Why did William Ashby change his political views in The Witch of Blackbird Pond?
One of the key themes of this exciting novel is the rising sense of opposition to the crown and how this is enacted through the opposition of the townspeople to the new decree of Governor Andros concerning land rights. It is in Chapter 15 that we see a reversal in...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
the way of thinking of William Ashby. Formerly he was an ardent supporter of the crown, and yet suddenly he comes in to the Wood household to join the meeting of the men discussing their options:
Some time ago William had arrived, offered his usual courteous greetings to the women, and then, instead of taking his place by the fireside, had astounded her by knocking boldly on the company room door. More surprising still, he had been admitted, and there he had stayed, behind that closed door, for the past half hour.
When Kit asks Judith about what has brought about this sudden change of thinking in William, she tells her that William had begun to agree with Matthew Wood and his political ideas about two months prior to this when he had to start paying such high taxes on his land.
Why does William in The Witch of Blackbird Pond change his political views?
Initially, William Ashby is a staunch Royalist, which is someone who is a firm supporter of the British monarchy. It's not altogether surprising that he should feel this way given that his family is so incredibly rich. William and his folks have done rather well due to British colonial rule, and so they're not about to join with the likes of Matthew Wood in agitating for an end to the present system of government.
Later in the story William makes an astonishing about-face concerning his political opinions. As is often the case with those who change their political opinions, William's motivations are largely selfish. Politics in New England at that time often boiled down to issues concerning tax and land ownership. That's certainly the case here. William has been shocked and angered by the recent change in policy introduced by Governor Andros, which has led to his paying considerably more tax on his land.
So long as William and his family were benefitting financially from colonial rule they were all for it. But now that it's hitting them in the pocket, they're not quite so firm in their loyalty to the crown all of a sudden. William's actions prefigure those of American colonists nearly a century later, when they rose up against excessive taxes imposed upon them by the British.