The Witch of Blackbird Pond
By: Elizabeth George Speare
Reading Comprehension Questions
Literary Elements
Literary Devices
Novel Notes
Vocabulary
Reading Schedule
Read and complete tasks for chapters assigned in class and/or at home.
Any reading and tasks not finished in class, will be assigned for HW.
o February 10: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
o February 11: Chapter 3
o February 12: Chapter 4
o Chapters 5-7 DUE: FEBRUARY 23
o February 23: Chapters 8-9
o Chapters 10-11 DUE: FEBRUARY 25
o Test 1: chap. 1-11 February 26
o Chapters 12-14 DUE: MARCH 2
o March 3: Chapter 15
o March 4: Chapter 16
o March 5: Chapter 17
o March 9: Chapter 18
o March 10: Chapter 19
o March 11: Chapter 20
o March 12: Chapter 21
o Test 2: chap. 12-21 March 16
Name_______________________
ELA Period _____
Name________________________
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English 7
Period ___
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
By Elizabeth George Speare
Character Key
Kit (Katherine) Tyler – an impulsive, headstrong six-teen-year-old orphan raised by her wealthy
grandfather (now deceased) on his plantation in Barbados; flees to her aunt in Connecticut
Colony to escape the control of an older man who wishes to marry her
Sir Francis Tyler – deceased grandfather of Kit Tyler
Rachel Wood – Kit’s gray-haired aunt (sister of Kit’s deceased mother Margaret)
Matthew Wood – Kit’s uncle; husband of Rachel; strict Puritan who opposes the rule
of King James
Mercy Wood – oldest daughter of Rachel & Matthew Wood; childhood illness has
left her with a limp (uses crutches); Kit’s cousin
Judith Wood – younger daughter of Rachel & Matthew; Kit’s beautiful cousin
John Holbrook – meets Kit on board the Dolphin; going to Wethersfield to study
with Rev. Bulkeley to become a minister
Reverend Gershom Bulkeley – Minister of the Puritan church in Wethersfield; a
Loyalist; a doctor
Nathaniel (Nat) Eaton – teenage first mate of the ship the Dolphin; Kit meets him
on her voyage to Connecticut
Captain Eaton – captain of the Dolphin; father of Nat
Mistress Eaton – mother of Nat; wife of captain Eaton; meets Kit on the Dolphin
Goodwife Cruff – abusive mother of Prudence; Kit meets her on the Dolphin; a bully
Prudence Cruff – young daughter of the Cruff’s; Kit jumps in the water to rescue
her doll on the trip upriver to Wethersfield
William Ashby – young, son of the wealthiest family in Wethersfield; wealthy Puritan man;
meets Kit after meeting & is attracted to her
Sir Edmond Andros – the royal governor (appointed by the king)
Hannah Tupper – lives by Blackbird Pond; Quaker; accused of being a witch; does not attend
Puritan meetings
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
GLOSSARY
The Witch of Blackbird Pond contains many nautical terms as well as words that reflect colonial times. Use this
glossary as you read the book.
aft
brigantine
bulkhead
capstan
clergyman
commonwealth
constable
dame school
forecastle
Goodwife (“Goody”)
hornbook
ketch
pillory
pinnace
poultice
prow
rigging
selectman
spinster
stocks
tack
tanner
tryst
at or toward the stern of a ship
ship with two masts
wall that divided a ship into compartments
device with a hand-turned spindle that is
use to hoist heavy weights such as anchors
person ordained for religious work
state in which there is self-government
officer of the peace
school taught by women
upper deck in from of the foremast
title given to the mistress of the household
page with the alphabet, figures, etc. on it,
covered with a sheet of transparent horn
and fastened in a frame with a handle,
formerly used in teaching children to read
a small sailing ship
frame of wood with hole through which a
person’s head a hands were put as a
punishment for an offense
light sailing vessel
soft, moist mass of mustard, herbs, etc.
