I am curious is Elizabeth Graskell is playing with notion of grace, faith and prudence within the Novel. It can't be an accident that she named main characters with those names when writting a novel in Puritian, protestant christian society. I am not sure as to what she could be getting at but I would venture from the actions of the characters throughout the novel that Faith is not acting faith, Grace is not acting in grace, Prudence is not acting in prudence. OED describes the action of faith as to put trust into and Faith throught the novel loses any trust she once had in others, in fact she does the opposite and her actions are lies and accusations of a lie that leads prudence to accusse Lois of being a witch. To act in faith is to never lose faith and continue to trust in the lord, especially in puritian society. Grace is a norrow individual who gives Lois the gift of staying in her house but only after persueaded by her husband whom dies shortly thereafter. OED states grace is acting in favor or thanks, grace is not very thankful towards the end of the novel towards lois whom has never done her wrong but Lois only did her absolute best to please her aunt. Prudence would live up to her name if she acted good sense or rather used her ability to recogize good sense and carrying it out in her actions. Instead Prudence acts in an evil sense to sentence her innocent cousin to death from her false accusations and continued fits at the sight of her cousin. Prudence doesn't act in Prudence but in witckedness, which she contfess to at the end of the novel.
Lois is the only person whom I feel in the novel whom has the characterists and actions of faith, prudence, and grace. Lois continued throughout the entire novel did her absulute best to please eveyone else and lead a live a good christain life. When she was confused she had faith in God to give her strength; prudence or the good sense to know that she not only wasn't a witch but that she would be a martyr for the sake of not lieing before God that she is a witch becasue she is not. Most of all Lois displayed grace that even in her turmoil she comforts the indian women and shares the gift of grace with her. Lois is an example of Puritians should have lived their life if they really wanted to be the City on the hill.