The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Week 8: Chapter 20 — The Mob and Hannah's Flight
Read Chapter 20 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
Previewing Week 8 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
This is one of the most harrowing chapters in the novel — read it slowly and let yourself feel the terror of what happens when a community loses its conscience.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.A mob forms and marches on Hannah Tupper's cottage. Describe the scene: Who leads it? Who follows? What are they saying and doing? How does Speare create a sense of mounting dread?
2.Kit reaches Hannah before the mob does and helps her escape — guided to Nat and the Dolphin. What does Kit risk in doing this, and what does her choice in this moment reveal about how much she has grown since arriving in Wethersfield?
3.Hannah's cottage is burned. She loses everything — her home, her garden, the life she and Thomas built. How does Speare make this destruction feel like more than property damage? What exactly is being destroyed?