Witch Child Settlement Analysis

Settlement – Part Two

Introduction

When Jonah breaks his foot in the saw-pit and it becomes a matter of life and death, Mary ventures into the forest in the hope of finding help. The following exercises will help develop your understanding of themes and narrative technique.

Remember, there are suggested answers at the bottom of the page so you can compare your own responses.

Understanding Themes

A straightforward outline of Celia Rees’ “Witch Child” will reveal some details of the story:

A young girl witnesses the terrible execution of her grandmother who was condemned for witchcraft. Beginning in 1659, the novel follows her escape across the Atlantic with a group of Puritans seeking the freedom to practise their religion in America, but her time in the new settlement becomes increasingly dangerous and leads to a frightening conclusion.

However, a thematic approach to understanding a text explores the different beats of the plot and presentation of characters to see what comments or messages the narrative has about important ideas and subjects. For example, the theme of religion versus science is a very important aspect of the novel. Martha wants to give Jonah some medicine to “take the pain away” and make a “poultice” to help his leg heal. By contrast, Reverend Johnson believes the “matter is in the hands of God”.

Scan through the novel and list moments in the story which address the conflict or differences between religion and science.

What do you think is the novel’s message concerning science and religion in society?

We would like to know your thoughts about the conflict between science and religion in the novel, so please share your opinions by submitting a comment in the box at the bottom of the page.

Narrative Voice

Stories can be told from different perspectives and the point of view of any character. Writers need to choose the narrative voice very carefully to deliver their tales in the most effective and engaging way to the reader.

Written as a series of intimate diary entries, Celia Rees presents “Witch Child” from Mary’s perspective with the reader following her journey from her life with her grandmother to the settlement in New England.

Read Entry 52 again. Explain how you know it is a first-person narrative?

A good way to experience the different narrative voices is to rewrite a sequence, changing the first-person pronouns into third-person. For example, “I took tracks untrodden” would be changed to “Mary too tracks untrodden”, and “I am bit afraid of getting lost” might become “she was not afraid of getting lost”.

Try changing Entry 52 into a third-person narrative. You can shorten some of the direct speech but make sure you keep the core meanings.

Structure

Writers need to use visual structural devices to help support the reader’s understanding of the story. These devices, such as paragraphing and separating the story into chapters, are almost invisible but they move our attention effortlessly from one idea to the next.

In Entry 53, Rees uses a line break which divides the entry into two sections: the first one concerns Mary receiving the “great basket of herbs” and “cloth” from Jaybird while the second one mentions Jonah’s convalescence.

The author also groups the chapters into different parts, such as “Journey Three – Wilderness” and “Settlement.

In detail, explain the differences between parts, chapters, line breaks and paragraphs. How do they control the reader’s approach to the story? How do they add clarity to the plot?

Finally, have you ever wondered about the reason behind the use of asterisks to indicate a line break? If you know why new paragraphs are indented or a writer needs to use asterisks, please let us know in the comments below.

Comprehension Questions

  1. What does Jaybird teach Mary in Entry 54?
  2. Who does Jaybird want Mary to meet?
  3. What does Jaybird leave at Mary’s door?
  4. Why does Mary prefer “dressing like a boy” when she is with Jaybird?
  5. How were the “first settlers” treated when they arrived in the New World?
  6. Why were the Pennacook nation “powerless” against these settlers?
  7. Why did Jaybird’s father remain behind at Beulah?
  8. Look at Entry 57 and explain why Mary should be concerned for her safety?
  9. What is Goodwife Anne’s opinion of the “native people”?
  10. What is Mary’s opinion of Goodwife Anne?
  11. What do you learn about mandrakes from Entry 58?
  12. Why will Mary have to leave her new home and live with the Rivers family?

Vocabulary

The following words are taken from Entries 54 to 61. Write out definitions for each one and then include them in your own sentences.

  1. Poisonous
  2. Dappled
  3. Perished
  4. Fevers
  5. Ancient
  6. Descends
  7. Provokes
  8. Scolding
  9. Boundaries
  10. Jagged

settlement 2 answers

Narrative Voice

First-person Narrative Definition

A first-person narrative is a story told by a character who is sharing their experiences with the reader. This perspective uses first-person pronouns, such as “I” and “us”. For example, Entry 52 begins with “I took tracks untrodden” and “I am not afraid of getting lost”.

Entry 52

Mary took the tracks untrodden and ways unknown. She was not afraid of getting lost. She was brought up in the forest, friend to the woodcutters’ sons and the charcoal burners’ children, she marks her way.