applied to the body as medicine
front part of a ship
system of ropes used to support and control
masts, sails, and yards
member of a board of town officers in
New England, chosen each year to manage
the town’s public affairs
unmarried woman
old instrument of punishment consisting of
a heavy wooden frame with holes to put a
person’s feet and sometimes hands through
rope to hold in place the outer lower
corner of some sails
someone who makes hide into leather
appointment
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
BRIGANTINE SHIP
http://consejo.bz/Pirates/images/ships/ShipParts.gif
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Directions: As you read, answer all chapter questions using text evidence and complete sentences. Be sure to
add to your answers during class discussions. This packet will serve as your study guide. (*You may want to
answer the questions in one color, and check and correct in another color. This allows you to monitor your
progress.)
PURPOSE FOR READING: Read to find out how sixteen-year old Kit Tyler responds to different expectations in her
new surroundings.
VOCABULARY Chapters 1-8
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
auspiciously: adv. in a manner that suggests a positive outcome; favorably
cowed: adj. intimidated
disheartening: adj. likely to lower morale
fulsome: adj. insensitive
hankering: n. strong desire
nonplussed: adj. at a loss for words
punctilious: adj. concerned about following the rules exactly
timorous: adj. fearful
Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 (#1-11)
1. What are Kit’s first impressions of America? What does this reveal about her background and
character?
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2. How do the people aboard the boat react when Kit rescues the doll? Focus on the reactions of Nat,
John, Goodwife Cruff, and the child.
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3. Why is Kit making the journey to Connecticut?
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4. What are Kit’s views regarding the Puritans?
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5. Why does Kit feel uneasy at the end of chapter one?
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6. What does Kit reveal about her childhood on Barbados? What problems might this create for her in
her new environment?
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7. What does John Holbrook reveal about himself? What is Kit’s reaction?
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8. Nat says: “But we Eatons, we’re mighty proud that our ship has a good honest stink of horses!” How
does this statement reflect Nat’s attitude toward slavery? How does it contrast with Kit’s attitude?
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Literary Element: Setting
Setting in literature refers to the time and place where the story occurs.
9. What is the setting of this novel?
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10. How important is setting to this novel?
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Literary Device: Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger is when something ends at the moment of heightened suspense. In a book, this element
is usually placed at the end of a chapter to encourage the reader to continue on to the next chapter.
11. What is the cliffhanger at the end of chapter two?
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Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 (#1-6)
1. What did Kit think about the town of Wethersfield on the day of her arrival?
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2. How did Uncle Matthew, Aunt Rachel, Judith, and Mercy greet Kit?
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3. How did Kit’s trunks affect her family? What was the difference between her accustomed life and
that of her relatives?
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4. What happened to Aunt Rachel and Kit’s mother back in England that separated them for the rest of
their lives?
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5. What surprises Kit about the Wood household on her first day in Wethersfield?
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6. Why does Kit find it so difficult to handle the household chores?
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Chapter 5 (novel notes) , Chapter 6, Chapter 7 (questions)
*COMPLETE NOVEL NOTES FOR CHAPTER 5:
Novel Notes: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Chapter 5
Directions: Using your note-taking and summarizing skills, complete the following
chart for each chapter as you read independently. When writing about the plot, write in
complete sentences; when writing about characters, setting, and theme you can use
bullets. Include text evidence to support your notes. You may also use sticky-notes.
Use the following guidelines to help you take notes and summarize:
 PLOT: write a 3-5 sentence summary of the main events in the chapter
o include any conflict/resolution
 CHARACTERS: Who is mainly involved in this chapter? What do they
say/do to show their qualities?
 SETTING: What details about the time/place/situation in this chapter
reveals information for this chapter’s setting?
 THEME: Focus on Kit’s experience in each chapter. What is she
experiencing/learning
about life and the people around her in each chapter?
PLOT
CHARACTERS
SETTING
THEME
1.Why do Judith and Matthew each think that Kit should not
wear her silk dress to the meeting?
2. What does the presence of the Sabbath houses, the
pillory, the stocks, the whipping post, and the meeting
house reveal about life in Wethersfield?
