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.
