Testimony

Introduction

Martha describes what happened after the chaos in the Meeting House: Mary’s escape, Rebekah’s child and then her own departure for Salem with Jonah.

The story shifts from Mary’s diary entries to Martha’s account of what happened when a “deputation” arrived to search for the young girl. Read through the chapter and look for any differences in the style, tone and language between this perspective and Mary’s narrative voice. You should consider the verb tenses and even the number of adjectives used by the narrators.

You could list your findings in a suitable table format.

Structure

The ending of a novel is one of the most important aspects of the story. Do you find the ending of “Witch Child” a satisfying conclusion to the story? Explain your reasons with references to the plot.

Mary

Martha informs the reader Mary was “heading for the wilderness”. From what you have read in the novel, where do you think she will go? Remember to justify your answer by referring to the text. You can share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Conclusion

This section of the story is titled “Testimony”, a word which means giving a statement as evidence. However, who actually named the chapter “Testimony”?