The Mother

The Mother is the central figure and antagonist in the A24 film 'The Witch'. Known as 'the Mother' by the family she haunts, her existence is that of a banished witch, signifying themes of misogyny, suspicion, and the fear of the unknown in early colonial New England. She possesses an air of regal malevolence, silently observing and influencing the family with her dark magic. Her motivations are rooted in reclaiming the child she believes was unfairly taken from her. She is unyielding and relentless, her presence symbolizing the fear of the forest and the wilderness surrounding their isolated homestead. She is a complex character, embodying the struggle between the family's religious fervor and the natural urges they fear and suppress, ultimately driving them apart and to their doom.