She did not see at first the Indian boy, but that did not mean he wasn’t there. She walked until she felt her skin pricking again. It’s a game of cat and mouse they have been playing, but now it has to stop.

She called for him to come out.

“What do you want?”

“I need your help.”

Mary explained their trouble.

He listened carefully and then said his grandfather was a healer. “My grandfather guessed what Jonah did in the forest and sent me to help. I left the soapwort as a gift. Then, when I met you again, you ran away from me.”

“Will you help us now?”

“I will ask my grandfather. He will know what is best.”

“Take me to him.”

“No. That is impossible. I will come to you.”

“When?”

“Soon.”

He was gone before Mary could question him more.

Structure Task

Suggested Answer

Writers will take a new paragraph when they want to indicate to the reader that there is a new idea or point being introduced. In terms of direct speech, you also need to take a new paragraph for each speaker’s turn. This visual aid will help the reader follow the story more easily. When a line break occurs in the narrative, it means that the scene has shifted or there is a change in point of view.

A chapter break normally indicates that there has been a more significant change in time, place or perspective. This informs the reader to expect something different and will help avoid confusion. Some writers end a chapter to create a cliff-hanger and encourage the excited reader to turn the page.

Celia Rees also divides “Witch Child” into parts because she wants to reinforce the sudden and major changes in Mary’s life. Her home in England is radically different to her experiences on the Atlantic Ocean and then in the New World. The writer can separate the story into these parts to help the reader understand that the character’s life has substantially changed.

Comprehension Suggested Answers

What does Jaybird teach Mary in Entry 54?

In Entry 54, Jaybird teaches Mary to “find the healing plants and herbs”. He is able to point out which parts are “poisonous” and which are “wholesome”.

Who does Jaybird want Mary to meet?

Jaybird wants Mary to meet his grandfather.

What does Jaybird leave at Mary’s door?

Jaybird leaves “gifts” at Mary’s door, such as baskets containing “nuts and fruit, plums and blueberries”.

Why does Mary prefer “dressing like a boy” when she is with Jaybird?”

Mary prefers “dressing like a boy” when she is with Jaybird because he “treats” her like a “brother” and it makes her feel “easier with him”.

How were the “first settlers” treated when they arrived in the New World?”

When the “first settlers” arrived in the New World, they were “welcomed” by Jaybird’s people who then taught them how to “live” and “harvest”.

Why were the Pennacook nation “powerless” against these settlers?

The Pennacook nation were “powerless” against these settlers because they “brought sickness” and “disease” which killed a lot of Jaybird’s people.

Why did Jaybird’s father remain behind at Beulah?”

Jaybird’s father remained behind at Beulah because he wanted to watch the “holy places” and “stones” where their ancestors were buried.

Look at Entry 57 and explain why Mary should be concerned for her safety?

Mary should be concerned for her safety because some of the settlers are gossiping about her “wandering in the forest” and they might accuse her of causing sickness in the village, especially Jethro Vane’s hogs.

What is Goodwife Anne’s opinion of the “native people”?

Goodwife Anne’s opinion of the “native people” is very negative. She believes they “live in the forest in nakedness” and are full of “sin”. She thinks they are “worse than “beggars”

What is Mary’s opinion of Goodwife Anne?

Mary believes Goodwife Anne is a “stupid, narrow-minded, ignorant busybody of a woman”. The narrator clearly does not like the bigoted woman.

What do you learn about mandrakes from Entry 58?

The reader learns that the root of the mandrake “looks like a small man” because the base “split into three parts” which resembled a “poppet”. Goodwife Anne believes it only grows “under the gallows tree” where they hang people. She also believes it “screams like a human thing when pulled from the ground”. However, Martha dismisses these claims as “false and untrue”. In fact, the root has many “virtues”.

Why will Mary have to leave her new home and live with the Rivers family?

Mary will have to leave her new home and live with the Rivers family because her “arrangement has been called into question”. The Elders do not like the young girl to be living with Martha and two men so they want her to live with a “proper family”.

Vocabulary Task

Suggested Definitions

  1. Poisonous: a harmful or deadly substance.
  2. Dappled: covered with dark and light patches.
  3. Perished: to die through starvation or cold.
  4. Fevers: illness characterised by a high temperature.
  5. Ancient: belonging to the distant past.
  6. Descends: moves downwards.
  7. Provokes: causes a reaction, such as anger and aggression.
  8. Scolding: speaking angrily to someone.
  9. Boundaries: lines that indicate the limits or edges or something.
  10. Jagged: a rough and uneven shape with sharp edges.

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