Spiritual Abuse in Apple TV’s Dickinson

The Spiritual Abuse in this clip is better analyzed after you watch it. So watch before reading on!

“Dickinson” on Apple TV is actually a comedy, and this is probably the most serious moment in the series. Though it’s not without its comedic elements.

Examples of Spiritual Abuse contained in the clip:

Authoritarian leader: the headmistress is definitely an authoritarian leader and quite possibly a narcissist. These short minutes don’t go into any back story on her, but we’ve got to wonder if she’s getting high on “conversions.” She’s totally obsessed with the numbers and guess what happens when she doesn’t get the results she wants?

Manipulation, mind games, control: the head mistress is using peer pressure to turn up the heat and get the girls to convert. Her results are visual: “Just stand up.” But standing up doesn’t demonstrate any element of true conversion. It’s just a number game. She’s also defining conversion as “feeling God” which is its own form of manipulation. When she takes on the role of defining what conversion looks like, she’s actually stepping scarily into the role of God himself.

When all else fails, use fear: Finally, there are a few girls who have yet to “find Christ” so the head mistress resorts to drastic measures. She forces the girls to stare at the dead body of one of their classmates (the underhanded message being, “Do you know where you’re going when you die?”). This fear tactic works to turn all but one person—Emily Dickinson. When Emily still can’t profess her sincere conversion by standing up alongside the others, the headmistress publicly shames her, declaring she “has no hope."

Pretty gruesome stuff, and I love how it’s portrayed here. I love how it shows the after-effects on Emily: it’s been years, and she still can’t talk to God. And she’s still questioning herself and her “hopelessness.” I love how it depicts her doubts together with her commitment to remain honest.

I also love how Maggie, her catholic friend, is such an empathetic listener. Maggie became my hero at the end when she states simply, “Sounds like the headmistress had a flea up her arse.” (Ain’t that the truth?)

The scene shows Emily, looking slightly less burdened after getting to share her story with Maggie. She isn’t “healed” and she doesn’t have the right answers, but Maggie helped her get a little bit of peace, just by listening without judgement.

Powerful scene. Powerful story.