Bitchin' Witches

With Black Maria, the reader gets lulled into a kind of Twilight Zone as nothing is as it seems. The death of the father on his way to see Aunt Maria seems to foreshadow their plight when they are stuck in her world. Aunt Maria is at the forefront from the beginning revealing a matriarchal society. She is a manipulative woman guilting Chris, Mig and Mum into doing her bidding. Initially she is a stereotype of an old woman using age and feebleness as her tool. It is very quickly we know that everything is not as it seems. The appearance of the ghost early on, the cat on the windowsill and Aunt Maria’s house address as Number 13 add to the clues of the evil that will surface.

Gender lines are also evident from the beginning when Mig is not good enough to watch Aunt Marie. Additionally, Mum is to work alone with no help from Chris because it is “woman’s work”. Further, Mig and Mum were not allowed to wear “trousers”. However, the stereotypical role of woman is changed with her role in the control or “Queen Bee” of the village. The men are mindless zombies following the woman’s every command, kind of an inverse Stepford Wives or maybe Stepford Husbands. Black Maria adds a touch of The War of the Roses as the war between men and women gets heated. This adversarial theme seems to center around control and equality. It is specifically outlined in the conversation between Mig and her father (not dead). Mig says, “….. Can’t they just be people?” Dad responds, “It doesn’t seem possible where men and women are concerned.” Nevertheless the lines of gender seemed to be blurred as the judo Mr. Phillips is also the gardener and cook of his household. The gender lines in the 90s when the novel was written was expanding. At that time, my mother, a lawyer, was not allowed to wear pants in court at that time. Additionally, a woman who was aggressive in business was called a “Bitch” compared to her male counterpart was accepted in his role. In any event, a woman or man that would destroy (turn into a wolf) her/his daughter to keep control remains evil on any level.

When it comes to witches, Aunt Marie was an archetype because she was not a typical witch. She was a superior witch, outside the lines of a pure stereotype. Although she had magical powers, her evil extended past sorcery to mind altering. Also, Ms. Phelps was archetypical because she time traveled.  It was not just about magic but control.

            Another point that adds intrigue is that Mig is narrator. She writes the novel in a smart, unique way. Mig is the savoir in contrast to the sweet Aunt Marie as the villain.