Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Hope Leslie, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Religious Conflict and Tolerance
Interracial Relationships
Violence and Historical Memory
Women’s Roles
The Puritan Heritage
Summary
Analysis
Hope, left on the island, indulges her grief in solitude. She had not realized she loved Everell, partly because Esther’s unrequited heartbreak had so little resembled her own feelings. Hope consoles herself with the belief that, if everyone she loves is happy, then she, too, will be happy. Then Digby summons Hope to supper. Hope asks to confide in him, but he mustn’t ask any questions. Digby agrees.
Having grown up with Everell, Hope readily confuses the nature of her feelings for him, and comparing them to Esther’s situation only muddies her understanding further.
Themes
Hope explains that she is meeting some friends on the island that night, and Digby must allow her to stay outside as late as she chooses. If Digby’s wife wonders, Digby can tell her that Hope likes having her own way. Digby says that everyone likes getting their own way; that’s what the pilgrims traveled to the wilderness for. He muses that times are changing, and that liberty of thought and action are gaining ground more and more.
Digby’s observation about the pilgrims is interesting especially because it comes from the perspective of a commoner rather than a leader of the colony. His observation also makes Hope an unlikely model Puritan—her willfulness just takes a more open, unabashed form than it does among her meeker, more pious friends.
Themes
At supper, Hope is friendly to Mrs. Digby and the Digby children, but when she notices the moon rising in the east, she jumps up to take an evening stroll. Over Mrs. Digby’s protests, Hope wraps herself in her cloak and walks to the island’s western end. There is a bay and natural harbor there. She sits impatiently to await her sister. At last, she hears the sound of oars and sees a canoe coming around the headland.
Hope’s plan to reunite with her sister is coming to fruition at last. It takes place in a kind of neutral environment—neither wholly civilized nor wilderness.
Themes
Hope cries out with joy when she sees her sister. A second glance reveals that Faith is wearing native clothing and leaning against Oneco. At this, Hope’s “heart died within her.” Instead of running toward the shore, Hope leans against the cliff and looks away.
Faith’s thoroughly American Indian appearance reminds Hope of the chasm between them, blunting her joy in their long-awaited reunion.
Themes
Get the entire Hope Leslie LitChart as a printable PDF.
Magawisca tells Hope to take Faith’s hand. When she does, Hope’s heart melts, and she enfolds Faith in a tearful embrace. Faith stands there passively, seeming confused. Hope gazes into Faith’s face. Calling her “Mary,” she asks her sister if she remembers their childhood together, or their mother. Faith keeps looking at Magawisca. Finally Faith says that she does not speak English. Hope doesn’t know what to do.
Magawisca takes the lead in facilitating the reunion between the English and culturally Indian sisters. Without Magawisca’s mediation, Faith is effectively out of Hope’s reach, and they are unable to relate to each other.
Themes
Magawisca offers to interpret for Hope and Faith. Hope doesn’t know how to address someone who is so close to her by blood, yet so far away by culture. She signals to Faith to take off her mantle so that Faith might look more familiar; but the beaded skins underneath only accentuate Faith’s “aboriginal peculiarities.” Grieved and repulsed, Hope tries wrapping Faith in her own silk cloak, but Faith gently resists.
Hope keeps trying to make Faith somehow comprehensible and familiar to herself, but Faith, showing her own agency in the situation, resists being manipulated in this way.
Themes
Through Magawisca, Hope asks Faith if she remembers the day of the raid at Bethel. Faith replies that she remembers Oneco saving her life. Faith remembers little of the sisters’ childhood together, or of their mother. Hope begs her to come and live with her. Faith shakes her head at this and kisses a crucifix she is carrying. Hope offers Faith some of her jewelry, desperate to persuade Faith in any way possible. Though entranced by the jewels, Faith recoils from Hope’s entreaties.
Hope’s dreams for her reunion for her sister are collapsing, as her world doesn’t have an obvious role for Faith, either as an American Indian or as a Catholic.
Themes
At that moment, a bright light flashes on the cliff above, and Oneco hastens to go. Hope notices that Mononotto is sitting in the boat as well. She embraces Faith one last time. As Hope lets go of her sister, a boat filled with armed men circles the island and rapidly lands on the beach. Men from the governor’s guard jump out and take Magawisca and Faith captive. Hope cries out to Oneco that she didn’t know this was going to happen, but he pulls her into the canoe, shouting that Hope will be treated as Faith is.
Hope has been betrayed; someone found out about the planned rendezvous, and now both she and her sister are taken captive.
Themes
Sir Philip Gardiner joins the group of men on the beach and urges them to pursue Hope, but they refuse to do so in the dark and gathering storm. Digby comes upon the group and, lacking a boat, is unable to help, either. He offers shelter to Faith, who is weeping, and Magawisca, who feels betrayed and fearful for her father. Back at the Governor’s house, meanwhile, Everell and Esther are enduring an awkward evening together, and Mr. Fletcher is unhappily listening to Madam Winthrop’s assurances of the couple’s impending bliss.
Sir Philip is somehow involved in the betrayal of Hope and Magawisca, though it’s not yet clear precisely how. Back in Boston, the dramatic events on the beach are ironically mirrored by the more mundane yet still disastrous spectacle of Everell’s and Esther’s informal engagement.
Themes
At this point, the governor’s guard enters with Magawisca, to the surprise of all present. Everell is delighted to see Magawisca and appalled at her imprisonment. Displeased with Everell’s meddling, Governor Winthrop says that Magawisca is suspected of being involved in “brewing the conspiracy forming against us among the Indian tribes.” Everell begs that this “noble creature” not be placed in jail. Magawisca speaks up, saying that all places are the same to her after having been betrayed—Hope Leslie “was the decoy bird […] and she too is caught in the net.” Magawisca is led away from the Fletchers and from Faith Leslie before she can offer further explanation.
Everell and Magawisca are reunited for the first time since the events in the forest years ago. Pieces of the puzzle come together as Governor Winthrop suspects Magawisca of being politically motivated. By calling Hope a “decoy bird,” Magawisca seems to understand that Hope may not have been directly responsible for her betrayal and capture, but to believe that Hope is complicit in it regardless.
Themes
Literary Devices
