MovieChat Forums > The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2016) Discussion > Caleb's Apple

Caleb's Apple

posted 8 years ago by Flamboyant_Little_Devil
22 replies | jump to latest

I found it interesting that the sign of "possession" [or witchcraft or what have you] that the audience gets to see as to Caleb is him vomiting a whole apple. It seems to me quite in context with his own "sin".
Caleb is beginning to wonder about sexuality [he looks to his sisters breasts] and finds a "beautiful" [I leave that one up for you to decide] woman in the forest that seduces him.

So, in a sense, he is committing the First Biblical Sin [which also involves an Apple] and the apple represents both defiance and luxury.

Thoughts?

You're more advanced than a cockroach, ever tried explaining yourself to one of them?

[–] Hellzkitchen 8 years ago

Agreed. Well-said, friend.Never thought of it that way.

[–] Flamboyant_Little_Devil 8 years ago

I'm not versed in the Bible at all, but that one seems quite evident. 

You're more advanced than a cockroach, ever tried explaining yourself to one of them?

[–] SaliceMcD 8 years ago

I think it was just after this that the father said he'd "seen the serpent in" his son, wasn't it? As represented by the apple, I figured.

I did wonder if the boy was a little too young to have actually gone beyond curiosity with the witch, though, as they'd made a point of noting that his older sister was just beginning to "blossom," as it were. But I guess maybe that wasn't "necessary."

(For what it's worth, the director pointed out that
the witch is played by a former Victoria's Secret model.)

[–] Flamboyant_Little_Devil 8 years ago

Yes, there are many biblical connotations there.

I don't think the boy had any sexual interaction with the witch, though it would be fitting given the seduction part.

You're more advanced than a cockroach, ever tried explaining yourself to one of them?

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] IronSpam 8 years ago

I thought the apple was a clever reversal of the white lie Caleb told earlier about looking for apples in the next valley as a surprise for his mother. Didn't she look surprised to you when he finally delivered her apple?

Sorry I couldn't resist. In all seriousness though, the "apple" imagery in the Eden story did not actually come directly from the Bible. The book of Genesis quotes it as a "fruit" of the tree of knowledge, but is silent on the specific type of fruit.

The apple imagery was introduced afterwards because of how two words got passed down from the Latin. The Latin word "mālum", meaning "apple" is pronounced slightly differently from "mălum", meaning an "evil" (as a noun).

So either through the poor scholarship of one bad translator or some play of words through the centuries, "apple" was associated with "evil." And in artwork representing the original sin, the apple got painted into the story. Neat huh?

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple#Christian_art

[–] Flamboyant_Little_Devil 8 years ago

Very interesting. And thanks for mentioning the white lie. It makes perfect sense. 

You're more advanced than a cockroach, ever tried explaining yourself to one of them?

[–] IronSpam 8 years ago

Just realized that there ought to be a witchcraft connection, since Robert Eggers did so much research on the topic. Maybe the writer/director had some of these folkloric aspects of apples linked below in mind.

http://www.witchipedia.com/herb:apple#toc4

[–] pandemonium91 8 years ago

In all seriousness though, the "apple" imagery in the Eden story did not actually come directly from the Bible. The book of Genesis quotes it as a "fruit" of the tree of knowledge, but is silent on the specific type of fruit.

The "knowledge" aspect is made even more clear and better by the fact that Caleb was beginning to question his faith. He tells his father about praying and never getting a reply, which in turn made him wonder if praying had any effect at all. At that point Caleb is starting to directly defy the rules his parents had set out (lying to his mother about the traps, both him and his father letting Thomasin take the blame for the missing silver cup etc.).

[–] king_of_bob 8 years ago

I'm fairly certain it became an apple during the Renascence period. Same with Jesus becoming a white dude. Art, man. It can really *beep* with our concept of history. :P

The new home of Welcome to Planet Bob: http://kingofbob.blogspot.ca/

[–] mligorio-78270 8 years ago

Yup, that's my interpretation as well.

[–] Charles_Monster_Fan 8 years ago

Good catch.

[–] jeannie_ramberg 8 years ago

It was a variety of apple that most likely had fungal toxin or was toxic. That is why he had the delusion of the sexy witch. The apple scene was to throw viewers off and your assumption is correct. The sin of eating the desired but off limits apple. Remember he told his mother he wanted to go into the valley and find the apples? The boy was beginning to have sexual desires and in his mind this was sin.

[–] king_of_bob 8 years ago

Are you kidding? Did we watch completely different movies? You think he swallowed that apple whole? Did you miss the fact that the movie featured actual witches?

The new home of Welcome to Planet Bob: http://kingofbob.blogspot.ca/