The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Chapters 1 - 4 by Sierra Turner

Why do you think Kit chose to dive in after the doll, even though it shocked everyone on the boat? What does this tell us about her character?

sturner53 — 2025-09-10 23:17:09 UTC

How does Kit’s personality clash with the Puritan values she’s encountering?

sturner53 — 2025-09-10 23:17:58 UTC

What first impressions do you have of Nat, Judith, and Goodwife Cruff? Do you trust them? Why or why not?

sturner53 — 2025-09-10 23:18:08 UTC

How are Barbados and Connecticut described differently? Which place seems more appealing to you?

sturner53 — 2025-09-10 23:18:16 UTC

How might moving from such a free, colorful world to a strict, plain one affect Kit’s sense of identity?

sturner53 — 2025-09-10 23:18:25 UTC

What early hints of conflict can you already see in the story? How might they develop later?

sturner53 — 2025-09-10 23:18:35 UTC

Why do you think the Puritans on the ship reacted so strongly to Kit’s swimming ability? What does that tell us about their worldview?

sturner53 — 2025-09-10 23:18:47 UTC

Based on what we know so far, what challenges do you think Kit will face in Wethersfield?

sturner53 — 2025-09-10 23:19:12 UTC

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt out of place or misunderstood, like Kit does? How did you handle it?

sturner53 — 2025-09-10 23:19:21 UTC

If you were Kit, would you have left Barbados for Connecticut? Why or why not?

sturner53 — 2025-09-10 23:19:31 UTC

2025-09-10 23:47:16 UTC

They are both described very differently in the book. Connecticut is described as plain and boring and brown. While Barbados is more tropical and more appealing appealing to kit over the plain Connecticut.

2025-09-10 23:50:02 UTC

I think that Kit chose to dive into the water because she is a genuinely nice person. I also believe that she jumped in because she is a good swimmer and new that she could do it. Lastly, I also believe that she jumped in because she felt bad for the kid because that toy was made by her grandpa.

jsbwchuang — 2025-09-11 00:58:30 UTC

Some challenges that I think Kit will face in Wethersfield are adjusting to a different society and doing chores she's never done before. When Kit shows her cousins the clothes she brought with her, Judith gets especially excited. Her uncle, however, is not. He demands that his daughters return the gifts and tells Kit that since she's living with them now, she must fit their ways. Kit finds out that they must do all of the household chores themselves without the help of slaves. This causes Kit to struggle immensely because she has never needed to do chores. These are two challenges that I think Kit will face while living in Wethersfield.

2025-09-11 02:14:17 UTC

I think that Kit chose to dive in to get the doll because she knows that she can swim and safely retrieve it. It also displays how she is empathetic and cares about other people even if she doesn't really know them. Kit didn't have to jump in and get the toy especially since it goes against what other people were used to, but she knew that it was possible and would make someone else happy.

diguwu2025 — 2025-09-11 02:50:58 UTC

I think the Puritans on the ship react very strongly to Kit's swimming ability because they are afraid of what they don't understand (subtle hints to the theme). On the ship, the only one besides Kit who can swim is Nat, who warns her that swimming is a sign of being a witch. Personally, it looks to me as if Puritans were simply not accustomed to swimming and made up claims that floating in water is witchcraft.

2025-09-11 03:34:26 UTC

Kit's personality is outgoing, carefree, and down to earth. This clashes with the Puritan values of Connecticut, which are mainly to be reserved and serious. This might cause the town folk to suspect her when something like a drought occurs. Until the townspeople get to know Kit, she will not be trusted by the town as a whole.

Jackson_Cocomelon — 2025-09-11 04:24:52 UTC

If I were in Kit's shoes, I would definitely leave Barbados. This is because after Kit's grandfather died, she was left with all his debt and was force to sell all his belongings. So since Kit's only option was to move somewhere else, moving to Connecticut with her Aunt and Uncle, would be one of the only choices.

2025-09-11 05:13:59 UTC

In the book, Barbados is described as a bright, fun, tropical, and a free place. Connecticut is described as more of a dark and gloomy area that brings disappointment to Kit. These 2 places completely contrast each other. If I could chose to live in Barbados or Connecticut I would definitely chose Barbados, so I could go swimming every day.

2025-09-11 05:56:13 UTC

I think the Puritans reacted so strongly because they weren't used to people knowing how to swim. Because of this, they thought Kit was a witch, or a strange and bad person. This hints to the themes of this book, of not accepting the unusual

2025-09-11 14:10:35 UTC

I think Kit dove into the water because she values her friend Prudence. She is selfless and thinks about others and wants to help. She is a natural swimmer and had the instinct to jump in when nobody else did because she is brave.

AutumnForest — 2025-09-11 14:11:47 UTC

While Kit lived in freedom, rich, and a beautiful atmosphere, the puritans lived a very strict life and it was all about God. They're beliefs and life clashed. When talking, Kit said a few things that were disapproved in puritan culture. Even her clothes offended Mathew.

2025-09-12 00:05:53 UTC

When Kit moves from a free, colorful world to a strict, plain world her sense of self is greatly affected. The expectations on the way she speaks, dresses, and works are all different from what she is used to. She quickly realizes that she has lost some for her freedoms and may be judged harshly for who she has always been, while needing to make drastic changes in order to fit in.

2025-09-12 19:56:42 UTC

I am not sure that I trust Nat, Judith and Goodwife Cruff due to their behavior and attitude towards Kit. Nat was giving Kit the cold shoulder after she dove in after Prudence's doll. Nat saw this as something only a witch was capable of and even told Kit that "Only the guilty ones float."

Judith trusted Kit at first, extremely eager to try on many new, and in her family's eyes "revolting" kinds of clothes. However, once her father saw her in the blue dress, he was extremely upset and ordered her to remove it at once, but gave in saying Mercy could keep the fur. After that, Judith became cold towards Kit, and we can overhear her asking if Kit really has to share a room with her.

Goodwife Cruff is extremely strict and criticizing of her daughter, Prudence. When Prudence accidentally dropped her wooden doll in the water, she scolded her for doing so. This is not the right way at all to parent, and I do wish that she had not been so cruel to her own daughter/

2025-09-14 21:31:38 UTC

Kit is not afraid to help people and she is courageous.

2025-09-14 21:36:11 UTC

Kit is brave and independent the Puritans want to be modest and godly.

2025-09-14 21:41:51 UTC

Nat, Judith, and Goodwife Cruff are all willing to help Kit and I trust them because they all sound friendly enough to be trusted.

2025-09-14 21:46:31 UTC

Barbados sounds like it is a plantation islands with lots of slaves. Connecticut sounds like a open plain with natives around the area. Connecticut sounds better because there is a lot less stuff happening.

2025-09-14 21:49:29 UTC

Kit feels isolated and isn't familiar with the new area.

2025-09-14 21:53:01 UTC

People are skeptical of her thinking that she is a witch because she can swim so this sets her up a a outcast.

2025-09-14 21:59:03 UTC

The Puritans were taught that if a woman can swim that means she is a witch, so that means that the ability to swim was not a skill they learned or valued.

2025-09-14 22:04:16 UTC

The people in Wethersfield might think she is a witch because she can swim, so she might have trouble making friends, becoming part of the community, and getting around in life.

2025-09-14 22:11:26 UTC

When I was in my 7th grade class the girls liked to pick on the boys because there were more girls than boys. There were 8 boys in the class. The teacher overlooked the girls' behavior and frequently had us get in trouble for trying to defend ourselves. All boys but 2 left the program. I transferred out in the first semester.