illustration of a woman in a black dress with long black hair swimming down through the water toward a smaller human figure

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

by Elizabeth George Speare

Start Free Trial

Discussion Topic

Key Events in The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Summary:

The Witch of Blackbird Pond centers around key events that shape the protagonist, Kit Tyler's, journey in Puritan New England. Kit's arrival and her adaptation challenges establish initial conflicts. Meeting Hannah Tupper, the so-called "witch," becomes a pivotal moment, altering Kit's perspective and fostering personal growth. Kit's trial for witchcraft represents the climax, followed by her rejection of societal norms and her eventual emotional maturity. Her relationships with characters like Nat and Prudence further highlight themes of individuality and courage against societal constraints.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

How would you summarize chapters 5-10 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond?

Chapter 5: Kit dresses for church, much to the dismay of her uncle. Her dress is colorful and her bonnet has feathers. Her uncle finds her clothing extravagant. Kit sits through her first Sunday Meeting, which she finds extremely long and boring. She meets William Ashby for the first time.

Chapter 6: Dr. Bulkeley and John Holbrook come for dinner. The former taunts Uncle Matthew, bringing up controversial political issues. Uncle Matthew becomes angry. Later in the chapter, it is revealed that William Ashby wants to start calling on Kit.

Chapter 7: William comes to call on Kit. He stares at her, but says little. Kit tries to initiate conversation, but with little success. John Holbrook comes to visit and they all sit around the fire and pop popcorn. Uncle Matthew, John, and William get into a debate. After the visitors leave, Kit discusses William with her aunt and cousins. Judith points out that William mentioned building his house soon and that "'he said he would never start to build his house'" until he had selected a bride.

Chapter 8: Kit and Judith go to weed in the onion patch near the Great Meadow. There she learns about Hannah Tupper, who lives in a small house at the edge of the field. Kit considers marrying William, partly to escape the monotony of her daily chores. Later, Mercy informs Kit that she has been recommended as a teacher for the dame school.

Chapter 9: Kit begins helping Mercy teach the dame school. She enjoys her work. She tells stories to the children. One day, she decides to have them act out The Good Samaritan. A fight breaks out, and while it is happening the schoolmaster and reverend walk in. Kit is dismissed as a teacher. Upset, she runs away to the Great Meadow. There she meets Hannah Tupper, who befriends her.

Chapter 10: Kit visits the schoolmaster to discuss what happened. He gives her back her job. Kit visits Hannah again, and finds Nat there. She discovers that he and Hannah are longtime friends.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

List 10 important events from Chapter 7 of The Witch Of Blackbird Pond.

Ten things? That's quite a few! Instead, I will give you a general summary of this chapter and then you can pick out the information that you want from it. It isn't that long a chapter, so you might even want to have a read of it yourself.

This chapter primarily concerns the courtship between William Ashby and Kit. Kit finds his first visit when he "calls" on her to be slightly awkward as she doesn't know how to make conversation with him. What is worse is that William seems quite happy to just sit and stare at her, not feeling the need to talk to her at all. Kit, of course, does try to make conversation, but is frustrated by its failure, and so she is greatly relieved when Rachel asks them in to join the rest of the family and Holbrook, who is visiting. Rachel prepares popcorn for them and William begins to talk about his house that he is having built. This topic moves on to a discussion based on the right to own property, and Kit is amazed when William defends his point of view against Matthew concerning politics. A small argument develops concerning the policies of Governor Andros, and with three different points of view represented. Matthew Wood argues against royalism and for the freedom of the colonists. William seems to not want to anger the King, and finally John, as we would expect, follows the position of his teacher, Dr. Bulkeley in saying that the problem is an issue of interpretation of the charter.

The two visitors leave shortly afterwards. Kit expresses relief that this will be the last visit of William Ashby, but Mercy and Judith are swift to tell her the true intention of William's visit. The house he talked about is being constructed for his new wife, and it is clear to them that he is planning to marry Kit. Unfortunately for her, her cousins seem to be right, and this is the first of many visits William makes to call on Kit. Although Kit is confused by his attentions, she still looks forward to these visits as a welcome break in a routine that consists of hard work, that, in spite of her efforts, she seems unable to master.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What are three major events in Chapters 9-12 of "The Witch of Blackbird Pond"?

In Chapter 9, Kit is helping teach the children to read when she gets in trouble for having them act out a little play. When she's upset because people are so angry with her, she goes for an emotional walk—and ends up meeting Hannah Tupper, who becomes important in her life.


In Chapter 10, Kit finds that Nat  already knew Hannah, and that they are friends. This puts the two of them back in close contact.


In Chapter 11, Kit starts teaching Prudence to read, and, later, realizes that Mercy loves John Holbrook.

 

In Chapter 12, Hannah sees Nat again, and they become more friendly still.

 

If you have to choose just three:

1) Kit meets Hannah.

2) Kit and Nat grow closer.

3) Kit starts to teach Prudence.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What are three major events in chapters 9-12 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond?

In chapter 9, Kit and Mercy are teaching elementary school children to read at the dame school.  Mercy is patient, but Kit is not.  She gets frustrated and decides to make up lessons using the children’s names in rhyme.  They are fascinated.  Then she has them act out Bible stories, not knowing that the townspeople do not approve of this. 

But Kit had made one mistake.  She had picked her characters too hastily.  By chance she had chosen the three most obstreperous pupils in the school to be her thieves and robbers.  (p. 88)

Kit is fired (but she talks them into rehiring her), and she runs to the meadow where she meets Hannah, an old woman who lives by the pond.  Everyone thinks she’s a witch, but she is really just a lonely old lady.

