The novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare is based off the life of 16-year-old Katherine Tyler known as “Kit” in April 1687. After Kits grandfather dies she moves into her Aunt Rachel and Uncle Matthews house in Wethersfield, Connecticut. In the beginning of the story she boards the Dolphin, a small row boat, along with other passengers. A young girl Prudence, drops her doll into the water and begs her mother to get it. Kits sees her grief and jumps into the water to retrieve the doll. The young child’s mother accuses Kit of being a witch because of her amazing swimming. When Kit arrives in Wethersfield she finds its very different from her home town Barbados. She soon realizes she must work for herself. Her two cousins …show more content…
As fellow outcasts, Kit and Hannah develop a deep bond. Kits uncle forbids them to continue the friendship with Hannah but Kit continues. When a deadly illness sweeps through Wethersfield, a mob gathers to kill Hannah by burning her house, since everyone believes she is a witch who has cursed the town. Kit warn Hannah, and the two women escape to the river just as the Dolphin appears in the early morning sky. Kit flags it down, and she explains to Nat, who she falls in love with early in the story, of the events that had occurred in the night. The next day, after a night in the sheriffs shed, she is explaining the presence of her book in Hannah's house and a copybook with Prudence's name written in it. The townspeople fear that she and Hannah had been casting a spell over the girl. Nat appears with Prudence, who testifies that she wrote her name in the book. To demonstrate her literacy, Prudence reads a Bible passage and writes her name. Soon after, two engagements are announced: Mercy to John Holbrook and Judith to William Ashby. Kit decides to return to Barbados. However, she soon realizes that she is truly in love with Nat. Nat returns to Wethersfield with his ship, the Witch, named after for
Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial America. New York: W.W.Norton & Co., 1987.
While most people are familiar with the notorious Salem Witch Trials in 1692, many people are unaware that similar events were taking place in other parts of New England in the very same year. The book, Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692, takes readers through an intriguing narrative of a young girl with claims of being bewitched. Although I was concerned at first about the book being in a narrative style, the author was very concise and used actual evidence from the trial to tell an accurate and interesting story.
While most people are familiar with the notorious Salem Witch Trials in 1692, many people are unaware that similar events were taking place in other parts of New England in the very same year. The book, Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692, takes readers through an intriguing narrative of a young girl with claims of being bewitched. Although I was concerned at first about the book being in a narrative style, the author was very concise and used actual evidence from the trial to tell an accurate and interesting story.
The book started out with a bloody massacre at Mary Ingles Virginia settlement in 1755. Mary Ingles was pregnant with her third child and twenty-four years of age when the Shawnee Indians came and kidnapped her, her two sons, her sister-in-law, and her neighbor. The journey to the Shawnee village lasted five weeks in the Virginia wilderness, and once the captives arrived at the village they were divided up amongst the Shawnee Indians, leaving Mary alone with no hope but to go home and make a new family with her husband Will Ingles. While in the village of the Shawnee Mary was able to make friends with an elderly Dutch woman who was a captive too, this elderly woman was to be Mary’s companion through the scary wilderness home. Mary and the old Dutch woman were unable to swim but knew that the Ohio River would lead them back home to freedom so they decided to make an escape from the heathen Indians and return home to civilization, not knowing the hardships that would fall on them at the beginning of winter. To start the journey the women had two blankets, one tomahawk, and the clothes that were on their backs, after a week into the trip th...
The book's depictions and dissects remained on their own as significant commitments as far as anyone is concerned of witch legend and the vague status of ladies in colonial New England. Karlsen's work is one of imposing educated force and a real commitment to the investigation of New England witchcraft. It puts the focal part of ladies as witches under the magnifying lens an extensive 300 years after the events transpired. Karlsen's novel is obliged perusing for the hobbyist, casual reader, or general spectator looking to comprehend and translate the wide picture of pioneer witchcraft in New England.
This tall tale occurs near Boston, Massachusetts that as recorded in history was the place that held the witch hangings in 1692. Moreover he wrote “…there is a deep inlet, winding several miles into the interior of the country from Charles Bay, and terminating in a thickly wooded swamp or morass.” The mentioned description and information gives an overview that the tale may contain supernatural situations and smuggling – or related situations- because it provides the perfect sinister and gloomy environment.