3. At Meeting, what impression does Kit make upon the
townspeople and William?
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 (#1-4)
1. What does Matthew mean when he asks Dr. Bulkeley, “Do you think we have labored and sacrificed
all these years to build up a free government only to hand it over [to Andros] now without a
murmur?” What does this remark reveal about Matthew Wood?
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2. How does Dr. Bulkeley present the Royalist point of view?
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3. What is the relationship between William “making up his mind” and the construction of his house?
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4. What happened when William first “comes to call” on Kit?
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Literary Element: Characterization
Characterization is defined as the methods an author uses to acquaint the readers with the characters
is the story.
Vocabulary Chapters 9-16
1. adroit: adj. skilled
2. composure: n. calmness
3. decorum: n. conformity to standards of good taste
4. enthrall: v. to hold spellbound
5. incoherent: adj. disorganized or hard to understand
6. ingenious: adj. clever or original
7. obstreperous: adj. noisy; rowdy
8. tryst: n. secret agreement or meeting place
9. uproariously: adv. in a very noisy or funny manner
Chapter 8 & Chapter 9 (#1-10)
1. Why does Judith think that Hannah Tupper is like a witch?
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2. What causes Kit to seriously consider marrying William?
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
3. How does the idea of teaching make Kit feel about herself?
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4. What does Mercy reveal about the history of the Wood family that leads to a better understanding of
Matthew Wood?
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5. Describe the dame school—its teachers, educational materials, location, and discipline.
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6. How does Kit’s innocence and creativity lead to the loss of her job?
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7. What about Hannah differs sharply from Judith’s description of her?
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8. In what way is Kit like Hannah’s flower?
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Literary Device: Symbolism
A symbol in literature is an object, an event, or a character that represents an idea or a set of ideas.
9. What does the meadow symbolize for Kit? Cite specific TBDs to support your answer.
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10. How is Hannah’s tropical flower a symbol for Kit? Explain.
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Chapter 10 (novel notes) Chapter 11 (novel notes) Chapter 12 (questions)
Novel Notes: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Chapter 10
Directions: Using your note-taking and summarizing skills, complete the following
chart for each chapter as you read independently. When writing about the plot, write in
complete sentences; when writing about characters, setting, and theme you can use
bullets. Include text evidence to support your notes. You may also use sticky-notes.
Use the following guidelines to help you take notes and summarize:
 PLOT: write a 3-5 sentence summary of the main events in the chapter
o include any conflict/resolution
 CHARACTERS: Who is mainly involved in this chapter? What do they
say/do to show their qualities?
 SETTING: What details about the time/place/situation in this chapter
reveals information for this chapter’s setting?
 THEME: Focus on Kit’s experience in each chapter. What is she
experiencing/learning
about life and the people around her in each chapter?
PLOT
CHARACTERS
SETTING
THEME
1. Why is Kit unable to promise that she will not return
to Hannah’s house?
2. How does Kit know that Judith is in love?
3. What hardships has Hannah endured in
Wethersfield because she is Quaker?
4. What do Nat and Kit have in common in their past?
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Novel Notes: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Chapter 11
Directions: Using your note-taking and summarizing skills, complete the following
chart for each chapter as you read independently. When writing about the plot, write in
complete sentences; when writing about characters, setting, and theme you can use
bullets. Include text evidence to support your notes. You may also use sticky-notes.
Use the following guidelines to help you take notes and summarize:
 PLOT: write a 3-5 sentence summary of the main events in the chapter
o include any conflict/resolution
 CHARACTERS: Who is mainly involved in this chapter? What do they
say/do to show their qualities?
 SETTING: What details about the time/place/situation in this chapter
reveals information for this chapter’s setting?
 THEME: Focus on Kit’s experience in each chapter. What is she
experiencing/learning
about life and the people around her in each chapter?
PLOT
CHARACTERS
SETTING
THEME
1. Why does Kit bring Prudence to Hannah’s?
2. How does Kit feel when William talks about his
house?
