I wrote this paper earlier in the school year and now my teacher assigned us to revise it for semester finals. I would really appreciate any one's grammar reviews or thoughts. Thank you very much!
In The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth George Speare creates the impetuous, fascinating and memorable fictional character of Katherine Tyler, while adeptly bringing the sights and sounds of the Connecticut Colony to life during the year 1687. Kit, as she is affectionately known, arrives in Wethersfield Connecticut on an abominably cold April day. She is a rebellious orphan who has been raised in Barbados, experiencing the polar opposite lifestyle of the restrictive Puritan society in Connecticut. Kit’s free spirit oftentimes leads her into conflict with the felicitous Colonists, whose strict religious convictions are both confusing and bewildering to her. Yet, as Kit’s character matures you begin to see the loving and kind person she is as she ultimately befriends a Quaker woman, Hannah Tupper, who has been ostracized by the local Puritan society under the charge of witchcraft. This friendship would lead to devastating consequences for Kit.
In an instant, Kit found herself whisked away from her warm, loving home in
Barbados, where she was denied no type of indulgence. Specifically, Kit ran, swam, and
enjoyed the warmth of the Barbados sun as the pampered granddaughter of a successful
plantation owner. She was allowed total freedom from responsibility as her grandfather
owned many slaves who attended to the plantation as well as Kit’s every desire.
Kit’s grandfather taught her to read and write. Her creative and imaginative side was
enhanced because of her access to fine literary works at her home in Barbados.
Due to Kit’s impetuous personality, she would often find herself at the crossroads of conflict. Specifically, Kit is frequently at odds with Uncle Matthew and is
temperamentally unsuited for the strict Puritan religious mandates and has an equal amount of contention in regards to following other peoples rules. On one occasion,
Kit’s free-spirit leads to her and Mercy, Kit’s wholesome and obedient cousin, facing the wrath of the head mistress of the dame school because Kit instructs the children to act out a Bible story.
Kit is a friendly and kind girl who befriends Hannah Tupper, who has been expelled
from Wethersfield society simply because she is a Quaker. This friendship ultimately
leads to Kit’s arrest and imprisonment. While imprisoned Kit was locked in a bleak,
dismal shed, where she was abandoned without food or warmth. At this point, Kit surely
must have felt frightened, and unsure of her future. To Kit’s surprise it was Uncle
Matthew who came to her defense. Consequently, this is where Kit’s character matures
and her goodness shines through. Kit will not lie, not even to protect herself.
To summarize, the young orphaned girl from Barbados who consistently manages to
arouse unintended attention and conflict slowly begins to find her way in a society she is not made for. By staying true to herself, following her heart, and living by the Christian’s “Golden Rule” of being honest and treating others in the way that she herself would want to be treated, Kit begins to find the strength within herself to find contentment in her new life as a colonist.
