The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Week 5: Chapters 12–14 — Trouble at the Schoolhouse
Read Chapters 12–14 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
Previewing Week 5 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Kit's attempts to bring joy and imagination into the schoolroom ignite a crisis that shows just how little tolerance this community has for anything that falls outside its narrow boundaries.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Kit is given a role as a schoolteacher's helper and eagerly uses a play — drawn from her own Caribbean upbringing — to make Bible stories vivid and engaging for the children. How do the children respond, and why does this matter to Kit?
2.The scene in the schoolroom ends disastrously when the play is discovered by parents and the minister. What specific objections are raised, and what do those objections reveal about Puritan theology and community values?
a.Is the Puritan reaction entirely unreasonable, or can you see any legitimate concern underneath the extreme response?
b.How does Kit's dismissal from the school affect her sense of belonging — or not belonging — in Wethersfield?
3.The schoolmaster, Dr. Gaylord (or the master under whom Kit works), is caught between his own sympathies and the community's expectations. What does his position in this incident reveal about the social pressures facing anyone who might want to be more open-minded?