journal 14

If I were alive during Benjamin Franklin's time period I do not think that I would be a printers/writers apprentice. I would much rather be involved in a much more manual labor career, or something along the lines with the military. Since I have to write on how I would spend my average day as Franklin's apprentice I will tell you. I would have to wake up early and collect the news that would be critical to the upcoming day, and I would have stay up late and get the news around town from the late night events. I would cover emergencies and I would be the adventurous reporter. I would collect weather information and other reports relevant to the people of Boston. I would come back after a quick trip around town collecting information and help Mr. Franklin set the type. I would help him ink the press and put paper in. After his almanac was printed I would deliver them to businesses around the community. I would stand on the street corner and sell them to anyone who wanted one. After I sold all of the alminacs no would return to the shop and clean the type. By now it would be lunch time so I would go and get food for Mr. Franklin and myself. After lunch Mr. Franklin would send me out to cover the town meetings that were occurring that day. I would also go out and interview people on how they felt about the British and the way they were treating the colonists. Once I returned we would look up wise sayings and jokes to make people laugh. After that Mr. Farnklin would send me over to the cartoonist shop and I would pick up the comic that he had drawn for the almanac. I think that I would enjoy working with Mr. Franklin, but it would not be the job I would choose.

Rowlandson and Bradsteet

Right off the bat in Rowlandson’s writing there is a reference to the bible, “Come, behold the house of the Lord, what desolation he has made in the earth. Psalms 46:8 (Rowlandson 82)” There is also the mention of Job of the bible. There are so many reoccurring times in this work that the providence of God or the grace of God is revealed. After she had been captured by the Indians she said there was no way she could describe the emotions she was dealing with. Then she makes the statement, “but God was with me in a wonderful manner (Rowlandson 83).” Here she is saying that even through all of her suffering and emotions she was struggling with, God was there to help her get through it. After Mary and her child are captured, Mary’s child dies. Instead of doing something harmful to herself like taking her own life she says it was because of God she was still alive, “I have thought since of the wonderful goodness of God to me, in preserving me (Rowlandson 83).” So because of what God has done to preserve her she is still alive. After spending time in her captivity she learned that her son was alive and well and coming to her. Once they were reunited and living together once more, she noticed that he was sleeping very well. Mary asked him how he could sleep so well, and he replied that he was praying and not sleeping. She then writes this, “I pray God he may remember these things, now he is returned to safety (Rowlandson 84).” All of these references to God and prayer are all characteristics of Puritan writing.

Bradstreet’s work Upon the Burning of Our House is about the burning of her house and the way that she responds to it. In the sixteenth verse she says, “I blest his name that gave and took (Bradstreet 91).” That is a reference to God, and a bible passage Job 1:21 which says, “He who gives also takes away().” He is referring to God. This is a remarkable statement to make considering her house had just been burnt to the ground. What she is saying here is that even though she has just lost everything she will still praise God for what he has given to her. If God has given her a house can he not also take it away? It was such a remarkable example of the Puritan faith when she said that. She also says, “alls vanity (Bradstreet 91).” What she is saying is that everything that she had was extra, a blessing from God. She did not need those things, but she had them because of God’s grace. Then she says something simply beautiful about salvation, “And did thy wealth on earth abide (Bradstreet)?” That was simply amazing the way she said that. Nothing that you have here on earth will last so it did not matter that she did not have the material things anymore because her treasure lied in heaven.

Crucible act 4

Sinners in the hands of and angry God is a very riveting sermon. In the sermon Edwards gives us such an emotional account of the way we have been living. To most people it sounds like the sermon is about how angry God is or about the wrath he is going to take out on us. In reality the sermon is so much more beautiful than that. There is such a deeper meaning, Edwards is trying to show the grace of God, and the love God has for us. In the beginning of the sermon Edwards talks about how God holds us over the hell in his hand. “natural men are held in the hand of God over the pit of hell (Edwards 97).” This is a very unnerving thought. We are held above the pit of hell with only God’s hand in our way. By now we are all wondering why God is still holding us? What is binding him to hold on to us longer? Nothing! There is no contract that God is bound by to keep us from falling into hell, however there is this, “uncovenanted, unobliged forbearance of an incensed God (Edwards 97).” The only thing that is keeping us from being in hell right now is the grace of God. The grace of God is a very Puritan thing to say, and is perfect for that time period when Edwards was preaching.

How does all of that tie into The Crucible? In Act 4, and the rest of the play, the men (court) are acting as if they were God. They were controlling who was to die and who would be safe. I do not think that there should ever be a time when it comes down to man to decide who should live and who should not. They are deciding who would get a chance to be saved and who would not. “Which of them do you have hope for (Miller 128)?” Here Danforth is asking Parris who he thinks will confess their sins and have their life spared. They will give a select few the chance to repent and be saved. I think it is wrong to decide who will have a second chance at life and whose lives will be taken. Contrary to Sinners in the hands of an angry God and the way God is described. The court, who is acting as God, has no grace. Danforth says, “There will be no postponement (Miller 128).” Unlike the way God behaves with patients and kindness Danforth has no compassion, no patients and will not give anyone any extra time to think about what they are doing. The only compassion he has is if they confess before they are hanged. He is too worried about what others will think of him, whereas God literally has all the time in the world to wait. There is also a similarity in the two works. In his sermon Edwards writes, “And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the door of mercy wide open (Edwards 99)” In the book the court gives all of the convicted a chance to repent of their sins and have another chance at life. It is such a beautiful thing when forgiveness is offered and accepted.

