Monday, May 20, 2013

The Witch of Blackbird Pond (by Elizabeth G. Speare)

Reviewed by Amy Steward
 
Background and Summary

            The Witch of Blackbird Pond, published in 1958, received the Newbery Medal in 1959. The story takes place in the Puritan town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, 1687—at a time when America still bowed to the King of England. Katherine “Kit” Tyler, as result of losing her grandfather and his rich estate, sails from her home in Barbados to live with her aunt and uncle in Connecticut. On this voyage she meets an aspiring young Puritan minister, John Holbrook, the captain’s son, Nat Eaton, and a few other people from Kit’s destination village. When a young girl, Prudence Cruff, loses her doll over the edge of boat, Kit jumps overboard to save the toy. After Kit successfully retrieves it, Goodwife Cruff suggests that Kit knows witchcraft, since witches supposedly float; as a result, she prohibits Kit from speaking to her daughter.

Kit arrives at her relatives’ home unannounced and unexpected. The family accepts her, and she is introduced to her mother’s sister, Aunt Rachel, her strict Uncle Matthew, and her two female cousins, Mercy and Judith. Kit becomes instant friends with Mercy who is a quiet, sweet girl, crippled since childhood; Judith is a beautiful, flirty girl who, after a rough start, Kit grows to love dearly. Kit attempts to fit into the family’s Puritan lives, but she finds the culture vastly different from Barbados. Some in the community look down on Kit’s fine clothes and unusual habits, but some, such as William Ashby, fall in love instantly. Judith originally has her eyes on William, but surprisingly switches her affections to John Holbrook. This young apprentice to Reverend Bulkeley visits regularly, and everyone believes he is visiting for Judith. William and Kit have little in common, and Judith and John could not be more opposite either.

            Kit begins to fit into the community when she helps Mercy teach at the small school for children. But she loses this position when she horrifies the headmaster by having the children act out a story from the Bible. After losing her job, Kit seeks solace in the Meadow by Blackbird Pond. There she meets Hannah Tupper, a lone Quaker in a town of Puritans. Kit soon learns that the town thinks Hannah is a witch, but still she establishes a close but forbidden friendship with the lonely, old woman. Kit is surprised to discover that the sea captain’s son Nat is also Hannah’s friend. Through her closeness with Hannah, Kit develops a deeper friendship with Nat and gains the courage to talk to the headmaster, who reinstates Kit as a teacher. At this point, Kit also begins secret reading lessons for Prudence at Hannah’s house.

The plot thickens when Kat realizes that Mercy is secretly in love with John Holbrook, and John, to Kit’s surprise and joy, plans to ask Mercy to marry him at the corn husking party. But the proposal goes wrong when everyone assumes John is asking for Judith’s hand, and before John can say otherwise, Uncle Matthew gives his blessing for their engagement. William attempts to propose to Kit at the husking party, but she avoids the topic. Nat believes Kit and William are engaged, and in jealousy, he and some friends prank William’s house; consequently, Nat and his partners are thrown in the stocks and banished from the town.

Tension rises as opposing political views divide the village, John Holbrook enlists in the militia, and a deadly fever breaks out. Hannah Tupper is accused of cursing the town with the fever, and the community burns down her home; Kit and Nat secretly help Hannah escape on Nat’s dad’s ship. With Hannah gone, the town turns on Kit as the witch at fault. Prudence’s secret reading and writing lessons provide evidence against Kit, but Nat comes to the rescue by violating his banishment and bringing Prudence to testify at the trial. Kit is acquitted, and she breaks off her relationship with William, who develops an interest in Judith. When John returns from the militia, he corrects the misconceptions about his proposal, and a double wedding takes place: William marries Judith, and John marries Mercy. Kit plans to return to Barbados to be a governess, then realizes she is in love with Nat. Providentially, Nat returns as captain of his own ship, the Witch, and asks Kit to marry him.

Interest

            This book appeals to girls because the main character of the book is a girl, and the topics of marriage and love are present throughout the story. The story does not involve a neat, set length of time that girls would appreciate, but the plot is organized. The emotional tone and the descriptions of the characters’ internal thoughts would appeal mostly to girls, but surprisingly, many of the characteristics of this novel also resonate with boys. The cast is relatively large; the plot is realistic. The references to life in Barbados would also interest boys. Both boys and girls may not be particularly interested in the Puritan setting at first, but the story employs universal themes that would relate to adolescents of both genders today.

