Witch Of Blackbird Pond Analysis

Have you ever felt judged, excluded, scared? Have you ever stood up for someone who was judged or excluded? Elizabeth George Speare bring to the table a extravagant novel “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” that includes both scenerios in a late 1600’s setting. A elderly woman named Hannah “Witch” Turper is excluded by townspeople for being different and a quaker. A young woman named Kathryn Tyler “Kit” moves to Wethersfield Connecticut to live with her aunt and uncle. Kathryn “Kit” Tyler meets Hannah “Witch” and form a deep bond because they are both outcasts. Elizabeth George Spear 's irony is illustrated through a series of harsh comments, hypocrisy, and judgement from the towns people towards Kit and Hannah "The Witch”.

In the beginning of the

She begins teaching children at the Dame School. One day, Kit got bored with the old lesson so she decides to have the children act out a part of the bible, “The Tale of The Good Samaritan”.The head of the school Mr. Kimberly walks in and is very angry at Kit. Frustrated and upset Mr.Kimberly shuts down the school.”Mr. Kimberley flourished his cane at the silent children. "Go directly home, boys and girls. The school is dismissed. Do not come back tomorrow. We will send word if the school will continue" (Speare 89) Kit was heart broken and wandered off to the meadows where she meet elderly Hannah Turper. Hannah tells Kit about how she is an outcast and explains that she is a Quaker. Townspeople outcasted Hannah because she was different. “Back along South Road Kit walked with a light- ness and freedom she had never known since the day she sailed into Saybrook Harbor. Hannah Tupper was far from being a witch, but certainly she had worked a magic charm. In one short hour she had conjured away the rebellion that had been seething in the girl 's mind for weeks”(Speare 97). Kit and Hannah form a bond by being outcasted. The Christian church has outcasted these woman because they are different which is very hypocritical. Elizabeth George Speare was trying to convey the hypocrites and how people judge. In the article “What About Hypocrites in the Church” by Focus on the Family, they talk about how religions have been growing

In the novel, Kit tells her family about Hannah. Outraged they tell Kit she is not allowed to see Hannah. "Why, Aunt Rachel, you of all people! You can 't believe she 's a witch?” ( Speare 99). Kit still sees Hannah and they form a deeper bond. During one of her vists Kit meets Nat Eaton who is the son of the captain of the Dolphin, the ship Kit come on to Whethersfield. She realizes that she is in love with him and he loves her but unfortunatly he gets in trouble and escapes from Whethersfield. He is due 30 lashes if he comes back. Kit starts teaching Prudence how to read and write but Goodwife Cruff thinks Prudence is not capable of learning and refuses to let Prudence go to the dame school. An virus hits Whethersfield and the town blames Hannah Turper because they believe she cursed the town. They rally up and burn Hannah’s house down. Kit warns Hannah about the mob and they run away. The Dolphin comes into town and Hannah flags it down. She tells Nat to take Hannah and get away safe. She couldn’t leave with him because Mercy, her cousin, is very ill and needs to help her. Kit did not realize that the townspeople were also looking for her. Goodwife Cruff’s husband accuses Kit of being a witch and they lock her in jail. They ask Kit why she has Prudence’s name on one of her books thinking that she is trying to cast a spell over the little girl. She tries to explain that Prudence wrote it but they do not believe it because they believe Prudence is halfwit. They decide to