The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Prudence is Goodwife Cruff and Goodman Cruff’s young daughter. She is a timid, scrawny, and underfed child, and her mother calls her stupid and treats her cruelly. Prudence adores Kit from the beginning of the book, when Kit jumps into the ocean to retrieve Prudence’s toy, which she had dropped overboard. While the rest of the ship is suspicious of Kit’s ability to swim, Prudence is in awe of it. Although it’s clear that Prudence wants to get to know Kit, Goodwife Cruff forbids her from speaking to Kit, whom she calls a witch. But Prudence eventually meets Kit on her own, and Kit teaches her how to read. Prudence is a quick and capable learner, and she proves that her mother’s assumptions are wrong—she isn’t “half-witted” at all. When Kit introduces Prudence to Hannah, Prudence is initially frightened, as she has heard the town gossip that Hannah is a witch. But as soon as she gets to know Hannah, Prudence realizes that the Puritans’ prejudiced assumptions are wrong, and that Hannah is a kind and loving old woman. They become close friends, and Hannah’s cottage becomes a second home for Prudence. When the Puritans eventually put Kit on trial for witchcraft, Prudence proves Kit’s innocence by explaining why a book with Prudence’s name written in it was found in Hannah’s house. The Puritans—prejudiced against Hannah and Kit for their differences from the rest of the community—think that the book is proof that Kit was casting a spell on Prudence. But Prudence proves them wrong by announcing that Kit is her teacher; the book that the mob found in Hannah’s house is what they use for Prudence to practice her writing, thereby demonstrating how the Puritans’ prejudices are misguided.