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Hannah Tupper
Nat Eaton is a sailor whom Kit meets on the Dolphin, the ship that brings Kit from Barbados to Wethersfield, Connecticut. Feisty, opinionated, and adventurous, Nat strikes up a friendship with—and develops a crush on—Kit, although his teasing often frustrates her. Though his family lives in Saybrook, a port city near Wethersfield, Nat spends most of his time sailing. Along with many other New Englanders, Nat believes that the colonies should have independence from King James of England. But unlike most of the Wethersfield townspeople, Nat doesn’t care about conforming to Puritan norms. Like Kit, Nat is friends with Hannah Tupper, despite the Wethersfield Puritans’ insistence that because Hannah is a Quaker rather than a Puritan, she is a witch and undeserving of help or mercy. And Nat is similarly loyal to Kit, despite their frequent disagreements. When the Puritans accuse Kit of being a witch, Nat brings Prudence to testify to prove Kit’s innocence. Along with Kit and Nat’s shared interests and temperament, it is Nat’s loyalty that attracts Kit. She falls in love with him, and the story ends with Nat declaring his intention to marry her.
Nathaniel “Nat” Eaton Quotes in The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The The Witch of Blackbird Pond quotes below are all either spoken by Nathaniel “Nat” Eaton or refer to Nathaniel “Nat” Eaton. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 2 Quotes
“How did you think they got there? Did you fancy they traveled from Africa in private cabins like yours?”
She had never thought about it at all. “But don’t you have slaves in America?”
“Yes, to our shame! Mostly down Virginia way. But there are plenty of fine folk like you here in New England who’ll pay a fat price for black flesh without asking any questions how it got here. If my father would consent to bring back just one load of slaves we would have had our new ketch by this summer. But we Eatons, we’re almighty proud that our ship has a good honest stink of horses!”
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Chapter 12 Quotes
“The river is so blue today,” [Kit] said sleepily. “It could almost be the water in Carlisle Bay.”
“Homesick?” asked Nat casually, his eyes on the blue strip of water.
“Not here,” she answered. “Not when I’m in the meadow, or with Hannah.”
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Chapter 17 Quotes
“Or you can go on to the West Indies with us.”
Barbados! The tears sprang to her eyes. “I can’t, Nat. I have to stay here […] ‘Tis Mercy,” she stammered. “She’s terribly ill. I couldn’t go, I just couldn’t, not knowing—”
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Chapter 21 Quotes
She tried to remember how it had felt to stand on the deck of the Dolphin and see before her the harbor of Barbados. The haunting joy eluded her; the dream shores were dim and unreal. Why had she closed her heart to the true meaning of the dream? How long had she really known that the piercing happiness of that moment had come not from the sight of the harbor at all, but from the certainty that the one she loved stood beside her?
If only I could go with Nat, she realized suddenly, it wouldn’t matter where we went, to Barbados or just up and down this river. The Dolphin would be home enough.
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Nathaniel “Nat” Eaton Character Timeline in The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The timeline below shows where the character Nathaniel “Nat” Eaton appears in The Witch of Blackbird Pond. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...traveling for five weeks from Barbados to Connecticut Colony on a ship called the Dolphin. Nathaniel Eaton (also called Nat), the first mate and son of the ship’s captain, asks her...
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Nat and Kit discuss the journey. This trip has been Kit’s first time on a large...
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There are several passengers who need to go ashore, so the ship stops, and Nat leaves Kit to prepare a smaller boat to go to shore. Kit is disappointed to...
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Nat and Mrs. Eaton cheerfully approach Kit again. Mrs. Eaton says goodbye to Kit, adding that...
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...doll and grabs it. As she turns back to the little boat, she realizes that Nat had jumped in after her and is trying to swim toward her; he’s a poor...
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...clothes wet, to which Kit scornfully replies that she has plenty of other clothes. Even Nat is upset with her—he got his one pair of clothes wet by jumping after her...
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Nat interrupts their conversation; he’s still annoyed about Kit’s earlier jump in the river. He tells...
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Nat then seriously tells Kit that she shouldn’t swim in New England again. Although she laughingly...
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Chapter 2
...decided, do not forget easily. In addition to Goodwife Cruff’s continued hostility, Captain Eaton and Nat are also still cold to her. Only John Holbrook is kind to Kit.
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In the hot sun, Nat and some of the other sailors jump into the river to swim and cool off....
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Nat becomes enraged. He asks Kit whether she would like the smell if the ship’s hold...
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Nat continues, telling Kit that the slave trade still exists in New England—there are “plenty” of...
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Nat stalks off, leaving Kit feeling annoyed that he ruined their chance of being friends again....
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...about her voyage; now, he will have to deliver her to her relatives. He instructs Nat to carry Kit’s luggage as they walk into town, and Kit begins to feel anxious.
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Chapter 3
Captain Eaton, Nat, and the other sailors leave them once they bring Kit’s luggage into the house—Kit’s aunt,...
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Chapter 10
At that moment, a figure appears in the doorway: it’s Nat Eaton. He humorously says that he’s unsurprised Kit and Hannah have become friends. Hannah introduces...
