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William Ashby
John Holbrook is a studious and deeply devout Puritan man who arrives in Wethersfield to study theology and medicine under Reverend Bulkeley. John respects Reverend Bulkeley for his knowledge, but he struggles to reconcile his (John’s) desire for Connecticut Colony’s self-governance with Reverend Bulkeley’s royalist politics. For the first half of the book, John meekly parrots Reverend Bulkeley’s ideas. But after Governor Andros arrives in Connecticut and begins to control the colony, John cuts ties with the Reverend by joining the militia. When he returns to Wethersfield, John is more certain of his beliefs, and he learns to respect the Reverend’s knowledge while disagreeing with his politics. From the beginning of the book, John frequently visits the Wood family. The family guesses that John is courting Judith, even though he never singles her out. Their assumptions may betray prejudice against Mercy; they never consider that John may be interested in Mercy, perhaps because they don’t think men would be attracted to Mercy because she isn’t as beautiful as Judith and she can’t use one of her legs. But John isn’t interested in Judith—he loves Mercy, and she loves him back. He and Mercy are quite similar in temperament and principles: they are both kind, hard-working, and pious people. The novel ends with the two of them happily planning their life together.
John Holbrook Quotes in The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The The Witch of Blackbird Pond quotes below are all either spoken by John Holbrook or refer to John Holbrook. 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 11
Quotes
Sometimes Kit wanted to stop her ears. Would she have to hear the price of every nail that went into those board, and every single nail the finest that money could buy? […]
Judith, however took a lively interest in such details. She had a flair for line and form and a definite mind of her own, and it was plain, to Kit at least, that as William planned his house Judith was comparing it, timber for timber, with the house she dreamed for herself. Her purpose was only too apparent as she made adroit attempts to draw John Holbrook into the discussion.
“I think you should have one of those new roofs, William,” she said now. […] “I think they look so distinguished, don’t you, John?”
Mercy laughed at John’s bewilderment. “I don’t believe John even notices there’s a roof over his head,” she teased gently.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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John Holbrook Quotes in The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The The Witch of Blackbird Pond quotes below are all either spoken by John Holbrook or refer to John Holbrook. 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 11
Quotes
Sometimes Kit wanted to stop her ears. Would she have to hear the price of every nail that went into those board, and every single nail the finest that money could buy? […]
Judith, however took a lively interest in such details. She had a flair for line and form and a definite mind of her own, and it was plain, to Kit at least, that as William planned his house Judith was comparing it, timber for timber, with the house she dreamed for herself. Her purpose was only too apparent as she made adroit attempts to draw John Holbrook into the discussion.
“I think you should have one of those new roofs, William,” she said now. […] “I think they look so distinguished, don’t you, John?”
Mercy laughed at John’s bewilderment. “I don’t believe John even notices there’s a roof over his head,” she teased gently.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
