In Defense of Evil Witches

The first impression of the witches in Diana Wynne Jones’ Aunt Maria was that of familiarity. These aren’t the flimsy monsters of folklore, or the persecuted healers at the barbeques of antiquity, they are ordinary people from a small town, old people to be sure, but by all accounts still people. The story is embellished with supernatural touches but the real machine underneath is driven by the endemic struggle of the sexes. It would be tempting to characterize Jones’ depictions of witches as playing to easy stereotypes surrounding strong women in authority roles, but there are more layers to Jones portrayal then she lets on at first.

Galloping in to the minefield of gender politics Jones first illustrates the complex familial dynamics that keep Mig, Chris and their saintly mother in Maria’s grasp. She beautify articulates the delicate dance of politeness in amongst their cold war of passive aggression. The real forces at play here are the tooth and claw struggle of social superiority by animals only somewhat constrained by the rules of civilized society. Women have never ascended to power easily. At every foothold they are faced with the insecure rhinoceros of patriarchy. But Maria fights against these odds; perhaps the poisonous stereotypes and constant threat of exploitation darkened her last shreds of humanity. Perhaps she could have been the archetype of the powerful, benevolent witch, a spiritual healer and wise leader in her community. Instead she emerges from the battleground like a mystical granny Thatcher, a twisted female despot whose worldview has turned in on itself.

There is nothing magical about the villain Jones constructs for her story; underneath the trappings of genre fiction beats the heart of an ordinary, everyday megalomaniac. As it turns out there is nothing particularly villainous about her villains either. Maria has deceived herself just as thoroughly as she has her followers. How do you punish someone who according to her own delusional worldview has never done anything wrong? In the end Maria’s manipulations are more of an indication of her own tragic solipsism then an indication that she wants to cause harm to others.  After all what else is there to do in Cranbury?