In chapter 11, Kit secretly agrees to teach Prudence to read.  This is important because it is one of the issues that will come up later at her trial when she is accused of being a witch.  Prudence’s parents think she is too dumb to read, but Kit disagrees.  She arranges to meet the little girl by the meadow.  When Prudence worries about the witch, Kit sets her straight.

 She’s a gentle old woman who wouldn’t harm a field mouse.  (p. 114)

In chapter 12, Kit goes to visit Hannah.  She tells Mercy, who surprisingly gives her a piece of tart to share with the lonely old woman everyone thinks is a witch.  Nat has been helping Hannah, and he and Kit talk about politics.  Kit asks why Nat is not loyal to the King.

If the King respects our rights and keeps his word to us, then he will retain our loyalty.  But if he revokes the laws he made …., then finally we will be forced to cut the hasser! (p. 129)

Kit accuses Nat of treason, but he tells her “a man is loyal to the place he loves” (p. 129).

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What are three major events in chapters 13-16 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond?

In these chapters, Kit gets an education about the ways of Wethersfield.

The most significant event from these chapters is that Kit goes to visit Hannah, because she tells John Hollbrook about it and he tells her she should not visit Hannah, and they get to talking.  John tells Kit he plans to marry Mercy, and goes homes with her.  When he arrives, Judith thinks John is interested in her, leading to an embarrassing incident where Matthew Wood gives John Hollbrook permission to marry Judith Wood, not Mercy Wood.  At the corn husking bee, William tells Kit he wants to marry her but she begs him not to, though she lets him kiss her.

Kit still does not understand the Puritans.  She laughs off Judith’s concerns about Hannah.

You know, Kit, there are a few people here in town who still haven’t forgotten that day you jumped into the river.  If they find out that you’re acquainted with a witch—(ch 137)

In chapter 15, we find out that not everyone agrees in Wethersfield.  Kit is surprised to find William talk to Matthew Wood about the town charter.  She thought he was a loyalist.

It was true, sometimes when William and Judith were talking about the house it was all she could do to keep her mind from wandering.  But she knew she would have remembered something as important as this. (p. 155)

Before long, soldiers come into town and Judith says that William knows where the town charter is.

In chapter 16, Nat gets in trouble for lighting pumpkins. This incident is important because his punishment, public chastisement, upsets Kit.

“This is horrible, Nat!” she burst out.  “I can’t bear to see you in this hateful thing.” (p. 167)

When Kit goes to talk to Hannah, Hannah asks her if she really loves William.  It is clear that Kit does not, she just wants to get out of the house.  She has feelings for Nat

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What are three important events in The Witch of Blackbird Pond?

Three most important events of Witch Blackbird Pond.  Kit’s arrival in New England would the first, and this even would include her reactions to the place, meeting her new family, trying to share her clothes, and Matthew’s stern reaction to that.  This is significant because it provides crucial information about character and setting and establishes the conflicts that follow.  The second important event would be meeting Hannah, the “witch,” for she changes Kit’s outlook on life, connecting her to the sensuous natural beauty of her home in Barbados and in this way giving her a “home away from home.” This event introduces Hannah as the main symbol of the novel, a kind woman misunderstood and branded as “witch” because of being different, an “brand” which increases her outsiderness. Even though she remains on the margins of that community, however, she remains good and kind and teaches Kit how to be the same. The third event would be Kit risking her own life and reputation to save Hannah, doing what is wrong in the eyes of the community but what, in her heart, she knows is right. This results in the community naming her as witch, too, and propels the resolution of the novel.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What are the plot events in the falling action of The Witch of Blackbird Pond?

Well, when we think about the structure of a plot, the falling action comes after the climax, the most exciting part of the novel that keeps us on the edge of our seat, and comes before the resolution, when all of the conflicts that we have seen developed in the novel are resolved. Certainly in this great novel the climax is when Kit faces trial for being a witch in Chapter 19. Following this tumultuous event, Kit returns to her Aunt's house and Mercy finally recovers. Kit refuses William Ashby once and for all, and the community celebrates Thankful Peabody's wedding. The community also receives news of the death of Hale and the group of soldiers he was with, which impacts Judith greatly. Christmas passes and Kit finds herself increasingly dissatisfied with life in the community. John Hale returns out of the blue and becomes engaged to Mercy. Shortly after William Ashby proposes to Judith. This leads us nicely to the final resolution between Kit and Nat, when he returns with his own boat.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What is the central event in The Witch of Blackbird Pond?

Kit's meeting with Hannah Tupper, the eponymous witch of Blackbird Pond, changes both their lives for the better. Before long, the young woman from Barbados and the aging Quaker have developed a very close relationship whose contours will form the basis of much of what happens in the story from here on in.

In that sense, it is safe to argue that Kit's meeting with Hannah is the central event around which the story is organized. Or to put it another way, there's the story before Hannah appears and there's the story after Hannah appears, and the two simply aren't the same.

After meeting Hannah, Kit starts to mature and develop almost immediately, taking her first faltering steps on the path to womanhood as she learns what it is to stand up for what's right against a community whose values are all wrong. She also learns, through Hannah, how to be kind and considerate to others. Under the circumstances, one would expect Hannah to be embittered at the community for their outrageous treatment of her. But such is her innate goodness that she feels no bitterness or resentment towards her Puritan persecutors.

In a delicious irony, this so-called witch is actually more of a Christian than the supposedly God-fearing citizens of Blackbird Pond. And thanks to Hannah, Kit learns how to be a good Christian, which is ironically something she'd never learn in a million years from her Puritan relatives.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial