The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Week 9: Chapter 21 — The Witch Trial
Read Chapter 21 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
Previewing Week 9 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Kit stands before the community that has judged her — this is the chapter where everything the novel has built comes to a head, and where several people must choose between safety and integrity.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Describe the setting and atmosphere of Kit's examination (informal witch trial). Who is present? Who presides? What are the specific charges brought against her, and what evidence is offered?
2.A hornbook belonging to Kit is produced as evidence of witchcraft — it is actually the primer she used to teach Prudence to read. How does this object become a turning point in the trial, and what does it reveal about the fragility of accusation-based justice?
3.Prudence Cruff appears at the trial and demonstrates that she can read — proof that Kit was teaching her, not bewitching her. What does it take for Prudence to walk into that room? How has Prudence changed from the timid, fearful child we first met?
a.What role does Nat play in making Prudence's testimony possible?
b.How does this moment pay off the small, seemingly forgotten scene of Kit rescuing Prudence's doll at the very beginning of the novel?