3. What does Kit realize at the end of chapter 11?
How? Explain.
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Chapter 12
1. What political opinions do Nat and Uncle Matthew share?
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2. Why is Kit embarrassed when she returns from Hannah’s house?
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*Exploring Symbolism: Chapter 12
Read the following statement Nat makes to Kit (from page 117):
His eyes were intensely blue with merriment. “I can still see the green feathers if I look hard enough.
But they’ve done their best to make you into a sparrow, haven’t they?”
1. Based on the novel, what do the green feathers represent?
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2. Based on the novel, what does the sparrow represent?
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3. What comes to mind when you think of a sparrow?
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4. If Kit represents the green feathers, what do you think the sparrow most likely represents?
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The statement Nat makes uses symbolism.
A symbol is a person, place, or thing that stands for something beyond itself.
Symbolism allows the reader to find deeper meaning beyond the author’s words.
Close Reading Skill: LANGUAGE
How does the author's use of symbolism impact the plot of the novel?
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
***Chapter 13-14: NOVEL NOTES AND LITERARY DEVICES***
Novel Notes: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Chapter 13
Directions: Using your note-taking and summarizing skills, complete the following
chart for each chapter as you read independently. When writing about the plot, write in
complete sentences; when writing about characters, setting, and theme you can use
bullets. Include text evidence to support your notes. You may also use sticky-notes.
Use the following guidelines to help you take notes and summarize:
 PLOT: write a 3-5 sentence summary of the main events in the chapter
o include any conflict/resolution
 CHARACTERS: Who is mainly involved in this chapter? What do they
say/do to show their qualities?
 SETTING: What details about the time/place/situation in this chapter
reveals information for this chapter’s setting?
 THEME: Focus on Kit’s experience in each chapter. What is she
experiencing/learning
about life and the people around her in each chapter?
PLOT
CHARACTERS
SETTING
THEME
1. Why does the thought of marrying William “raise this cold
little lump of *foreboding” (*uneasiness) for Kit?
2. Why is Kit happy when she discovers that John wants to
marry Mercy?
3. When John says, “There is something I want to speak to
your father about,” how does Judith interpret the statement?
What misfortune occurs as a result?
4.Why doesn’t John speak up to correct the
misunderstanding?
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
***Chapter 13-14: NOVEL NOTES AND LITERARY DEVICES***
Novel Notes: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Chapter 14
Directions: Using your note-taking and summarizing skills, complete the following
chart for each chapter as you read independently. When writing about the plot, write in
complete sentences; when writing about characters, setting, and theme you can use
bullets. Include text evidence to support your notes. You may also use sticky-notes.
Use the following guidelines to help you take notes and summarize:
 PLOT: write a 3-5 sentence summary of the main events in the chapter
o include any conflict/resolution
 CHARACTERS: Who is mainly involved in this chapter? What do they
say/do to show their qualities?
 SETTING: What details about the time/place/situation in this chapter
reveals information for this chapter’s setting?
 THEME: Focus on Kit’s experience in each chapter. What is she
experiencing/learning
about life and the people around her in each chapter?
PLOT
CHARACTERS
SETTING
THEME
1. How does the scene Kit sees when eavesdropping
on her uncle affect her (pgs. 134-135)?
2.How does Kit react when she sees the Dolphin? Why
does she react this way?
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Chapter 13 and Chapter 14 (continued)
Literary Device: Personification
Personification is a literary device in which an author grants human qualities to non-human objects,
animals, and ideas. For example:
Everywhere she walked the color shouted and sang around her.
1. What is being personified in the statement above?
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2. In what way does the device of personification help the reader visualize the scene? Why does the author
use personification?
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Literary Device: Alliteration
Alliteration is a literary device in which an author (or poet) uses the repetition of consonant sounds in a
sentence, or in a line of poetry. Two or more words must have the same beginning consonant sound in a
sentence or line of poetry. For example:
Kit followed him into the swamp and stooped to gather great armfuls of the long grasses that fell beneath his
scythe.