The reading level of this story is estimated to be around seventh grade. Early adolescents would appreciate this story because of its setting in the past. The supernatural is introduced through the suspicions of the townspeople against Hannah and Kit, which would interest young adolescents. Most of the story revolves around the home and Kit attempting to live with her “new” family which resonates with young teens. The story also has a tone of adventure as Kit discovers this new American world and its inhabitants. Middle and late adolescents could also be interested in this novel because it involves historical cultures and events, as well as socially significant aspects like political division over loyalty to the king of England and the witch trials. Also, Kit works to figure out her personal values as she adapts to a new culture, and she experiences the transition into adult life.

Developing Mature Readers

This book deals with six tasks that young people face as they develop into adults. First, Kit shows her development in relationships with people of the same age. When she moves to Connecticut, Kit meets her two cousins, Mercy and Judith. She takes to Mercy immediately because their personalities mesh well. The two work together as teachers in the small, village school. Judith and Kit do not get along well at first because Judith is jealous of Kit’s fine clothing and beauty that all of the boys at church notice. Gradually, Kit wins over Judith and the two become good friends. Through Kit’s relationships, readers will learn how to develop positive peer relationships.

Kit also achieves good relationships with the young men she meets. At the beginning of the novel, Kit and Nat do not always get along, but eventually they begin to understand each other, develop a friendship, and ultimately marry. Kit develops a relationship with William, and even though they do not remain a couple, the two are friends throughout the novel. Finally, Kit and John Holbrook begin the novel as friends, but she disapproves of his hesitation to speak his own mind. Eventually, Kit learns to appreciate John for the strong man he has always been. Readers will learn that if relationships with peers of the opposite gender are dealt with delicately and honestly, then those relationships can be rewarding and edifying.

Kit’s discovery of her gender role in the new culture is associated with her introduction into getting a job. She has been used to swimming in the ocean, playing all day, reading books for pleasure, and enjoying many other diversions for pleasure. Arriving in Wethersfield gives Kit a shock as she is put to work pulling onions in the garden, learning to knit and cook dinner, and working from sunup to sundown. At first, she hates the constant work, and looks at William and his riches as a way of escape. When she becomes a teacher and later helps Nat fix the roof on Hannah’s house, Kit realizes that work can be enjoyable, and she accepts her place in society. Through Kit’s uncomfortable adjustment to expectations at Wethersfield, readers will discover the positive results of working hard and learning to participate and help within a community.

Kit gains a sense of achievement through teaching. She loves to devise new ways to help the students learn that are more effective than rote memorization and recitation. The students flourish under her distinct style of teaching, and she thoroughly enjoys her work. She also attains a goal when she teaches Prudence how to read and write. The evidence of her accomplishment is brought out at a difficult time during her trial as a witch, but the amazement of Prudence’s parents not only ends the trial but also shows the entire community Kit’s (and Prudence’s) success. Readers will see that achievement is attainable as a result of creativity, diligence, and determination.

Lastly, Kit learns to live consistently with her beliefs and values. Kit has a strong personality, and she respects people who hold true to their beliefs. She struggles with John Holbrook, who seems to waver in his loyalties; she respects her uncle’s political steadfastness even if she does not agree with him completely. Kit remains loyal in friendship as well. Though the entire community is against Hannah and accuses her of witchcraft, Kit stands by Hannah as a friend. She even risks her own life to save Hannah from burning with her house. Kit recognizes that people are not always wrong because they are different. She also stands firm in her values even in the face of a horrible witch trial. Readers will learn the importance and benefits of remaining true to one’s values and beliefs despite opposition and discouragement.

Potential Issues with This Book

            The most obvious objection to The Witch of Blackbird Pond would be the references to witchcraft. Many Christian parents and teachers look at the title of the book and assume the novel cannot be good. These fears are assuaged by the fact that witchcraft is not explicit, nor is it praised in any way in the novel. Teachers can actually use this book in the classroom to talk about the evils of witchcraft. Since none of the characters actually practice witchcraft, the book cannot be accused of including witchcraft. This book deals more with the witch trial epidemic that spread through New England during this time in America’s history than with actual witches.

