As Halloween slowly crept into season, it rang of fear and freedom. For women, this holiday reminds us of our history walking a line between empowerment and objectification.
In “Mean Girls” (2004), Cady Heron said, “Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Although humorous, this quote hints at a larger paradox. Society urges women to dress revealingly, but with the same notion criticizes women for being provocative or expressing themselves in a way they feel comfortable.
Beneath lace and polyester, women are once again made into theatrical characters subject to criticism from all facets of society. However, women must reclaim the ancient powers of sensuality and resistance to gain bodily autonomy from a world that criticizes them for both.
Fear of the witch
In 1692, the Salem Witch Trials occurred. Throughout the following year and a half, 200 people were accused, with 20 executed. Fourteen of these individuals were women.
The main basis of accusations was any behavior contrary to the preferred “submissive woman.” This included women who were outspoken, immodest or seeking to stand out within their communities. These women were subject to cruel tests that almost always guaranteed death.
Some of the tests included reciting scripture perfectly, searching for birthmarks and being thrown into bodies of water to test their ability to float. The witch, then, was defined as a confident and outspoken advocate.
Always tied to ideas of the devil, women who challenged traditional gender roles were considered “deviant.” This same fear of bodily autonomy and independent thought for women has only shifted to a different lens in modern times.
The new trials
Upon Halloween, women in costume are subject to a new witch trial. Instead of being poked, drowned or hanged, we fall victim to shame and objectification. Every comment and outfit pays testimony to women scrutinized for dressing too showy or too modestly.
We are still constrained by the invisible barriers of the “submissive woman.” Kara Blanchard, a University of Utah student, blames the resurgence of “conservatism, traditionalism and purity culture.”
In a phone interview, Blanchard said, “The pressure comes from everywhere. One minute guys are saying ‘stay in and be modest’ and the next they’re calling girls prudes for not going out and experiencing new things.”
Blanchard’s argument echoes the double-edged sword that women are handed. They are overanalyzed for not dressing and acting the way they wish, yet they are scrutinized when deciding to take a stand. These modern accusations are far less obvious than those in the 1600s, but they still ring of shame, punishment and selective support.
Witch trials haven’t left modern society. Instead, they’ve changed form. When women choose to dress freely, exercising their sensuality and right, they risk being reduced to sex objects.
Costumes and consent
Concerns over consent and safety plague the spooky season. With Halloween being a major holiday for drinking and partying, Kate Williamson, a peer wellbeing ambassador for the Center for Campus Wellness, said, “Parties can be dangerous environments, especially where people may be separated from their friends, not knowing how much others are drinking, and many unknown factors.”
There lies an all-too-familiar myth that the way women dress is inviting or bypasses consent. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center estimates about 1 in 5 women will experience sexual assault at some point in their lives.
Environments where drugs and alcohol are prevalent, like Halloween parties, blur the lines of perceived consent and boundaries. These two elements greatly increase the risk of sexual assault, with about 75% of student rape victims being intoxicated.
However, clothing and costumes must not be blamed. Halloween party culture serves as a battleground for justifying unwelcome sexual advances and harassment for women simply trying to express themselves and exist in their own skin.
Slut-shaming women’s costumes and “witchiness” doesn’t prevent violence. Instead, it forces them into behavior that limits their ability to reclaim power. Despite a never-ending history of misogyny and demonic characterization of confident women, we cannot shrink ourselves to fit imaginary boundaries.
The coven
The war on witches is waged in part by women. We have learned to burn each other at the stake. “I think slut-shaming women was an idea maintained by men, and a lot of women can be influenced by that pressure and maybe come up with their own forms of judgment,” Williamson said.
Particularly on social media, women see girl-on-girl criticism. One trend on TikTok is women proclaiming they will be staying in for Halloween in respect for their future husbands. “A lot of the criticism comes from women on social media. It’s girls hating on girls, and that sucks, because I wish it was more about girls supporting girls,” Blanchard said.
The community of women at the U must seek to create covens built upon principles of strengthening the desires of all women. Self-perceived and crafted moral code cannot blind us from supporting our coven of fellow women.
Women cannot crucify each other for dressing revealingly nor choosing not to. “Everybody should be wearing costumes they feel best in,” Williamson said.
Reclaim the witch
By refusing to conform to the harsh criticism of society, the modern witch can perform rituals of reclamation. “For me, dressing up can be a total act of rebellion. With how conservative things have gotten lately, it’s kind of a big ‘fuck you’ to the system,” Blanchard said.
Women must embrace the flame, turning away from silence and soft power. Instead, act with dignity and confidence. Dress in the way that you wish this spooky season.
Whether you dress modestly or freely, act in defense of your beliefs and freedom rather than for the approval of those around you. Reclaiming the witch means practicing sensuality and bodily autonomy in a way that empowers you. For all Halloweens to come, witches must dance together among the flames.
