Magical Encounters: Freedom and Authenticity in the Figure of the Witch

Abstract

The witch is often viewed by other scholars as a figure symbolising resistance and freedom. These scholars conceive of freedom as a self-evident concept that expresses a critique of society. In this thesis, I move away from such a negative conception of freedom of the witch and instead propose that the witch represents a positive freedom that enables the witch to reach her full potential. To analyse this type of freedom, I bring in a philosopher whose thought is mainly concerned with freedom, Martin Heidegger. Heidegger’s philosophy places a big emphasis on terms such as “mystery” and “poetic dwelling” in thinking about the meaning of freedom. These terms both foreground the importance of looking beyond the modern idea that everything has to be calculable, suggesting that true freedom lies rather in the domain of the irrational. By analysing the witches in Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita and Sylvia Townsend Warner’s Lolly Willowes through a reading of Heidegger, this thesis reveals how these works move away from rational ways of viewing reality by creating a sense of enchantment. This sense of wonder is narrated through a focus on the magical abilities of the witch and shows how the witch not only symbolises freedom, but also redefines what the essence of freedom is in the first place.