Crucible act 3

So far in the Crucible there have been several different times when human nature has been displayed in the play. As I said in the first act blog there is a lot of blaming going on in the book. Along with blaming there are many accusations that are being made about what is being said in the court room. Giles is accusing the prosecution of telling lies about his wife to convict her of witchcraft. “You’re hearing lies, lies! ( Miller 84)” It seems like no matter what is going on, there are always people will to accuse someone else or blame someone else to make sure that they or someone else they care about are safe. Here Giles is making an accusation that the court is making false statements, he is making this statement even when he may not know if it is true or not, but he is doing it because he wants to make sure that it does not reflect on his wife. He is doing whatever it takes to make sure that his wife is not condemned. That brings up another interesting human characteristic. Humans will do whatever it takes to make sure that the people they care about are safe. They risk their lives and their reputation to make sure that the people they care about and love are safe. This behavior is made evident again when Proctor says, “I would free my wife. (Miller 90)” Proctor is showing that he is willing to do what it takes to free his wife. He is also proving the love he has for his wife. He also is vouching for her honesty and putting his validity on the line when he says, “But if she say she is pregnant, then she must be! That woman will never lie, Mr. Danforth. (Miller 92)” When Proctor says this, he is basically saying that she is an upright woman, and that is also another thing that they are looking at in the interrogations in the court room. When someone is and honest and generally good person they are not suspected of wrong doing as much as someone who is not as honest in their behavior. As part of human nature it is easier for people to trust someone is upright and truthful in their behavior. That is why Danforth asks, “You are in all respects a Gospel Christian? (Miller 90)” People find it easier to trust someone who is and honest believer and is truthful and trustworthy in what they say and how they act. In human nature I think that people unknowingly try to look for honest people and trustworthy human beings to be around and invest time in. With that being said when Proctor says that his wife is truthful he is trying make her seem more innocent to the judge. And when he is asked if he is a Devout Christian Danforth is trying to see how honest Proctor would be with him. So far in the book there have been both good tendencies and bad tendencies in human nature, and I hope that we can see how well they play out at the end of the book.

Crucible act 2

In act 2 I believe that Proctor has a Gold personality. The traits of a Gold personality are need of belonging through a share of the work, loyalty and faithfulness. In the beginning of the act Proctor comes home after working in the fields all day. “The farms a continent when you go foot by foot droppin’ seeds in it. (Miller 51)” I think that Proctor was trying to convey that he really cared about his family and was hoping that his wife would notice the time and effort he put into the land. One of the other characteristics of a Gold personality is faithfulness. Proctor displays his devotion to his wife when she accuses him of having an affair with Abigail. Proctor says, “…I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you…(Miller 54)” Right now Proctor is obviously frustrated that Elizabeth would make such an accusation, but he is still trying to prove his loyalty to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is another interesting character in the book. I think that she has display the qualities of a Green and Blue personalities. Green personality uses facts to prove things and to win arguments. Blue personalities are somewhat emotional; they have a relaxed sensitivity, and have a sense of loyalty. She displays Blue characteristics because she wants to be loved and accepted by her husband. Elizabeth is trying to do things that will please Proctor. “I took great care, she’s tender? (Miller 50)” Here Elizabeth wants to make sure that proctor is happy by making sure that the rabbit is tender and letting him know that she took great care in preparing the food. She also displays qualities of a Green personality. When she accuses Proctor of having an affair with Abigail she uses her own facts. “I see what I see, John. (Miller 54)” Elizabeth is using the fact that she can tell the way that Proctor behaves when he is around Abigail. She wants to let him know that she cares about him and wants to make sure that he will not leave her. She is proving her loyalty to him and wants to let Proctor know that she still loves him.

I think that Marry Warren displays an Orange personality in this act. Orange personalities are outgoing, live in the present, and are free spirited. When she is told to go to bed by Proctor she lays down the law. “I’ll not be ordered to bed no more, Mr. Proctor! I am eighteen and a woman, however single! (Miller 60)” Here Mary Warren is trying to convey that she has grown up and can take care of herself. She does not want to be told what to do anymore. She also shows some Blue characteristics. She becomes very emotional when she is telling Proctor and Elizabeth about what had happened in Salem that day. “Goody Osburn-will hang! There is a shocked pause while she sobs. (Miller 56)” Sobbing is obviously different then simply crying. When she is sobbing it is almost uncontrollable and is a big display of emotion.

