Independent Reading

A Guide to

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Elizabeth George Speare

The answer is in thy heart. Thee can always hear it,

if thee listens for it.

Copyright Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

The Novel at a Glance

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a historical novel
and love story that addresses issues of prejudice,
courage, and freedom.
Setting: 16871688, Puritan settlement of
Wethersfield in the Connecticut Colony.
Protagonist: Kit Tyler, an orphan, who has fled
from a sheltered life in Barbados to find refuge with
her family in Connecticut.
Conflicts: The novels main conflicts include Kits
internal conflict between her love for the relaxed,
exotic setting of Barbados and her dislike of bleak,
repressive New England; an external conflict
between the Quaker woman and the Puritan settlers who accuse her (and later Kit) of witchcraft;
an external conflict between the settlers who favor
freedom from the English crown and the Royalists
who maintain allegiance to King James.
Resolution: Kit finds true love and a new life
with Nat; the Quaker woman is rescued and
Kit is found innocent of witchcraft; the settlers keep their charter, which preserves their
independence.
Themes: People will struggle and suffer for freedom. Gripped by mass hysteria, people can turn into
a mob and persecute someone perceived as different.
Of Special Note: Meticulously researched historical setting.

Special Considerations
The novel should pose no problems to students reading
on or even below the sixth-grade level. Two characters in
the story are suspected of being witches, but details
about witchcraft are very mild. There is no violence at all
and no offensive language or situations in the novel,
which ends happily for everyone involved. There are
three weddings at the storys end; one child rescued from
a life of ignorance and neglect; and a triumph for education and generosity toward those who are different.

Background
Puritanism. This was a religious movement in the late
16th and 17th centuries that sought to reform the
Church of England. Repressed in England after they
separated from the established church and founded
their own congregations, many Puritans came to
America and founded colonies in New England. The
Puritans were deeply concerned with moral and religious matters and did not tolerate diverse opinions or
practices such as those of the Quakers. The Puritans
frowned on the theater and thought acting was
immoral. This explains the schoolmasters horror at
Kits teaching methods (enacting a scene from the
Bible) in Chapter Nine.
The Quakers. Quakers, or Society of Friends, are a
Christian group founded in the mid-17th century in
England by George Fox that rapidly spread to other
countries, including the American colonies. The
Quakers were frequently persecuted for their belief in
a personal, direct experience of God, which led them
to worship without ordained ministers and to eschew
the observation of outward rituals such as baptism
and communion.
Sir Edmund Andros (16371714). Despite his
unpopularity with the colonists, who found him tyrannical, Andros was repeatedly sent to America as an
English administrator. As governor of New England
from 1686 to 1688, he attempted to check the increasing independence of the colonies by limiting their
political, religious, and property rights. When King
James II, who had appointed him, was overthrown, the
colonists revolted against Andros, imprisoned him, and
sent him back to England.
Witchcraft. From the late Middle Ages until the early
18th century, hundreds of thousands of people in
Europemostly womenwere tried for witchcraft
and burned at the stake on the evidence of their
neighbors testimony or tests such as the water trial, in
which floating was taken as proof of guilt and sinking
established innocence. (Nats warning to the impetuous
Kit in Chapter One, about floating being a sign of
witchery, is a foreshadowing of whats to come.)
English settlers in colonial America continued this
The Witch of Blackbird Pond 1

Barbados. An island in the West Indies. At the time in

which the novel is set, English settlers had colonized
Barbados and brought slaves from Africa to work on
their sugar plantations.

