Skip to main content

In The Witch of Blackbird Pond, what does Nat do to William's house?

Nat and his friends illuminated William’s house with jack-o-lanterns because he was jealous. 


Kit’s uncle tells her that William has been the victim of an “insulting prank.”  He tells her that William’s house has been “illuminated.” 



"You mean they burned it down?" gasped Rachel.


"No. They well might have. They put lanterns in the window frames that are waiting for the new panes. Lanterns made out of pumpkin heads, with candles inside, and unholy...


Nat and his friends illuminated William’s house with jack-o-lanterns because he was jealous. 


Kit’s uncle tells her that William has been the victim of an “insulting prank.”  He tells her that William’s house has been “illuminated.” 



"You mean they burned it down?" gasped Rachel.


"No. They well might have. They put lanterns in the window frames that are waiting for the new panes. Lanterns made out of pumpkin heads, with candles inside, and unholy faces cut in the sides to show the light." (Ch. 16) 



Kit finds this funny, even though the Puritans think it is horrible.  Her uncle calls jack-o-lanters the “devil's invention.” The three “ringleaders” are being held in a shed and will be put in the stocks on Lecture Day. 


Kit goes into town to see Nat in the stocks.  He tells her to get away, not wanting the townspeople to see her talking to him.  She doesn’t care. 



Deliberately Kit stepped closer. She marked the way the tight boards were chafing the hard brown wrists. "This is horrible, Nat!" she burst out. "I can't bear to see you in this hateful thing!" (Ch. 16) 



The incident is a turning point for Kit. She realizes that it is Nat that she cares about, and Nat cares about her.  He vandalized William Ashby’s house out of jealousy.  Nat realized that Kit did not belong with a man like William.  Beyond that, he had loved her from the beginning. 


Nat’s relationship with Kit was a complex one.  He was a free spirit, like she was.  He called her a tropical bird.  Kit married Nat, and was able to live an unconventional life but one that was more suited to her personality than the straight-laced Puritan lifestyle that William would have given her.  William might have been rich, but Nat was adventurous and that was what Kit preferred.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...

What gift did Della buy for Jim and why in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which... Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair.  Della is still willing to sell her hair so she can b...

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...