History remembers Tituba only as the West Indian slave blamed for bewitching the young girls of Salem, Massachusetts, ultimately inciting the famous “Salem Witch Trials”. However, her lack of historical background has allowed authors to give her historical figure new life. Maryse Conde’s novel “I Tituba, Black Witch Of Salem.” provides us with insight into Tituba’s history. For the first time Tituba, a marginalized member of society, gains a voice. She explores the different dimensions of the slave experience and explains how a young woman's sexuality and her skills as a healer made her an object of wonder and terror. Conde delves into the power of sexuality and its absolute control over Tituba.
Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1987. Print.
The Rede was originally published by Lady Gwen Thompson as "given to her by her Grandmother" and therefore part of a centuries old tradition. It has been described as a really bad poem. The Rede comes in two different forms: The Older Rede and The Common Rede.
I think the thesis of this book is to consider the different factors that contributes to a person being named a witch. These factors include sex, marital status, wealth, community standings, and relationships with others through out the community. These all played a major role in determining who was named a witch.
For many centuries, the developing world has created numerous opportunities and possibilities for individuals that often become the basis for one’s personal ambitions. These desires in turn influence the decisions and performances that one makes throughout their life in their pursuit of such aspirations. Over the last few decades, many works of literature have been published which highlight common ambitions of the various time periods, and the obstacles that were faced by those with such dreams as attaining the ideal job and travelling the world, being well-known and appreciated, or able to act as one wishes without conviction from others. The particular works of Margaret Laurence, Katherine Mansfield, and Alice Munro, to be later discussed,
To completely understand the history of New England witchcraft you have to understand the role of colonial women. The author of this book, Carol Karlsen, used a lot of Secondary and primary sources to support her thesis. She uses first hand accounts of witch trials. Which I found very interesting to read. Such as her use of Cotton Mathers personal writings. She also used court records as one of her sources to writing this book. These records showed the detailed court proceedings, depositions, and court rulings.
But, after talking to Hannah, Kit finds that the rumors about the poor old lady are false. She befriended her and had to secretly see her after her uncle forbid her. Meanwhile all of this was happening, William went to see Kit every weekend in the evening. He did this because he wanted Matthew’s blessing. Although she was flattered, Kit did not feel the same way about William. Kit got rehired after going to Dr. Bulkeley’s house and asking him for a second chance. She believes that it was Hannah who gave her courage. Prudence, a little girl that gets verbally abused by her mom, asks Kit to teach her how to read and write. She does this as she was not able to attend the school because her mom though she was “too stupid”. Kit agrees and gives her hornbook to Hannah as she could not see Prudence often. After an illness went around town during the winter, the people of Wethersfield believe that Hannah was behind all of it. They all form a mob to kill her and her “evil ways”. Kit finds out and saves Hannah for she did not want to see her friend dead. Shortly after, Nat arrived and took Hannah off of Kit’s hands so she would be able to live in peace with Nat’s
The Importance of Being Earnest is a play written by Oscar Wilde during the Victorian era. It is a farcical comedy in which the main characters live and maintain a fictional persona to escape their responsibilities. To which Oscar Wilde uses secondary characters within the play such as Lady Bracknell to humorously make her the tool of the conflict and much of the satire. She is the first and foremost a symbol of Victorian earnests and the unhappiness it brings as a result. Lady Bracknell was specially designed to represent Wilde’s opinion of the upper Victorian class repressiveness and traditional negativity. Hence minor characters such as Lady Bracknell play essential roles as they help both the plot and support the themes with assistance
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth, a noble thane, is corrupted because of his unchecked ambitions. Macbeth’s ambitious personality is awakened when three witches appear to hail him as the Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King. This prophecy convinces Macbeth to murder King Duncan, so he can become King; consequently, he is forced to kill others to cover up his first murder. After so much blood is spilled, Macbeth becomes a barbaric tyrant. Macbeth’s 180-degree transformation is a result of the “weird sisters.” Despite the witches being present in only three scenes of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, they advance the plot by foreshadowing events, generating imagery, and introducing main themes.