Entry A: William Bradford

1. THESIS:
In an excerpt from William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, although the Puritans experience hardship in their voyage to America, in their initial arrival, and in their dealings with the Indians, they still maintain true to God and each other.


2. PASSAGE:
"Thus it pleased God to vanquish their enemies and give them deliverance; and by His special providence so to dispose that not any one of them were either hurt or hit, though their arrows came close by them and on every side [of] them; and sundry of their coats, which hung up in the barricade, were shot through and through. Afterwards they gave God solemn thanks and praise for their deliverance, and gathered up a bundle of their arrows and sent them into England afterward by the master of the ship, and called that place the First Encounter."


3. REFLECTION:
This passage struck me as a concise reflection of the faith the Puritans had in God because they credit him with their success and pray to Him during their failures. This shows the superiority the Puritans felt over the 'savages', as they were assured that God would protect them instead of those who they barely considered human. In addition to their faith in God, the Puritans also answer to a 'lower' power-- the Throne of England, which is where they sent the Indian's arrows the Puritans had collected, despite the fact they were religious dissenters.

4. DIARY ENTRY:
From the Diary of Johnathan Williams, November 15th, 1620

Today we spotted the first savages inland of Cape Cod! We, that is, sixteen settlers led by Captain Standish, follwed them in brave pursuit, hoping that they spoke English and trying to discover if there were more of them in ambush. Alas, but the Savages, with their knowledge of the woods, managed to elude us. Altough we tried to follow their tracks, we were soon lost and prayed to God to deliver us from the wild bushes that clawed at us, needlelike. At last God answered our prayers and guided us to a stream of water which tasted better than the finest spirits in England. Procedding onwards, we happened across an Indian burial ground and a cornfeild. After collecting some of the corn, we returned to the Maylfower where there was much thanks directed at the heavens for the source of food, and ultimately hope.


5. EXTENSION:




Parallels between the Indian and settlers conflict and the ongoing Immigrant Worker and US Citizen debate are clearly visible. In the cartoon, there is a boat full of settlers approaching shore, stating, "They say they are building a wall because too many of us enter illegally and won't learn their language or assimilate into their culture." This is illustrating how the settlers, just like the current illegal immigrants, encounter trouble with the local inhabitants of America. Also in the cartoon, the Indians are building a wall to stop the settlers from inhabiting America. This displays the hipocrisy in the current American population, because without the opportunity to enter the country hundreds of years ago the caucasian Americans would not be where they are today, and they are currently denying the Mexican immigrants the same opportunity they once had. The current conflict between the immigrants and US citizens can be compared to that of the settlers and Indians.

Entry B: Anne Bradstreet

4. POEM & ANALYSIS:
'In Reference to Her Children'
http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/215.html

Anne Bradstreet's poem 'In Reference to Her Children' leaves a lasting impression on the reader owing to the long and complex conceit as well as rhymining couplets. In her poem, she compares her children to a flock of birds and follows their growth from the nest and up the tree which resembles their path of life. In the Puritan time, it was a unique way of portraying her children that ultimately helped distinguish Anne Bradstreet's unique style.

I enjoyed this poem because I felt it gave Anne Bradstreet the opportunity to talk freely about her feelings for her children, their lives, and her thoughts about her own future. Literature during the Puritan times was very restricted owing to the strict faith society put in God, therefore it was difficult for Anne Bradstreet to write any poetry that showed a different opinion of her true 'human' feelings. Many of Anne Bradstreet's poems have little clues in them that hint towards her true feelings about the afterlife, love, material items, and God. This, for me, is what makes her poems the most interesting.


5. DIARY ENTRY:

Dear Diary,

I have suddenly had the chance to view the future world through the eyes of an American woman in the year 2009. The future holds many things in store for us-- moving boxes of metal, stacks of glass boxes, and slates of moving pictures. Not only this, but I caught a glimpse of the plight of women in the future. What changes!

We have come a long way, but we still have a ways to go. I saw women struggling to maintain a household and multiple jobs. Is this what they call freedom? Where their husbands can tell themselves that the women are strong enough to handle the work of 3men? I beleive that we should have the same opportunities, not the weight and responsibilty of the world. Yet I also saw increasingly amazing changes. Women were going to schools and universities, becoming lawyers and doctors, and excelling at academics. If only my dear Simon could see the world in the future! He would not approve of female lawyers in his practice, I know it. I also saw women proving themselves every day by showing up to work more consistently than men, and working just as hard if not harder. Women are now authors of books, poetry, biographies, and any kind of literature you can imagine.

The future world, however, values their posessions very deeply. When I saw the lengths people would go to to obtain various objects, I was astonished. And no longer is everyone Puritan! There are even those who do not beleive in God-- how has this come about? Does God no longer love and instill His faith in the future? How would I survive?
~~~~~Anne



EXTENSION:



Women are given opportunity to succeed in climbing the corporate ladder as equals to men, but this is only in appearance, for reality proves otherwise. In this political cartoon, there is a man climbing a ladder with woman several steps below him. This illustrates how women often exist underneath the shadows of their husbands or local men in society. Likewise, Anne Bradstreet faces this problem as she endeavors to balance her children, faith, marraige, and poetry in a society dominated by men. Also in the cartoon, the man is collecting the ladder rungs beneath him, leaving the woman with nothing to climb. This demonstrates the lack of support men give women (although they try to make it appear otherwise) and the reality of the impossible struggle women are forced to face. This is similar to Anne Bradstreet's conflict in that men did not support her poetry and added to her overall challenge. Women in today's society face struggles as they try to climb the corporate ladder, hindered by opposition from men.

Entry C: Edward Taylor

Thesis:

In "Huswifery" by Edward Taylor, the author illustrates an individual's path from sin to God's Grace and redemption by using conceit, imagery, and rhyming couplets.


Reflection:
This poem impressed me, much like Anne Bradstreet's poem "In Reference to Her Children," did, with its extended metaphor (conceit). It was much more difficult to decipher than Anne Bradstreet's more straightforward language and meanings, but after I realized what the true meaning was, it had a much more profound effect.

Entry D: Jonathan Edwards

"Sinners at the Hands of an Angry God"




This was the visual I created for Jonathan Edwards' sermon "Sinners at the Hands of and Angry God". The eye in the center represents the reflection of you in God's eyes-- as Edwards says he sees you as a 'loathesome insect' and holds you by a thread over a the pit of hell. The colors are much more vivid in real life.