In The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth George Spe are writes about how Kit changes throughout the course of the story. From the start of the story, Kit is materialistic, shallow, and prideful. In the middle, Kit of change by taking care of others. Last but not least, in the end she loves the people she is friends with and doesn’t care only about herself but for others as well. In the beginning, Kit is being shallow and prideful. Kit’s superficiality and shallowness are seen in her admiration for William.
This shows how Kit is being superficial because she only cares for what things and people look on the outside. When Kit first sees William, she likes him because he is nicely clothed, good looking, and rich. Kit wants to marry him for all the wrong reasons. She wants to marry him because he can afford really nice things and she wouldn’t have to life a finger around the house to help. William has the big, gracious house and the luxury of laziness to offer to Kit.
Kit doesn’t want to wait until she knows more about William and hurries into making big decisions. William wants to marry Kit for the wrong reasons also. William thinks when he marries Kit she will become his trophy wife. He thinks his marriage with Kit will heighten his popularity points in the town. He doesn’t want Kit hang out with her friends, Hannah and Prudence, because it will lower his high image in town. William wants Kit to throw away her good friends like if they were toys and get new toys to heighten his popularity.
On the other hand, there is positive affect to why Kit likes William. Kit found that William is not dumb and that he actually has his own voice. William is the only person that she knows that has the courage to contrast Uncle Matthew’s ideas. Kit overlooks his internal qualities which matter the most. All these examples show that Kit is being superficial and shallow because she cares only for materialistic and external characteristics that don’t really matter. As the story progresses, Kit shows signs of change.
She slowly changes from the self-centered and prideful girl to someone who cares for the sick and the weak. For example, when Mercy and Judith get sick, Kit does all the housework and takes care of them so they will be able to get better soon. She also makes remedies for them. This shows Kit’s transformation because in the beginning she wouldn’t life a finger to help them out but later on, she takes up all their work and takes real good care of them. Another example of Kit’s change is when Kit helps Hannah. Kit helps Hannah sneak out of the house to safety when Hannah is in trouble.
Kit puts herself in danger to save Hannah. Her action shows how Kit is starting to think about other people’s needs before her own. Kit begins to understand what is more important and starts caring for others and not herself. Towards the end, Kit shows loving affection toward the people she cares deeply about. She begins to realize her feelings for Nat when she sees the Dolphin coming in and has that sense of longing to be on his ship again. Kit begins to notice the internal qualities.
Kit likes Nat because he is nice towards her and he understands what she is going through. Kit doesn’t care about the fact that Nat only has one pair of clothing. She also likes to hear his opinion because Nat is the only one who debates with her. Nat doesn’t really care about who her friends are because as long as they are good friends that agrees with him. Nat doesn’t want Kit to change for him and like Kit for who she is.
Nat was there to defend her at the trial and she thought William would be there to defend her also but he didn’t show up. Kit know now who loves her and who doesn’t. She finally knows how to love someone else other than herself. In The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Kit changes from a two dimensional figure to a three dimensional figure. She changes from a superficial and prideful person to someone who doesn’t care about how people look or what people have in trade for her help. Now she gives things with love rather than with pride.
So in The Witch of Blackbird Pond, it shows her changing throughout the story from a flat figure to a round figure. By doing all of this, Kit shows that she possesses some form of magic to transform herself in to a person with character and good personality.