Main Characters
(in order of appearance)
Katherine (Kit) Tyler, an impulsive, headstrong sixteen-year-old orphan raised by her wealthy grandfather
(now deceased) on his plantation in Barbados; flees to
her aunt in the Connecticut Colony to escape the
clutches of an older man who wishes to marry her.
Nathaniel (Nat) Eaton, first mate of the Dolphin and
the son of its captain; friend of Hannah, the old Quaker
woman; falls in love with Kit.
John Holbrook, an earnest young Puritan clergyman;
falls in love with Mercy.
The Cruffs, a family of husband, wife, and child,
Prudence. Prudence is underfed and abused. Goodwife
Cruff is a scold and a bully.
Rachel Wood, Kits gray-haired aunt, worn out from
years of hard work.
Matthew Wood, her husband, a stern, fierce Puritan
settler who opposes the rule of King James.
Judith Wood, Kits beautiful, haughty cousin; at first,
she loves John Holbrook but finally marries her true
match, William.
Mercy Wood, Judiths sister, gentle and sweet; lost the
use of one leg as a result of a childhood fever (perhaps
polio); secretly loves John Holbrook.
Reverend Gershom Bulkeley, Wethersfields longwinded minister and doctor, a Royalist.
William Ashby, son of the wealthiest family in
Wethersfield; at first, he courts Kit but then falls in love
with Judith.
Hannah Tupper, a kindly Quaker widow who lives in
a tiny house by Blackbird Pond; suspected of witchcraft; outcast because she is a Quaker and does not
attend Puritan meetings.

Plot
Chapter One. We meet the characters and discover
the setting. The Dolphin reaches Connecticut Colony
and anchors off Saybrook, where the Eatons live. Kit
goes ashore with Nat and his mother to pick up new
passengers. On the way back to the ship, a little girls
doll falls overboard and Kit dives into the icy water to
rescue it, shocking the Americans, who cant swim.
Goodwife Cruff, the childs mother, a suspicious
woman, is so shocked at Kits ability to swim that she
2 The Witch of Blackbird Pond

suspects the girl of being a witch. Kit also meets John

Holbrook, who is traveling from Saybrook to
Wethersfield to study with Reverend Bulkeley. Kit tells
him that she is on her way to Wethersfield to live with
her mothers sister, whom she has never met.
Chapter Two. Kit passes the time on board ship with
John, who is scandalized by Kits descriptions of the
freedom and luxury she enjoyed as a child in Barbados,
where all the work was done by slaves. The ship finally
docks in Wethersfield, and new questions are planted in
our minds when Kit reveals to the captain that her aunt
and uncle do not know she is coming.
Chapter Three. Kit meets her new family, who have
varied reactions to the unannounced arrival of their foreign relative. Rachel and Mercy welcome Kit unreservedly, while the haughty Judith inspects her cousins
fashionable clothing with interest and envy. The austere
Matthew disapproves of Kits seven trunks of expensive
belongings. However, he reluctantly agrees to allow her
to stay when he learns of her grandfathers recent death
and the loss of his fortune.
Chapter Four. Kit continues to clash with her Puritan
uncle when she offers her aunt and cousins gifts of
fancy clothing, which Matthew calls frippery and will
not allow them to accept. Kit, in turn, is stunned by the
familys homespun dress, plain food, meager furnishings, and life of constant hard work.
Chapter Five. Kits introduction to the harshness of
colonial life continues as she attends Sunday Meeting
with her cousins. They meet John Holbrook, who is
filled with admiration for the tedious minister, with
whom he is studying. Kit also meets rich, young
William Ashby for the first timeand dazzles him.
Chapter Six. The pompous Reverend Bulkeley and his
pupil John Holbrook come to dinner at the Wood
house. The political conflict with the Royalists is dramatized in this chapter, when Reverend Bulkeley, a
Royalist, angers Matthew in an argument over the new
colonial governor appointed by King James. Another
conflict is established when, after the guests leave,
Matthew informs the family that William Ashby has
asked permission to pay his respects to Kit. After Judith
reveals that William had been interested in her before
Kits arrival, she announces that she has decided to
marry John Holbrook instead.
Chapter Seven. William and John come calling, and
Matthew argues with them about Governor Andros,
who is threatening to revoke the colonys earlier charter
with England. William mentions that he has begun to
build his house; later, Kits cousins explain to her astonishment that this means he intends to marry her.
Chapter Eight. When she goes to the beautiful
Meadows with Judith to pick onions, Kit sees another
side to the harsh New England setting. There she also
sees the Widow Tupper for the first time, and Judith
tells her the old woman is said to be a witch. Hating the

Copyright Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

persecution. The most famous instance was in 1692,

when accusations by several teenage girls in Salem
Village, Massachusetts, led to widespread hysteria ending in dozens of hangings.