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Hannah eagerly tells Nat that she had told Thomas she was sure that he would come soon. Kit is...
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Leaning back, Nat asks how Kit and Hannah met. Hannah chuckles and tells him that she met Kit...
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Kit realizes that it’s time for her to go home, and Nat leaves with her. After teasing her that she must have had a rough beginning in...
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Chapter 11
...immediately charmed. Hannah also gives Prudence blueberry cake, just like she did with Kit and Nat.
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Chapter 12
When Kit arrives at Hannah’s, she’s surprised to see Nat chopping wood. Nat teases her, but she decides to “overlook his mockery” and comments on...
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Kit and Nat work together to rethatch the roof. Afterwards, the two of them sit quietly in the...
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Nat seriously asks Kit how she has been in Wethersfield. She feels like she doesn’t “fit...
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Kit is touched and surprised that the “cocky young seaman” had such serious thoughts. Nat then teases that he never expected to see her dirty from working on a roof....
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Kit wonders aloud why the Puritans are so serious. Nat thinks it’s because of “all that schooling.” He admits that while he despises the Puritans’...
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Kit then asks Nat another question that’s been bothering her: why do New Englanders dislike the King of England?...
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...it’s time for supper, which Kit takes as her cue to leave. As she and Nat climb down from the roof, Nat solemnly asks Kit to keep visiting Hannah. Kit quickly...
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Nat walks with Kit all the way to the Woods’ house, Kit all the while wishing...
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...why Kit was gone for so long, Kit announces that she was at Hannah’s house. Nat chimes in, saying that Kit’s tardiness is his fault: he had asked her to help...
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Chapter 14
Kit is also excited and nervous to see that Nat is there. She lingers and is pained that he doesn’t seem to notice her. As...
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Just as they are about to leave, Nat calls out to Kit. Handing her some cloth, Nat asks Kit to give the cloth...
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Kit stutters that she isn’t officially engaged, but Nat dismisses her comment. With a note of mockery to his voice, he sarcastically jokes that...
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...early, which means that the Dolphin is stranded in Wethersfield. She is spitefully glad that Nat can’t leave, and she promises herself that she won’t visit Hannah until she knows that...
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Chapter 16
...House on her own, feeling anxious. Sure enough, Kit approaches the Meeting House to see Nat along with two other men from the Dolphin crew. The prisoners are wittily replying to...
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But Nat doesn’t want Kit’s pity. He would extend his punishment, he tells her, if he could...
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...Hannah instead—she needs to talk to someone. Once with Hannah, Kit regretfully tells her that Nat is now banished. But Hannah isn’t concerned in the least, making Kit realize that Nat...
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Once Hannah hears the reason behind Nat’s punishment, she asks Kit about William, whom Nat never talked about. Kit hesitatingly explains that...
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Prudence arrives and informs Hannah that Nat won’t be able to visit—as soon as he was released from the stocks, he was...
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...scratching quill, she soaks in the calm of the house and finds herself wishing that Nat were there. Shaking herself from her daydream, Kit realizes that it’s time to leave.
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Chapter 17
...into the water and swims to the ship. The sailors help Kit into the ship. Nat is there, and Kit quickly tells him about the mob and how Hannah is in...
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As soon as the ship reaches Hannah, she tells Nat that she can’t leave without her cat. Nat immediately agrees to find the animal, though...
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Once they are all on the boat, Nat informs Hannah that he is bringing her to Saybrook, where she can stay with his...
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Chapter 18
...Mercy and Hannah are safe now, but she can’t stop thinking about how she declined Nat’s offer to escape Wethersfield.
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Chapter 19
At first, Kit is relieved and overjoyed to see Nat. But her relief turns to fear as she sees that Prudence is with him. At...
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...she becomes more confident. Kit feels proud of Prudence, and she impulsively looks over at Nat. Their eyes meet, and Kit immediately feels supported.
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When Kit looks away from Nat, she sees that everyone is staring at the Cruffs. Goodman Cruff shouts at Goodwife Cruff...
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...who is banned from Wethersfield. Upon seeing Kit’s stricken face, Matthew asks Talcott to let Nat go—after all, he risked himself to “see justice done.” Talcott agrees, but Nat is already...
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Prudence approaches Kit, who asks how she got involved. Nat had worried that Kit might get into trouble, so he snuck back into town on...
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Chapter 20
...begins to hate the cold, dark New England winter. She finds herself thinking again of Nat’s offer to take her to Barbados. One night she has a dream about going there...
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Chapter 21
...leaving, Kit is saddened. She wonders whether she will ever see Mercy, Judith, Prudence, or Nat again.
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At the thought of Nat, Kit begins to tremble. She thinks again of her dream about returning to Barbados and...
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...toward the river landing to see a new-looking ship in the water. She suddenly spots Nat among the barrels of goods that the ship had brought. She calls out his name...
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Trying to appear more dignified, Kit asks about Hannah, and Nat says she’s doing well. Regarding the new ship, Kit asks about the Dolphin. He tells...
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Kit asks to go aboard, but Nat firmly refuses. In a rush, he tells her that he plans to talk to Matthew...
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