The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Week 3: Chapters 6–8 — Church, Community, and Suitors
Read Chapters 6–8 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
Previewing Week 3 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Kit steps into Wethersfield's public life — the meetinghouse, the fields, the social expectations — and begins to understand just how tightly woven together religion, politics, and daily survival really are.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.The Sabbath service is Kit's first real encounter with the community as a whole. How is the meetinghouse service described, and what is Kit's honest internal response to it? What does her reaction reveal about her spiritual background?
2.The minister, Reverend Bulkeley, is a significant presence in Wethersfield. How does the community regard him, and how does his role illustrate the intertwining of religious authority and civil life in Puritan New England?
3.John Holbrook, whom Kit met on the Dolphin, reappears in Wethersfield and is drawn to Mercy Wood. What do you observe about John's character — his seriousness, his admiration for Reverend Bulkeley, his gentleness? How does he fit into the world of the colony?