drudgery of New England life, Kit thinks she might

marry William as an escape. Another means of escape
offers itself when Mercy tells her that Reverend
Bulkeley has recommended that Kit be hired to help
Mercy with the dame school, where she teaches small
children to read in the summer.
Chapter Nine. Kit enchants the children with her creative teaching methods. When the town schoolmaster, a
strict Puritan, finds the class play-acting a scene from the
Bible, however, he is scandalized and threatens to close
Mercys school. In despair, Kit runs out to the Meadow
and collapses in tears. There she is found by Hannah
Tupper, who takes Kit back to her hut and comforts her.
Chapter Ten. Rachel tells Kit that Hannah and her husband had been branded and driven out of Massachusetts
for their Quaker beliefs. (This explains a mysterious scar
Kit had noticed on Hannahs forehead.) Rachel asks Kit
not to visit Hannah anymore, but Kit returns in secret.
In some ways, both Kit and Hannah are outsiders. To
Kits surprise, Nat Eaton, another outsider, appears and
she discovers that he is Hannahs seafaring friend.

Copyright Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Chapter Eleven. Kit discovers little Prudence Cruff

listening by the door of the dame school. Though she
knows she should not meddle in the Cruffs private life,
Kit takes Prudence to Hannahs to teach her to read in
secret, so Goodwife Cruff wont punish the child.
When, during another evening at the Wood house, Kit
realizes that Mercy is in love with John, another complication is added to the romantic plot.
Chapter Twelve. On an idyllic afternoon, chores completed, Kit goes to Hannahs and helps Nat mend
Hannahs roof. As the two young people talk, Nat
reveals independent political beliefs similar to
Matthews. We sense another complication coming in
the romantic plot: Is Kit attracted to Nat? When Kit
comes home late and admits that she was with Hannah,
Matthew becomes angry and forbids her to go again.
Chapter Thirteen. A huge complication develops in
the romantic plot when John tries to ask Matthew for
Mercys hand. Judith misunderstands and announces
that John wants to marry her. John cannot bring himself to correct her, as he knows Mercy will never forgive
him if he hurts her sister.
Chapter Fourteen. The setting turns golden and
magical in the blazing New England autumn. We sense
that Kit is finding beauty in her new home. In
October, any wonderful unexpected thing might be
possible. And it happens. Kit sees Nat again, but he
snubs her because he thinks she has agreed to marry the
prosperous and conventional William.
Chapter Fifteen. The political conflicts are coming to
a head. Matthew meets with other angry colonists,
including William, who has come over to his point of
view. They plot to hide the charter so Governor Andros
cant take it away.

Chapter Sixteen. In this chapter, many things go

wrong. As a prank, Nat and two of his shipmates put
jack-o-lanterns in the windows of Williams unfinished
house. They are arrested and put in the stocks. Nat
is banished from Wethersfield on pain of thirty
lashes. Upset and not wanting to attend Meeting,
Kit flees to Hannahs house, where she finds
Prudence working at her studies. Kit teaches the child
to write her name. Now, on her way home from the
security and warmth of Hannahs, Kit has a premonition that this is the last time the three of them will be
together. When she gets home, she learns that John has
enlisted in the militia to fight Indians.
Chapter Seventeen. In this key chapter, a fever epidemic hits the town. Kit and Judith recover quickly, but
Mercy nearly dies. She is saved by Matthews old antagonist, Reverend Bulkeley, who is also a doctor. Now the
event occurs that we have long feared: An angry mob of
townspeople goes after Hannah Tupper, whom they
blame for the epidemic. Kit reaches Hannahs house
first and takes the old woman into the woods by the
river to hide. The mob burns down Hannahs house.
Kit sees the Dolphin and swims out to find Nat, who
comes and takes the frightened old woman aboard.
Chapter Eighteen. The Cruffs, who found Kits
highly decorated hornbook from Barbados in Hannahs
house, accuse Kit of being a witch by association. Kit is
arrested and locked up in a dark shed.
Chapter Nineteen. In the novels big climax, Kit
is brought to trial and witness after witness testifies
against her with outrageous claims. Goodman Cruff
produces a copybook found in Hannahs house
in which the name of Prudence is copied over and over.
The accusers seize on this as proof that Hannah had
put a curse on the childin reality Prudence had
merely been practicing writing her name. To protect
Prudence, because her parents never knew she was
being taught at Hannahs house, Kit says that she wrote
the name herself. This is taken as conclusive evidence
of evildoing. Then, in an exciting twist, Natrisking
thirty lashes by entering town limitsarrives with
Prudence herself, who demonstrates how Kit taught her
to read and write. Goodman Cruff is overwhelmed
with pride in his daughters learning, stands up to his
abusive wife, and withdraws all charges against Kit.
Chapter Twenty. Kit tells William, who failed to come
to her defense when she was arrested, that she will not
marry him. John, who has been missing all winter,
taken captive by the Indians, returns gaunt and ragged
and falls into Mercys arms.
Chapter Twenty-one. At the resolution, all conflicts
end happily: William and Judith are married in a
double ceremony with John and Mercy. Nat returns
and asks Kit to marry him and sail away on his new
boat, the Witch. Even Hannah is now taken care of: She
lives happily with Nats grandmother.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond 3

