An Introduction The Basics Written in 1958 by Elizabeth George Speare Takes place in Wethersfield CT a real place in 1687 The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem Massachusetts in 1692 ID: 635816
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
An IntroductionSlide2
The Basics
Written in 1958 by Elizabeth George
Speare
Takes place in Wethersfield, CT – a real place! – in 1687
(The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692)
Main character is Kit, a teenage orphan who has left her home in Barbados to live with her aunt and uncle in Wethersfield
Political and religious tension in this time and place
Politically – Connecticut wants to be free – completely – from England
Religious – Puritans believe anyone other than them is evilSlide3
Historical Background
King James II – King
of England at
the time this novel takes place
Puritans – very moral beliefs, left England because they felt it was too relaxed
Quakers – reject worship and feel religion comes from within, devoted to peace, came from a part of England different from the Puritans
Connecticut Colony Charter – Connecticut people could govern themselves but had to send money back to the king
American Revolution – 1765 - 1783Slide4
Topics and Tid
Bits
Social outcasts – doesn’t belong to the larger group, exclusion
Scapegoat – wrongly blamed for something
Intolerance – No acceptance for people who are different
There is a relationship
between understanding and
fear – we fear what we don’t understand
“Branding” is meant literally in the book – permanent mark on the skin
Novel is an excellent
representation of “I know what is best and you’re not it”Slide5
Characters
Kit – Main character, teenager, from Barbados
Hannah – Elderly, Quaker, lives in the meadows, branded a witch
Nat – Captain’s son, skilled sailor, same values as Kit
John – Smart, in Wethersfield to study from Reverend
Bulkeley
Matthew and Rachel – Kit’s uncle and aunt in Wethersfield
Mercy and Judith – Matthew and Rachel’s daughters, Kit’s cousinsSlide6
Characters, cont’d
William – Richest man in Wethersfield, young bachelor
Goodwife – small-minded cruel woman, mean to husband and Kit
Prudence – Goodwife’s daughter, mistreated
Reverend
Bulkeley
– Real person from history, loyal to the King
Governor Edmund – Real person from history, loyal to the King