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Chapter 17
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Witch of Blackbird Pond, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Puritan Hypocrisy
Love, Values, and Attraction
Difference, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Home and Belonging
Sexism
Summary
Analysis
Later that morning, only Kit and Matthew are awake. Kit seizes this moment to thank Matthew for standing up for her against the mob of people who suggested that she’s a witch. She’s been a source of trouble for him, so his defending her means a lot. In return, Matthew admits that he wasn’t very welcoming to Kit. But her incessant hard work in caring for the family during the illness has impressed him—he declares that she has worked as hard as any other member of the family would have. Kit silently vows to never avoid work in the future and to always do her “full share.”
By shouldering so much responsibility during Mercy and Judith’s illness, Kit has shown Matthew that she is devoted to the family and cares about them deeply. During the illness, Matthew relied on Kit’s help, which he is grateful for. Despite their difference, Kit has grown to love and respect the family—including Matthew—and vice versa. Now that she has developed a strong relationship with the Woods, they feel like her family. And now that she has her uncle’s respect, Kit feels even more motivated to help the family, as his loyalty shows her that he feels she belongs with them.
Themes
That day, Kit prepares lunch and continues to do household chores. Both Judith and Mercy appear to be improving, much to everyone’s relief. Kit is glad that both Mercy and Hannah are safe now, but she can’t stop thinking about how she declined Nat’s offer to escape Wethersfield.
Kit is relieved that the people she loves are safe. While she doesn’t regret her decision to stay with Mercy, it’s implied that a part of her does regret declining Nat’s offer. Significantly, it’s not clear whether she is primarily sad because she missed her opportunity to go to Barbados, or because she passed on her chance to be with Nat. This ambiguity emphasizes how Kit’s idea of home is intertwined with Nat.
Themes
The moment of peace is broken by a knock at the door: it’s a deacon from church, a constable, Goodwife Cruff, Goodman Cruff. They tell a skeptical Matthew that they have reason to believe that Hannah used magic to disappear—they think she turned herself into a mouse that they saw the cat carrying away from the house. On top of this, they think that Kit is working for Hannah. In support of this theory, the constable shows Matthew the hornbook that Kit left at Hannah’s.
The townspeople misinterpret the cat as a sign of witchcraft because they already view Hannah with prejudice. They believe that Hannah is a witch, and this assumption clouds their judgement to the extent that they misinterpret evidence to support their theory that she’s a witch. Not only do they misinterpret the cat as a sign of Hannah’s being a witch, but they also mistake Kit’s friendship with Hannah as a sign that Kit is a witch too.
Themes
At this, Kit admits to visiting Hannah but insists that Hannah isn’t a witch at all. But the others cut Kit off, and the constable announces that they are arresting Kit for committing witchcraft. Matthew is furious—he finds the charge ridiculous. Goodman Cruff victoriously announces that he was the one who signed the charge. Knowing Goodwife Cruff is behind this accusation, Kit is shocked that Goodwife Cruff could hate her so much.
Kit tries to get the constable and Cruffs to see that Hannah is a misunderstood woman, not a witch. But the Puritans are too prejudiced to consider this possibility. Goodwife Cruff is the ultimate example of Puritan narrow-mindedness: ever since she saw Kit swim (an activity that marked her as a foreigner), Goodwife Cruff has been hostile toward her. Goodwife Cruff never got to know Kit, but simply hates her because she’s different—culturally and religiously—from the Puritans. Meanwhile, Matthew tries to defend Kit, which shows his newfound loyalty to her since she helped the family through the period of illness.
Themes
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The constable takes Kit away and locks her in a shed behind his house, where she will stay until her examination the next day. When the constable visits Kit to give her dinner and a quilt, she asks him what happened to previous women accused of witchcraft. He informs her that one woman was banished, whereas the other was hanged. Trying to comfort her, the constable says it’s more likely that Kit, who is much younger, will likely just lose an ear or be branded.
The Puritans of Wethersfield have acted on the prejudices before, as the constable makes clear when telling Kit of the fates of the previous women who were accused of witchcraft. Given that Kit is unjustly accused of witchcraft, it is likely that these other women were also victims of the Puritans’ biased hostility.
Themes
When alone once again, Kit trembles with fear. Suddenly, she remembers that William may be able to save her. She hopes that he’ll visit her that night, but he doesn’t. The only person who visits is Rachel, who tries to comfort her through the wall of the shed, saying that the family will come up with something to help Kit’s case. Kit thinks Rachel is being very brave for risking Matthew’s fury.
William’s absence is a stark difference to Nat’s presence when Kit needed help to save Hannah. It is possible that William is prioritizing his reputation—people might think less of him if he expresses affection for someone who is accused of witchcraft. Kit, by contrast, does what she thinks is right instead of caving to societal pressure. Although William doesn’t visit Kit, Rachel does. Kit thinks Rachel is brave for risking Matthew’s fury, which speaks to the sexism of 17th-century New England. Matthew expects his wife to be submissive to him, and he doesn’t hesitate to unleash his anger on her. Instead of having equal weight in their partnership, Rachel is reduced to either obeying his commands or living in fear of punishment.
Themes
Kit feels calmer after Rachel’s visit. When thinking over the case, Kit knows that the townspeople can’t have legitimate evidence against her, but she realizes that “it didn’t seem to take much evidence to rouse these people’s suspicions.” She wonders how Matthew could help her but admits that she has made him look bad by disobeying him.
The accusation against Kit is unfounded, as Kit isn’t a witch. But regardless of the townspeople’s lack of evidence, Kit knows that they will act on their prejudice, which could unfairly result in Kit’s punishment. Meanwhile, Kit wonders if Matthew will be able to help her since she has hurt his reputation. Seventeenth-century New England society dictated that women be submissive to men, and Kit has bucked cultural expectations by disobeying Matthew, her father figure. In the townspeople’s eyes, Matthew may look “weak” for not having greater control over the women in his family.
Themes
Kit’s thoughts turn to Prudence, and she desperately hopes that no one will find out that Prudence had also visited Hannah—if Prudence gets in trouble, it will be Kit’s fault. Kit regrets introducing Prudence to Hannah, yet at the same time, she remembers how wonderful it was to spend peaceful afternoons with Prudence and Hannah. At last, Kit falls asleep.
Kit’s compassion toward her friends is clear, as she worries about Prudence’s safety instead of her own. Even though Kit regrets putting Prudence in danger, she doesn’t regret the time that she, Hannah, and Prudence spent together. Because of their close and caring friendships, Prudence and Hannah have become like family for Kit—she always feels at home with them.
Themes