Crucible act 1

I think that this book reflects the Puritan religion by they way they act towards other people and the way they behave in general. There are several times in the first act that I can find when the characters do not act snobby or stuck-up to one another. In the beginning of the book Parris is behaving with an heir that seems to say no matter what you think you are wrong. It is not only Parris that behaves this way, but it seems as all of the characters act this way towards each other. The adults act superior to the children, as they should have in that time and according to their religion, but they also act as if they better than each other. According to their religion, everyone was already predestined to go to Heaven or Hell, but the people who were destined to go to hell could still lead the best life possible so they might be let into heaven. For the Saved it was possible for them to lose their salvation if they did not live in a manor that was pleasing to God. No one knew who was saved and who was not so everyone lived the best life that they could. It is funny to me however that they do not seem to care about that when it comes to saving their own face. They will do whatever they can to make sure that the blame does not fall on them. As long as nothing is blamed on them, they will be okay. Yet in all of this blaming there still seems to be a reliance on God. Parris says, “Oh, my God. My God help me!(Miller 8)” So in spite of all the concern Parris has for making sure that he does not get blamed for having witchcraft in his house he still has some apparent reverence for God.

Throughout the first act the girls a blaming each other for the practice of witchcraft that had been going on. Abigail says, “Not I, sir-Tituba and Ruth. (Miller 16)” Once again someone is blaming someone else for the witchcraft incident. It is funny that when the blaming happens the person getting blamed is usually not present to defend themselves. I think it is very much like that of the Puritan religion to blame someone else to make sure that you are being the best that you can be to try and make it to heaven. I think this is a breakdown in the Puritan religion. The girls are trying to do what they consider is the right thing by making sure they are not blamed for the witchcraft, but they are still sinning by blaming someone else and lying to make sure they save face. They are trying to contact the spirit world, which is a big no-no in almost every religion. It is treated that way by the characters in the play, but it obviously was not made impossible to access or to know how to contact the spirits. And there did not seem to be the respectful fear of spirits that should have been instilled in the children by their parents.

Reflection-Plymouth plantation

In Bradford's writing it was easy to tell that he was from a puritan background. In the first paragraph Bradford tells us that a boy had been thrown overboard by a wave "but it pleased God so that he caught hold of the topsail" (Bradford 64). It was as if he did not have any quick thinking or fast reflexes, it was only by the grace of God that he grabbed the sail and was pulled back on the boat. The grace of God was a very puritan thing to write and talk about. In Puritan writings God was mentioned a lot because he a major part of their religion. The grace of God, or God's providence was the reason that they were safe in the new world. When they were looking for a place to port they were caught in some dangerous waters and they were trying sail out before nightfall. They succeeded, "by God's good providence"(Bradford 65). Everything that happened because of God's providence. There was nothing that happened without God's hand in it. It was not because of the highly professional sailors and crew only through God’s providence where they saved.

When they finally reached the shore they were so overjoyed. When they were on the land they, "fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven"(Bradford 65). Once again they owed it all to God that they were safe they never even thought that there was any other way that they could have reached the new world then by the providence of God. When almost the entire group was stricken with sickness there were only six or seven people who where healthy and able to take care of everyone who was sick. Bradford says, “The Lord so upheld these persons as in this general calamity they were not at all infected with sickness or lameness" (Bradford 66). It was not because of their strong bodies and good health that they did not become sick, it was only because God had upheld them to make sure that they would be able to take care of everyone else. After the time they were sick the Pilgrims were visited by a very special Native American named Squanto. He could speak English and helped the colonist make a treaty with the other native tribes in the area. He also taught them how to plant corn and grow other important crops. Is his writing Bradford describes him as, “a special instrument sent from God" (Bradford 67). I think had it not been for Squanto, the pilgrims would not have survived. Squanto had done so many important things for them it is hard to not think he was sent by God to help the Pilgrims. Throughout the portion of Plymouth Plantation that we read it is obvious that this is a Puritan work. The constant mentioning of God, God’s providences and his grace are characteristics of Puritan writing. Also in the excerpt of writing the way that Bradford wrote was not like the language we speak today. The vernacular that his used was very unique to the time period in which it was written and to the puritan writers of that time.

Bradford, William. "of Plymouth Plantation." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

journal 12

If I could write my own rules about right and wrong I do not know if I would change very much about them. First of all I do not know the official rules of right and wrong. I think that the rules of right would be if it was contradictory to what the Bible says, then I would not do it. If my parents would not be happy about the decision I made then it would be the wrong decision. My parents are pretty fair about rules and what is right and wrong. I have not really thought about re-writing the rules of right and wrong. I personally do no see anything wrong with the rules and I feel like other people are just over reacting when they get in trouble about some things. One thing I do wish that was different is that I wish there was a giant list that had every wrong thing written down so that everyone would know it was wrong. There have been several times when I have gotten in trouble for doing something that I did not know was wrong. It has varied from doing the wrong thing in sports, to doing the chores the wrong way. Its like when a small child would get in trouble for saying something bad that they did not know was wrong because they were simply repeating what someone else had said. One of the biggest ways that people learn is by repeating and mimicking what someone else does. So if every wrong thing was written down, then there I think that there would be a lot less wrong doing. However there are some people that try to do the wrong thing on purpose and I wish I could change the rules about that. I think that if there were harsher punishments for doing wrong there would be less trouble makers in the world. If there was a more difficult punishment then people would not try to get in trouble as much.