The+Witch+of+Blackbird+Pond


 * //The Witch of Blackbird Pond//**

//The Witch of Blackbird Pond,// is a romantic, historical tale about a young girl's rebellion against bigotry and her Puritan surroundings. Kit is a free-spirited sixteen-year-old colonial girl from Barbados who comes to live with relatives in the solemn, hard-working town of Wethersfield, Connecticut. Kit feels trapped and lonely in her new life until the day she finds refuge in the Meadows. There she meets an old Quaker woman named Hannah, who is known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond. Uncle Matthew forbids Kit to see Hannah, but Kit persists in visiting her friend and even helps an abused child named Prudence find solace there. When an epidemic causes the townspeople to go after Hannah for practicing witchcraft, Kit helps her escape. Then Kit herself becomes the subject of the witch hunt. Her incarceration and trial force her to reexamine her feelings towards two young men and her future. In the end, Kit must choose the direction her life will take.

Chapters 1-8

 * auspiciously** adv.in a manner that suggests a positive outcome; favorably (Ashley)
 * cowed** adj.intimidated
 * disheartening** adj. likely to lower morale
 * fulsome** adj.insensitive (Matthew)
 * hankering** n.strong desire (Jake)
 * nonplussed** adj.at a loss for words (Macey)
 * punctilious** adj.concerned about following rules exactly (Leah)
 * timorous** adj.fearful (Bradley)
 * 1) Explain how and why Kit Tyler comes to be in Wethersfield, Connecticut. What is her reaction to Connecticut and the community she joins?
 * 2) What warnings do Nat Eaton and John Holbrook give Kit? What events suggest that Kit may not fit in at Wethersfield?
 * 3) How do Matthew Wood, Reverend Gershom, and William Ashby feel about King James? What do the men’s views suggest about the Wethersfield community?
 * 4) Do you think Kit makes appropriate choices? Do you think she should have retrieved Prudence’s doll or offered clothing to Judith? Why or why not?
 * 5) How would you describe Matthew and Rachel Wood as parents? What do you think of the lessons they teach their children?

Chapters 9-16

 * adroit** adj.skilled (Ashley N.)
 * composure** n.calmness (Carson)
 * decorum** n.conformity to standards of good taste (Meliah)
 * enthrall** v.to hold spellbound (Ruhi)
 * incoherent** adj.disorganized or hard to understand (Zachary)
 * ingenious** adj.clever or original (Barrett)
 * obstreperous** adj.noisy; rowdy (Tayla)
 * tryst** n.secret agreement or meeting place (Mikal)
 * uproariously** adv.in a very noisy or funny manner (Alec)


 * 1) What methods does Kit use as a teacher—in the schoolroom and with Prudence? How do various people in the community react to her methods? What do these reactions reveal about people’s attitudes?
 * 2) Why don’t the people of Wethersfield like Hannah Tupper? How does Hannah help Kit find a place in Wethersfield?
 * 3) What happens when Governor Andros arrives to take the charter? How do these events change Kit’s understanding of both Matthew and William?
 * 4) Why is Nat punished in the stocks? How does the author use this incident and others to show the many feelings Nat and Kit have for one another?
 * 5) In her attempt to help both Prudence and Hannah, Kit sometimes disobeys community and family rules. Do you think she is a good friend? Why or why not?

**Chapters 17-21**

 * concoct** v.to put together (Gino)
 * instigation** n.act of urging, or inciting (Tanner)
 * intercede** v.to act as a mediator to resolve differences (Bryce)
 * inveigle** v.to persuade through tricks (Jared)
 * perforce** adv.by force of circumstance (Ethan)
 * preternatural** adj.beyond what is ordinary (Kayla)
 * sundry** adj.various (Chase)
 * surreptitiously** adv.secretly (Matthew)
 * tantalizingly** adv.mockingly, teasingly (Leah)
 * vengeance** n.punishment made to pay back an earlier injury (Bradley)


 * 1) After John Holbrook leaves to fight a group of Native Americans, what happens to Judith, Kit, and Mercy? How does the community respond?
 * 2) What happens to Kit after she helps Hannah to reach Nat’s ship? What is revealed in these events about the Wethersfield citizens? What is revealed about Matthew and the other leaders of the community?
 * 3) How do John, Judith, Mercy, Kit, Nat, and William become romantically involved? How have Kit’s feelings for Wethersfield and its people changed?
 * 4) . Do you think Kit deserves her uncle’s confidence when he defends her to the witch hunters? Why or why not?
 * 5) In the end, Matthew shows himself to be law-abiding, even though he is prejudiced against those with different ideas. Do you think it is possible for a good and decent person to have prejudices? Explain.

Character Analysis

Click here to begin the quiz. Answer each question and **show the results to me**.

Your final project is a Prezi presentation

Kit Tyler Nat Eaton William Ashby John Holbook Mercy Wood Judith Wood Rachel Wood Matthew Wood Goodwife Cruff Prudence Cruff Hannah Tupper