An outstanding element of this novel is setting. The

conflicts in the story are directly connected with that
setting (its focus on a very specific time and place makes
the novel an excellent adjunct to social studies courses
focusing on U.S. history). Discussion groups or students doing individual research projects might focus on
the following activities.
1. Investigating the Historical Background
One of the first things young readers might want to
talk about in regard to this novel is: Did things like
this really happen? That question could lead to an
investigation of several historical features of the
novels setting:
the belief in witchcraft in New England and
Europe
the lifestyles of the colonists in New England in
the mid-1600s
the rise of religious groups such as the Quakers
slavery in America in the late 1600s
2. Evaluating Credibility and Relevance
Discussion groups might focus on other specific
elements of the novel:
Students could challenge the novel and talk about
how believable the characters and their actions are.
They could discuss the credibility of the happy
resolutions of all the conflicts.
The novel, like most YA novels, is strong on
theme. Students could talk about how the novels
theme connects with life today or with themes of
movies or TV serials.
3. Extending the Novel
Discussion groups might extend ideas in the novel:
How do courtship and marriage customs of the
1600s differ from customs today?
How did the term witchhunt come about and what
does it mean today? (Are certain groups of people
ostracized today? If so, why?)
How does the role of religion in society in the
1600s compare with its role in politics today?

Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information
storage and retrieval system.
Printed in the United States of America

4 The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Meet the Writer

Elizabeth George Speare (19081994) was born in
Melrose, Massachusetts, where she grew up in a large,
happy extended family. After graduating from Boston
University in 1930, Speare taught high school English
while earning a masters degree. In 1936 she married
and moved to Connecticut, the setting of The Witch of
Blackbird Pond. Speare lived all her life in New
England. It is easy for me to feel right at home in colonial times, she wrote, because in some ways the countryside and the New Englanders themselves have
not changed very much in three hundred years.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1958) is one of the few
books ever to be awarded the Newbery Medal by unanimous vote. It remains Speares best-known work.

Read On
Elizabeth Speare, The Sign of the Beaver. In this
survival-story novel, twelve-year-old Matt, left alone in
a cabin in the Maine wilderness, is rescued by a
Penobscot chief and his grandson. Matt must decide if
he wants to join the Beaver tribe in their journey north,
accepting a new life and giving up hope of ever seeing
his family again. (Newbery Honor.)
Ann Petry, Tituba of Salem Village. A historical
novel based on the true story of the Barbadian woman
held in slavery and accused of witchcraft in
Massachusetts in 1692.
Shirley Jackson, The Witchcraft of Salem Village.
A lively, easy-reading nonfiction account of the Salem
witch trials.
Ray Bradbury, All Summer in a Day. A classic
short story about a small outsider hurt by a jealous
group of classmates.
Yoshiko Uchida, The Bracelet. A powerful short
story about a Japanese American girl whose family is
among those interned during World War II.
A. B. Guthrie, Bargain. A short story set on the
American frontier, where the rule of law sometimes
gave way to the need for vengeance.
Francis Goodrich and Albert Hackett, The Diary of
Anne Frank. A play about the tragedy of Nazi antiSemitism and the courage that survives it.

Copyright Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Approaches for
Post-Reading Activities