Further reading in the book, A Delusion of Satan, explores new facts about the addicted girls' state of mind. Lying and madness are shown constantly by Betty, Anne, and Abigail. There are many underlying factors to why these thoughts of witchcraft started coming about. These issues were going on before the winter of 1692. That year marked the onset of the hysterics behind the witchcraft trials. Because Salem was such a conservative yet opinionated society, the delusion of Satan affected and effected everyone in similar ways.

To understand some of the reasons behind the hysteria, you have to know a little about the people who settled the area of Salem Village. Mainly Puritans inhabited Salem Village and there were very few other religions at that time. The Puritans left England to escape religious persecution. They believed in the total trust in God and the absolute "sinfulness" of man. Church...