2. ritual – the arduous process of trying, convicting and executing a criminal became a symbol of governmental power and dramatic lengths it went to became a ritualized process. The criminal would be tortured, paraded through town and given the chance (and encouraged) to repent in hopes that the other world would recognize genuine sorrow regarding their sins. the crowds that came to watch even became part of the ritual by cheering, jeering, attacking and occasionally saving the person to be executed.

3. individual – As the popularity of criminal narratives became a more and more fascinating form of literature for the colonies the criminal as well as the crime began to be placed in context.  The motivations for crime and the situations surrounding it were looked to for answers as to why these acts were committed.  Although the criminals themselves were many times portrayed in a fashion that the ministers wanted, where the text served as a parable  and an example of conversion or that the author wanted, a sensationalized account, the public began to see the condemned souls having unique personalities.  The public now viewed criminals as having more to them than simply being heathens that have mocked God and the executors of his will.  The rise of secular thought in regards to crime had a large role in this because people now saw crimes as acts against the state.

According to the introduction to Pillars of Salt, the Christian state was comfortable playing the role of God and revoking life. Those responsible for Morgan’s death described it not as an execution but as his life being “turn’d off” by God. The primarily Catholic idea of infallibility must have transferred over to New England, which did not have a large Catholic population. Petty and relatable crimes, like “lying, cursing, or Sabbath-breaking” were emphasized to scare people into following the infallible will of the church and state. The condemned were not allowed to convey their own messages and instead were “manipulated” to convey a message not only of fear of God, but also of hope. Some men considered themselves “agents of God’s authority” and any actions they took were distorted to show that the morals of the church were right.

Performance: a dramatic representation of events

Performances were important to the change in punishment in America. Authorities pressured the condemned into performing rituals of penitence. Criminals also gained sympathy through performance. Packer attested his innocence and used the publicity of his death to shape his identity as a caring doctor and scientist rather than a criminal. Ames was accepted by the people because of his “credible family” and outward gentility, despite his clear criminal behavior.

Hierarchy: a system of ranking and order

Although criminals could express themselves through crime narratives, they could not escape American hierarchy and had to remain within this hierarchy in their texts. People would not accept someone who defied societal rules too much. Mountain never escapes the hierarchical system, even after escaping from the ship on which he served. His race was considered very important by the public. “Refusing to accept either his base social position or the baseness of his racial character, Mountain defied the standard conceptions that shaped the lives of those who read his narrative. Yet, as readers knew all too well, it was a safe defiance; given the requirements of the genre, they knew where, when, and how his defiance would end.”