The Witch of Blackbird Pond, written by Elizabeth George Speare, was set in a Puritan settlement, in Connecticut, during the 17th century. In this book, a young woman named Katherine Tyler, “Kit”, sailed to Connecticut on a ship, “the Dolphin”, from Barbados to her aunt’s house soon after her grandfather had passed away. During the 17th century, the belief in witchcraft was common and considered a serious crime which often resulted in a number of females being executed. Throughout the book, Kit faces various challenges in order to fit in this new community and is also accused to be practicing witchcraft.
As Kit moved into Connecticut, she had to say goodbye to her lavish life back in Barbados. Now, she had to start working for the family, cook, make her own clothes and …show more content…
As she stepped in the new society, she had to live life like the average Puritan. Her daily life consisted of labor such as making corn pudding, mixing soap for hours, making candles while the fumes irritated her eyes and working on the field which gave her extreme muscle fatigue. The Puritans highly believed their duty was to serve God and attending Church was mandatory. Those who chose not to be were highly punished. In the novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Kit describes the setting of the colony by stating, “There was not a single stone building or shop in sight. The Meeting House stood in the center of the clearing, a square unpainted wooden structure… a pillory, a whipping post and stocks”(Page 52). Kit had also noticed that the church meetings were long hours and everyone in the community seemed to participate. The setting of the novel and such events gave the readers and understand of life in a Puritan society during the late- 17th century. In my opinion, this novel helped me further understand the beliefs and the settings in the society that created America as we know it