assumed dangerous nature of the familiars, many animals were massacred, especially cats. These killings resulted in a tragic situation. In the middle 14th century Black Death was ravaging Europe. Some scholars suggest the huge reduction in cat numbers allowed rat and rodent population to boom...” (Ancient-Origins).
This information really shows how little people care for witches and Wicca. Many innocent people were killed during the witch trials, and apparently so were many innocent animals. People are so quick to judge others without allowing them to give an explanation for anything, and this will influence my writing.
“Why Teen Television.”
Charmed has been very popular among all ages, but teenagers and young adults is one of the shows biggest audience. This is because some of the things in the show are easily relatable to teens such of love and relationships. The biggest and most iconic relationship on the show is with the three sisters themselves, and viewers with sisters are able to use this to connect more with the show. In this article, Feasey says, “Although each of the sisters has, over the course of the showʼs history, made an effort to leave the family home, the “charmed ones” have always returned to the family manor because of the fundamental significance of the sisterly bond” (5). This shows how strong the Halliwell sister bond is, and how sisters are in general. A sisterly bond is like no other because you always get drawn back together. This will influence my writing by allowing me to understand more about how the Halliwell sisters really feel about each other.
“Witchcraft, Witch-Hunting, and Politics in Early Modern England.”
This article helps explain what life was like for early modern witches in England. Witches were often tried an executed without much evidence of the people being real life witches, which we now understand was the wrong things to do, but years ago, when everyone was terrified of what a witch could do, it seemed right. “...witchcraft prosecutions and convictions were heavily influenced by political concerns and partisanship” (Gibson 1684). This helps me understand how little thought went into trying and convicting innocent women as witches and eventually executing them. This shows how much hatred the public had for a group of people when the majority of people in the group were not affiliated with violence what so ever. This will help influence my writing because it shows how little the public cares for witches and how detrimental it can be if a witch is discovered.
“Witches, Demons, Mystics: When Writers Cross the Supernatural Line.”
This article consists of writings about multiple stories that have to do with supernatural beings. This article will help with understanding the feeling of being in the presence of a supernatural being. “He said is does not represent anything and that it’s like nothing we know here in this world. He said it’s not a metaphor, because there are no metaphors for this kind of evil. It was shadow. It was death. It was the gathered souls of all his dead friends” (Carroll). This quote helps share the feeling of how terrifying a demon can be and how strong the Halliwell sisters have to be in order to face them everyday. This will influence my writing because of the way this article educated me and let me realize how serious demons are.
“Why Sisterly Chats Make People Happier.”
Sisterhood is a very important bond between siblings, and this article is a good way to show and express the importance behind it. The bond between the Halliwell sisters is something that intrigues viewers and possibly is something that urges people to watch. “...people who had grown up with at least one sister tended to be happier and more optimistic” (The New York Times). With this in mind, this is able to help influence my writing to understand that the Halliwell sisters are better off with each other and they have grown up to be as optimistic as they are because they’ve had each other their whole lives. This will influence my writing because I now am able to comprehend how fundamental the Halliwell bond is to the story of Charmed.
“Witchcraft in the #MeToo Era.”
The final article I researched is about modern witches and how they’re seen in a modern light. Witches today are still not entirely accepted into society, but today’s views are more accepting to a witch than they were in the 14th century. “In such a large and diverse city, it is no surprise that the Craft is fairly accessible, if you know where to look. Nearly 80 covens and pagan organizations operate in New York Metropolitan area...” (Yar). Discovering this will influence my writing because I’m able to see how modern witches are more accepted into society, and this may allow me to create a world in which the Halliwell sisters are discovered to be witches and it will not be detrimental to them. I am still aware that witches are an outcast and not fully accepted by society, but this article shows that over time, it has become more accepted and less shameful to be a witch and it has even become something to be proud of for some people.
Ancient-Origins. “Witch Familiars, Spirit Guardians and Demons.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, 10 July 2016, www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/witch-familiars-spirit-guardians-and-demons-006261.
Feasey, Rebecca. “Why Teen Television.” Journal of Popular Film & Television, vol. 34, no. 1, Spring 2006, p. 2. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edb&AN=21864445&site=eds-live.
Gibson, Marion. “Witchcraft, Witch-Hunting, and Politics in Early Modern England.” American Historical Review, no. 5, 2017, p. 1684. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.525369738&site=eds-live..
Tobias Carroll. “Witches, Demons, Mystics: When Writers Cross the Supernatural Line.” Literary Hub, 21 Mar. 2019, lithub.com/witches-demons-mystics-when-writers-cross-the-supernatural-line/.
“Why Sisterly Chats Make People Happier.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Oct. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/health/26essay.html.
Yar, Sanam. “Witchcraft in the #MeToo Era.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Aug. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/nyregion/witchcraft-in-the-metoo-era.html.