The strong sweet smell tickled her nostrils.
Mercy whispered, “Hannah will be alright if she has that seaman to help her. I liked his looks.”
Alliteration is often used to enhance, or improve, the rhythm in the words in the text.
3. Find an example of alliteration in chapters 13 or 14. Include the page number and what consonant sound
repeats.
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Chapter 15 and Chapter 16 (#1-8)
1. Why has William changed his political views?
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2. Why are so many of the men in Wethersfield angered about the appointment of a governor who represents
the crown?
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3. How is Governor Andros received by the people of Wethersfield?
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4. Why is the Charter so important to the people of Connecticut? Why do they feel the necessity to keep in
safe until “hard times have passed”?
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
5. Kit had “understood for the first time what her Aunt had seen in that fierce man to make her cross an
ocean at his side.” What has Kit come to realize about Uncle Matthew?
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6. What does Nat do to William’s house? What does this suggest about his feelings towards William?
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7. What are the advantages and disadvantages for Prudence in studying with Kit at Hannah’s house?
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8. What news do we learn about John? What reasons are given for his departure? What could be another
reason for his leaving?
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Chapter 17 and Chapter 18 (#1-16)
5. How does illness in the Wood family affect Kit?
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6. Why do Matthew Wood and Dr. Bulkeley suspend their feud?
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7. Why have the people of Wethersfield waited until the time of the epidemic to openly accuse Hannah of
witchcraft?
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8. How does Hannah escape from the townspeople?
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9. What reason does Kit give for not leaving with Nat? What does this reveal about Kit’s changing
character?
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10. Why have Matthew’s feelings changed toward Kit?
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11. What was found in Hannah’s house that incriminates Kit?
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12. How does Matthew feel Kit should be punished?
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
13. Why does Kit feel guilty about her association with Hannah and Prudence?
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14. What punishment does the constable describe for witches?
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Literary Element: Conflict
15. The plot of a novel is the sequence of events that happens in the story (beginning, middle, end). A
conflict, which is a struggle between opposing forces, creates the story’s dramatic tension, moving the plot
forward. In the chart below, describe the kinds of conflicts that appear in this novel:
Kinds of Conflicts
Character vs. Character
Examples with PAGE NUMBERS
Character vs. Self
Character vs. Society
Literary Devices:
Onomatopoeia—Onomatopoeia is the use of a word that imitates or suggest the sound of the object it
describes. Some examples of onomatopoeia are the words “snap,” “crunch,” and “pop.”
16. Read the following passage and list examples of onomatopoeia used:
She could hear the crackling of the flames, the bubbling of the stew in the kettle, the scratching of the pen in
Prudence’s fingers, the creak creak of Hannah’s chair and the drowsy purring of the yellow cat.
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
***Chapter 19: NOVEL NOTES AND LITERARY DEVICES***
Novel Notes: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Chapter 19
Directions: Using your note-taking and summarizing skills, complete the following
chart for each chapter as you read independently. When writing about the plot, write in
complete sentences; when writing about characters, setting, and theme you can use
bullets. Include text evidence to support your notes. You may also use sticky-notes.
Use the following guidelines to help you take notes and summarize:
 PLOT: write a 3-5 sentence summary of the main events in the chapter
o include any conflict/resolution
 CHARACTERS: Who is mainly involved in this chapter? What do they
say/do to show their qualities?
 SETTING: What details about the time/place/situation in this chapter
reveals information for this chapter’s setting?
 THEME: Focus on Kit’s experience in each chapter. What is she
experiencing/learning
about life and the people around her in each chapter?
PLOT
CHARACTERS
SETTING
THEME
1. Both Matthew and Dr. Bulkeley testify in Kit’s defense.
What approach does each man use?
2.How can a copybook serve as further evidence of Kit’s
witchcraft?
3.How does Nat “save the day” with his mystery witness?
4.What evidence shows that the incident in court will
change Prudence’s life?
