Verse Novel: Witness by Karen Hesse

Hesse, Karen. 2001. WITNESS. New York NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0-439-27199-1.

Plot Summary: Witness is a verse novel that tells the story of the residents of a small Vermont town in 1924. The two main characters, Leonora Sutter and Esther Hirsch, experience racism and anti-Semitism, respectively, as the Ku Klux Klan takes root in their community. The reactions of the characters to these events are diverse and often evolving. Although the novel begins with a town divided over the ascendancy of racism and anti-Semitism in their community, by the end, most come to see the light of reason and the Klan is driven out.

Along the way, the reader gets a glimpse into presidential politics (the election of 1924), the life of a bootlegger (in this case a woman named Iris Weaver), and the rise of fundamentalism in the persona of Johnny Reeves. Divisions within families over the social issues of the 1920s is represented by the marriage of Harvey and Viola Pettibone, owners of the local dry goods store.

Two events, the attempted murder of Esther’s father by an unknown assailant and the discovery of a two-day old abandoned baby, provide the reader with a mystery that must be solved within the context of the larger narrative.

Critical Analysis: Witness is written in free verse style and contains conversational, colloquial language. The eleven main characters present a sequence of events from varied perspectives. Hesse’s inclusion of vintage photographs representing the characters helps the reader to keep track of the often complex thoughts and feelings of the town folk.

A brief visit to the town by John Philip Sousa and references to events of the 1920s (flappers, Clarence Darrow, Leopold and Loeb, and Helen Keller) help the reader to remain anchored in an historical context while at the same time being drawn seamlessly into the lives of the two children, Leonora and Esther. The mixed emotions of the towns’ adult population are reflected in the author’s choice of language and use of imagery. Leonora’s clear, perceptive narration contrasts with Esther’s stream-of-consciousness style, reminiscent of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury.

By using free-verse poetry and a five-act format, Hesse takes an extremely important watershed decade in U.S. History and makes it come to life through the genuine and often poignant observations of the residents.

Reviews:

Winner of the 2002 Christopher Award (for works which affirm the highest values of the human spirit).

Publishers Weekly: “The author…turns language into music. Easily read in one sitting, this novel powerfully records waves of change and offers insightful glimpses into the hearts of victims, their friends and their enemies.”

School Library Journal: “…this is much more than a social tract. It's a thoughtful look at people and their capacity for love and hate.”

Booklist: “Using real events, Hesse tells a story of the Ku Klux Klan in a small town in Vermont in 1924…the book will spark discussion about how such a thing can happen even now.”

Kirkus Reviews: “What Copeland created with music, and Hopper created with paint, Hesse deftly and unerringly creates with words.”

Connections:

Prior to reading the book, students should be given a solid background on the social, cultural, and political turbulence of the 1920s including the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, a rise in anti-Semitism, the Leopold and Loeb trial, racial tensions, and the impact of Prohibition. This book would work well in a U.S. History class as an end-of-unit activity.

This book can easily be adapted for Readers Theater. Although the entire book could be used, I would suggest an abridged reading focusing on the main characters and their experience with racism and anti-Semitism.

Watch a clip of the silent classic “Birth of a Nation” (mentioned in the book). Discuss with students how a film of this nature could spark racism (as it glorifies the role of the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction).

In researching the novel, many teachers pair it with To Kill a Mockingbird. Connections can also be made to the Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement.

Have students research the Harlem Renaissance and the poetry of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Claude McKay. Cullen’s poem “Incident”, McKay’s poem “America”, and Hughes poem “Democracy” or the more well-known “I, Too” would be good choices. Have them identify common themes and compare them to Hesse’s themes in Witness.

The use of music in the classroom can motivate students and spark discussion. Pair the song “The Klan” by Richie Havens with a writing activity using the characters in Witness. For example, assign the students various characters from the book and have them write a response to the song (paragraph, journal entry, letter to the editor, song review) from that perspective.