            A more serious issue is that, at times, Kit acts without her uncle’s permission, and even against his will. Teachers should be aware that she does not go unpunished for these transgressions, but also they should know that her purposes for sneaking are presented as “worthy” enough. She disobeys her uncle to help Hannah and to teach Prudence to read. Even though these are good deeds, she recognizes that she is leading Prudence to disobey her mother and often worries over the deception. These actions also contribute to her witch trial, so she is not completely clear from retribution.

Recommendation

            I highly recommend The Witch of Blackbird Pond for teachers to teach in their classrooms, and I definitely advise teachers to suggest this book to students for outside reading. The best age group to teach or suggest this book to would be seventh through tenth grade students. The students in that age group will have developed enough maturity to handle the potential issues in the book; they will also be at the age where this book would interest them. Also, the book provides potentially new vocabulary that the students could learn while reading the story.

In addition, The Witch of Blackbird Pond deals with universal themes that all students can relate to. It gives the story of a girl who is a social outcast and who is struggling to find where she fits into her world. Adolescents enjoy this topic because they experience those same feelings of searching for where they belong. The theme of accepting others despite their differences is also a good theme to discuss in the classroom. This book is also valuable because it can be used in coordination with a history unit on the Salem Witch Trials or the years preceding the Revolutionary War.

Resources for Teaching or Research

Several websites and materials can provide teachers with tools for teaching The Witch of Blackbird Pond in the classroom. One particularly helpful resource is from Glencoe Literature Library; it gives background information on the author of The Witch of Blackbird Pond as well as information on the novel’s background and setting. This resource also provides teachers with numerous activities, question sheets, and vocabulary reviews to prepare the students before they read, to supplement teaching this novel, and also to follow up the reading. Bookrags also has lesson plans, activities, assessments, and many more tools teachers can purchase and utilize for teaching this novel. Mississippi State University has a helpful website—CREATE for Mississippi—that supplies an educator with lesson plans, activities, and handouts that would be helpful in studying The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Another useful site, by the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association, is ReadWriteThink. This site provides four lesson plans specifically analyzing the gender roles in The Witch of Blackbird Pond. This resource is beneficial because it aligns with national standards for English Language Arts. Novelinks also gives a helpful analysis of the novel, as well as information on how to approach teaching the novel. This site also supplies teachers with discussion questions and activities to supplement teaching the novel.

Strategies to Teach Reading

            The resource available through Novelinks provides a cloze procedure from The Witch of Blackbird Pond in which the student will read through the paragraph full of blanks once, then again a second time while filling in the blanks with the words he thinks the author might have used. This method helps the teacher to see what the students know about the patterns in English and the structure of sentences and paragraphs.

            Another strategy Novelinks suggests is an anticipatory guide in which the students prepare for their reading by answering questions relating to The Witch of Blackbird Pond. These questions engage the students’ minds in thinking about the values and themes from the novel. As a result, the students’ thinking will be guided in the appropriate direction, so when they discuss the novel later they will have already thought about the topics. This strategy teaches the students to read while thinking critically about the text.

            Finally, this novel can be used to expand students’ vocabularies. The book employs a variety of words that students may not be familiar with since the story is set over three hundred years ago. These words can be reviewed before the students read each section of the book, or teachers can model and remind the students to look up new words in the dictionary. As they come across new words, the students can write the word and its definition on the card for review. This strategy cultivates in the students a curiosity for new words and reminds them to learn new words as they come across them.

Works Cited

Bookrags. Bookrags, 2009. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.

Hammond, Pam. “The Witch of Blackbird Pond, A Novel Study.” CREATE for Mississippi.

Mississippi State: CREATE for Mississippi, 2000-2013. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.

“He Said/She Said: Analyzing Gender Roles through Dialogue.” ReadWriteThink. IRA/NCTE,

2013. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.

Speare, Elizabeth G. The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1958. Print.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond.” Novelinks. Novelinks.org, 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide.” Glencoe Literature Library. New York: McGraw

Hill, n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.