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Chapter 19 (continued) Literary Device
Literary Device: Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a comparison between two unlike objects is suggested or implied.
For example:
Across the room their [Kit and Nat’s] eyes met, and suddenly is was as though he had thrown a line straight
into her reaching hands. She could feel the pull of it, and over its taut span strength flowed into her, warm
and sustaining.
11. To what is Nat’s gaze being compared?
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12. In what way does this describe Kit’s feelings?
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Chapter 20 and Chapter 21(#1-10)
3. What are Kit’s feelings about the first snowfall?
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4. What is the nature of Kit’s final conversation with William?
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5. What happens to John Holbrook to worry everyone?
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6. Why does Kit come to hate the New England winter? What decision does she make?
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7. What thoughts does Kit have when she walks to the meadow?
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8. Kit found a way to meet every trading ship that came up the river. What is she “waiting for?”
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9. How does Kit greet Nat when she meets him on the wharf?
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10. What is the significance of the name of Nat’s new ketch?
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11. What is Nat’s ketch “waiting for?”
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*Theme: Based on the novel, what is the author’s message? List possible themes below:
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Character Analysis Handout
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Types of Characters
Round characters are characters the reader gets to know well. They have a variety of traits that make them
believable.
Flat characters are characters who are less well developed and have fewer or limited, traits or belong to a
group, class, or stereotype.
Character Change
Dynamic characters are round characters that change. Some examples that you may remember from 6th
grade are: Jess in Bridge to Terabithia and Claudia in From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Fankweiler.
Static characters are round or flat characters that do not change during the story.
(Definitions adapted from huntel.net/rsweetland/literature/genre/fiction/ficElmnts.html)
1. What type of character is Kit Tyler? Explain your answer using TBDs.
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2. Are there other dynamic characters in the novel? Explain.
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3. Are there any static characters in the novel? Explain.
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Chapter 13 and Chapter 14 (#1-9)
12. Why does the thought of marrying William “raise this cold little lump of *foreboding”
(*uneasiness) for Kit?
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________________________________________________________________________________________________
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
13. Why is Kit happy when she discovers that John wants to marry Mercy?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
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14. When John says, “There is something I want to speak to your father about,” how does Judith
interpret the statement? What misfortune occurs as a result?
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15. Why doesn’t John speak up to correct the misunderstanding?
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16. How does the scene Kit sees when eavesdropping on her uncle affect her?
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17. How does Kit react when she sees the Dolphin? Why does she react this way?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Literary Device: Personification
Personification is a literary device in which an author grants human qualities to non-human
objects, animals, and ideas. For example:
Everywhere she walked the color shouted and sang around her.
18. What is being personified in the statement above?
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19. In what way does the device of personification help the reader visualize the scene? Why does
the author use personification?
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Literary Device: Alliteration
Alliteration is a literary device in which an author (or poet) uses the repetition of consonant
sounds in a sentence, or in a line of poetry. Two or more words must have the same beginning
consonant sound in a sentence or line of poetry. For example:
Kit followed him into the swamp and stooped to gather great armfuls of the long grasses that fell
beneath his scythe.
The strong sweet smell tickled her nostrils.
Mercy whispered, “Hannah will be alright if she has that seaman to help her. I liked his looks.”
Alliteration is often used to enhance, or improve, the rhythm in the words in the text.
20. Find an example of alliteration in chapters 13 or 14. Include the page number and what
consonant sound repeats.
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Chapter 15 and Chapter 16 (#1-8)
1. Why has William changed his political views?
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2. Why are so many of the men in Wethersfield angered about the appointment of a governor who
represents the crown?
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3. How is Governor Andros received by the people of Wethersfield?
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4. Why is the Charter so important to the people of Connecticut? Why do they feel the necessity to
keep in safe until “hard times have passed”?
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5. Kit had “understood for the first time what her Aunt had seen in that fierce man to make her
cross an ocean at his side.” What has Kit come to realize about Uncle Matthew?
