How does goody putnam move the plot along?

Goody Putnam is described as "a twisted soul . . . a death-ridden woman haunted by bad dreams." Seven of her eight children have died in childbirth. This is a huge failure for a Puritan woman. Goody desperately wants to deflect suspicion about her inadequacies by blaming her problems on witchcraft. A convenient target for her is Rebecca Nurse. She was the midwife during the births of several of her dead children. Ann fans the flames of paranoia and slander which plague Salem. This free for all witch hunt is what drives much of the story.