What did Kit confess to Captain Eaton upon reaching Wethersfield in The Witch of Blackbird Pond?
Kit admitted that she had not told her family she was coming.
When Kit’s grandfather died, she had almost no family left. The only family was an aunt in Wethersfield, Connecticut that she had never met. Kit was not sure they would take her in, and didn’t know how to...
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ask them, so she decided to just show up. She figured they couldn’t reject her once she was actually there.
When they arrive at Wethersfield, Kit realizes she has to tell Captain Eaton the truth. He is confused that Kit’s family did not come to meet her. She has to explain to him that she was a bit deceitful.
Kit swallowed and gathered her courage. "Captain Eaton," she said boldly, "my uncle and aunt can hardly be blamed for not meeting me. You see- well, to be honest, they do not even know that I am coming." (Ch. 2)
Kit tries to justify her actions by saying she never actually told Captain Eaton that her family knew she was coming, but only said that they wanted her. She assumed that her family would want to see her. They may not realize that she has nowhere else to go, however.
He scowled with annoyance. "You know very well that I should never have taken you on board had I known this. Now I shall have to take the time to find where your uncle lives and deliver you. But understand, I take no responsibility for your coming." (Ch. 2)
Kit tells him that she takes full responsibility for her actions. She is a bold and independent young lady. She has been through a lot, and is already experiencing culture shock. The people on the ship did not approve of her jumping into the water to retrieve the doll. Thus by the time she arrived, she already had developed a bad reputation as being completely different from the stern, pious Wethersfield residents.
How did Kit deceive Captain Eaton in The Witch of Blackbird Pond?
Kit deceived Captain Eaton by leading him to believe that her relatives were expecting her. This deceit is exposed in chapter 2 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when the long sea voyage from Barbados comes to an end. The Dolphin progresses slowly upriver from Saybrook and finally arrives at Wethersfield.
Katherine Tyler, or Kit, is an orphan who is moving to Connecticut to live with her late mother’s sister, Rachel, and her family, the Woodses. At Saybrook, Kit’s reckless behavior had alarmed the other passengers and the ship’s Captain Eaton. As the ship nears Wethersfield, he anticipates that the Woodses will be at the dock to meet her.
Once she disembarks, Captain Eaton realizes that no one is waiting, and he asks Kit to explain, thinking there might have been a misunderstanding about their early arrival time. Kit confesses that her aunt and uncle do not know that she is coming. Growing irritated over her deception, Captain Eaton confirms his impression that they had sent for her. Kit tries to rationalize giving this impression, insisting that her aunt would “naturally” want her niece to join her. His annoyance encompasses both that he would not have accepted her as a passenger had he known the truth and that he will now have to send someone with her to find their house.