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6. What does Nat do to William’s house? What does this suggest about his feelings towards
William?
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
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7. What are the advantages and disadvantages for Prudence in studying with Kit at Hannah’s
house?
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8. What news do we learn about John? What reasons are given for his departure? What could be
another reason for his leaving?
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Chapter 17 and Chapter 18 (#1-12)
15. How does illness in the Wood family affect Kit?
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16. Why do Matthew Wood and Dr. Bulkeley suspend their feud?
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17. Why have the people of Wethersfield waited until the time of the epidemic to openly accuse
Hannah of witchcraft?
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18. How does Hannah escape from the townspeople?
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19. What reason does Kit give for not leaving with Nat? What does this reveal about Kit’s changing
character?
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20. Why have Matthew’s feelings changed toward Kit?
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
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21. What was found in Hannah’s house that incriminates Kit?
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22. How does Matthew feel Kit should be punished?
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23. Why does Kit feel guilty about her association with Hannah and Prudence?
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24. What punishment does the constable describe for witches?
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Literary Element: Conflict
11. The plot of a novel is the sequence of events that happens in the story (beginning, middle,
end). A conflict, which is a struggle between opposing forces, creates the story’s dramatic tension,
moving the plot forward. In the chart below, describe the kinds of conflicts that appear in this
novel:
Kinds of Conflicts
Examples with PAGE NUMBERS
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Self
Character vs. Society
Literary Devices:
Onomatopoeia—Onomatopoeia is the use of a word that imitates or suggest the sound of the
object it describes. Some examples of onomatopoeia are the words “snap,” “crunch,” and “pop.”
12. Read the following passage and list examples of onomatopoeia used:
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
She could hear the crackling of the flames, the bubbling of the stew in the kettle, the scratching of
the pen in Prudence’s fingers, the creak creak of Hannah’s chair and the drowsy purring of the
yellow cat.
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Chapter 19 (#1-6)
13. Both Matthew and Dr. Bulkeley testify in Kit’s defense. What approach does each man use?
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14. How can a copybook serve as further evidence of Kit’s witchcraft?
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15. How does Nat “save the day” with his mystery witness?
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16. What evidence shows that the incident in court will change Prudence’s life?
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Literary Device: Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a comparison between two unlike objects is suggested
or implied. For example:
Across the room their [Kit and Nat’s] eyes met, and suddenly is was as though he had thrown a line
straight into her reaching hands. She could feel the pull of it, and over its taut span strength flowed
into her, warm and sustaining.
17. To what is Nat’s gaze being compared?
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18. In what way does this describe Kit’s feelings?
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Chapter 20 and Chapter 21(#1-10)
12. What are Kit’s feelings about the first snowfall?
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
13. What is the nature of Kit’s final conversation with William?
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14. What happens to John Holbrook to worry everyone?
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15. Why does Kit come to hate the New England winter? What decision does she make?
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16. What thoughts does Kit have when she walks to the meadow?
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17. Kit found away to meet every trading ship that came up the river. What is she “waiting for?”
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18. How does Kit greet Nat when she meets him on the wharf?
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19. What is the significance of the name of Nat’s new ketch?
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20. What is Nat’s ketch “waiting for?”
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Types of Characters
Round characters are characters the reader gets to know well. They have a variety of traits that make them
believable.
Flat characters are characters who are less well developed and have fewer or limited, traits or belong to a
group, class, or stereotype.
Character Change
Dynamic characters are round characters that change. Some examples that you may remember from 6th
grade are: Jess in Bridge to Terabithia and Claudia in From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Fankweiler.
Static characters are round or flat characters that do not change during the story.
(Definitions adapted from huntel.net/rsweetland/literature/genre/fiction/ficElmnts.html)
1. What type of character is Kit Tyler? Explain your answer using TBDs.
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2. Are there other dynamic characters in the novel? Explain.
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3. Are there any static characters in the novel? Explain.
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Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe
Questions adapted from Learning Links Inc. & Glencoe