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Prudence
Goodwife Cruff is Prudence’s mother and Goodman Cruff’s husband. From the beginning of the book, Goodwife Cruff dislikes Kit for her differences. Kit is indeed unlike many of the Puritans in Wethersfield: she grew up in Barbados, she can swim, she isn’t Puritan, and she dresses luxuriously. Because Kit can swim, Goodwife Cruff immediately assumes that she is a witch, as according to Puritan superstitions, witches can float while respectable women sink. Goodwife Cruff’s prejudices are an example of how judging someone for their differences can be misguided—Kit can swim because she grew up on an island where swimming is common. But Goodwife Cruff clings to her assumption and even encourages her husband to formally accuse Kit of witchcraft. Meanwhile, Goodwife Cruff’s marriage betrays the sexism of the time. Goodwife Cruff is the only woman in the story who has more authority in her marriage than her male partner, yet the novel criticizes Goodwife Cruff for this very reason, referring to her as a “shrew.” In fact, when Goodman Cruff silences his wife, the novel calls it the “moment her husband step[s] into his rightful place,” showing how, in 17th-century New England, gender roles dictated that men should have dominance over their wives.
Goodwife Cruff Quotes in The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The The Witch of Blackbird Pond quotes below are all either spoken by Goodwife Cruff or refer to Goodwife Cruff. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 18
Quotes
William could help her. Why hadn’t she thought of him at once? Anything William said would carry weight in the town. His position, his character, were unquestioned […] The thought steadied her. She thought of him coming to champion her […] Dear dependable William! Perhaps he would come tonight […]
It was Rachel who finally came instead.
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Chapter 19
Quotes
“Hold your tongue, woman,” shouted her husband unexpectedly. “I’m sick and tired of hearing about Prudence being bewitched. All these years you been telling me our child was half-witted. Why, she’s smart as a whip. I bet it warn’t much of a trick to teach her to read.”
Goodwife Cruff’s jaw dropped. For one moment she was struck utterly dumb, and in that moment her husband stepped into his rightful place. There was a new authority in his voice.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Goodwife Cruff Quotes in The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The The Witch of Blackbird Pond quotes below are all either spoken by Goodwife Cruff or refer to Goodwife Cruff. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 18
Quotes
William could help her. Why hadn’t she thought of him at once? Anything William said would carry weight in the town. His position, his character, were unquestioned […] The thought steadied her. She thought of him coming to champion her […] Dear dependable William! Perhaps he would come tonight […]
It was Rachel who finally came instead.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19
Quotes
“Hold your tongue, woman,” shouted her husband unexpectedly. “I’m sick and tired of hearing about Prudence being bewitched. All these years you been telling me our child was half-witted. Why, she’s smart as a whip. I bet it warn’t much of a trick to teach her to read.”
Goodwife Cruff’s jaw dropped. For one moment she was struck utterly dumb, and in that moment her husband stepped into his rightful place. There was a new authority in his voice.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
