Compare and contrast the simultaneous epidemics of witch paranoia and smallpox that beset the Massachusetts colonists in this novel. How does this connect and relate to ignorance, superstition and fear in these communities?

Why is Thomas Carrier feared and shunned in the village of Billerica?

How does Martha Carrier's attitude toward the church affect her identification as a witch?

What is it about her mother that Sarah Carrier only comes to revere later in life, after her mother has been executed as a witch?

In what fundamental way is Mercy Williams different from any of the Carrier children?

Is there any evidence in the novel that smallpox is considered a communicable disease? Is its method of infection well understood?

What finally puts an end to the witch hunts and trials in Salem?

Who is it in the Carrier extended family that betrays Martha Carrier...