Journal 24

In preparing for my semester exams, my plan is to take everything I need home for the weekend and make a whole bunch of note cards. I do not know that there is much else I can really do. I need to run through the note cards a ton, but really, it is as simple as that. I think there are other ways to study, but I find note cards to be the most effective option. This way, I am able to focus on only that, and not get distracted with trying to reread the same same piece of paper over and over. I do not feel like I get much done when I try to read a paper through as a study technique. I feel like I learn more when I do not have to rely on someone else quizzing me and I can just focus independently.
Some people are waiting until the last minute to review for their finals. I do not plan on being one of those people, although that is probably how this will turn out. I guess I just need to find some enthusiasm and try to get through this next week. I really need it in order to make it. I want to try and get a ninety-six percent on my Advanced Algebra Two final, that way I can have an A for the semester. The rest of the grades that I need only require me scoring eighty percent on each test. I am not too worried about any of my finals really. Even if I completely fail on all of them, I will still have all A's and B's. I should not stress out about them, but I also cannot forget that they are still important, and I do have a chance of getting all A's for this semester. That is a pretty important opportunity for me, especially in my junior year. I really want to try and make that goal.

Journal 23

I believe that being self-sufficient means someone is independent, and relies completely on his/herself, instead of depending on others to help them accomplish things. This usually means getting things done on time, doing what you are supposed to, and taking on opportunities alone. You must deal with everything on your own if you want to be considered self-sufficient. I do not think that I could consider myself this way. I would be no where without the people who push me to do what I do. I always want to just slug around and do nothing, but people around me make me accomplish things. I do not really want to know what will happen to me once I move away. I would probably fall into a wave of nothingness for a while. Everyone would forget I existed.
The people who push me tend to be very self-sufficient. My mom is. She is probably the best, most independent person that I know. I really admire that about her, but I really do not care for that lifestyle. I used to think that I was independent, but now I really doubt it. If people never made me do things, I would never do them. I think the reason I ever do anything is because I have this pre-conceived notion that I HAVE to. Like, if I want to do well in school, I HAVE to show up and do the work. If I want to go to college, I HAVE to do well in school. If I want to be happy in life, I HAVE to go to college. It has just been drilled into my brain that way. If I was raised differently, I probably would have given up a long time ago.
I like that my family is self-sufficient. I do not know what I would do if anyone else seriously relied on me. I do not think I could do a very good job of making sure someone else did something. I suck at things like that. I should never be a mother.

Emerson Review

 "His variety of declarations tempts us to say that he contradicts himself, but even if we resist the temptation, we are still not sure where he finally stands. We can admit the force of his impeachment of consistency in "Self-Reliance" (p. 265), but may still wish that his assertions did not so frequently collide and perhaps qualify one another to the point of damaging all of them, leaving us suspended and uncertain" (Kateb). 
This quote basically explains the feeling that I get when reading Emerson's "Self-Reliance." He makes so many points that at times, he contradicts himself at times. Overall, though, he makes the point that a person needs to live life for his/herself instead of trying to rely on the explanation of others. If one tries to only listen to what others say, they will never get the full experience of what is happening in the world. You live for yourself instead of hearing stories. You should base most of your opinions on your own experience rather than the opinions of everyone else. 
In Emerson's essay, he says the following: "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. Great men have always done so, and confided themselves childlike to the genius of their age, betraying their perception that the absolutely trustworthy was seated at their heart, working through their hands, predominating in all their being. And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers, and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort, and advancing on Chaos and the Dark." This is personally my favorite part of the essay, even though if comes early on. It probably makes the most sense to me. I am not religious, but I believe what he says here. He basically says that we need to accept ourselves no matter what everyone else thinks. I agree with most of the points written in the essay, and I think that this depicts Emerson's ideas quite well.
Our reading is mendicant and sycophantic. In history, our imagination plays us false. Kingdom and lordship, power and estate, are a gaudier vocabulary than private John and Edward in a small house and common day's work; but the things of life are the same to both; the sum total of both is the same. Why all this deference to Alfred, and Scanderbeg, and Gustavus? Suppose they were virtuous; did they wear out virtue? As great a stake depends on your private act to-day, as followed their public and renowned steps. When private men shall act with original views, the lustre will be transferred from the actions of kings to those of gentlemen." -Emerson. I feel that this quote is very eloquently  written. It shows exactly what the point of the essay is, while also creating an emotional feeling for the reader. 

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance and the Life of the Mind." In Emerson's Transcendental Etudes. Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. 2003. Quoted as "Self-Reliance and the Life of the Mind" in Bloom, Harold, ed. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Updated Edition, Bloom's Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 

Journal 22

Snow is probably on of the most beautiful aspects of winter. It sometimes seems like there is nothing prettier than looking out the window in your warm house and seeing all the white perfection falling from the sky. I cannot thing of anything more comfortable than seeing that vision, curling up with a blanket, making hot chocolate, and reading a really good book. A lot of times, it makes me fall asleep. I wish I could explain how comforting it is to me. I absolutely adore knowing that there is a freezing cold world outside the walls of my house and being completely safe as I watch it become worse.
The best thing about the snow is that you know that it could get worse throughout the day. I could watch it fall all day, piling higher and higher. If the sky becomes dark, you know that it is going to become bad. You open the door for two seconds, and it tries to flood into your house! It has a mind of its own, it seems.
I do not, however, enjoy going out into the snow. It is far too cold for me. I get cold extremely easily, so going out into the world is disappointing. I just like to watch it fall, I do not like feeling it on my skin. I always fear that I will freeze all the way to my bones and curl up and die. That thought always passes through my mind as I walk out into the "winter wonderland." I dislike that thought. I never want to freeze to death. I do not think anyone wants that. Maybe I should focus on trying to stay warm rather than looking somewhat presentable. I always think about if I look okay before adding more layers, then I don't. I should bundle up better, that would make sense. I wish I was more logical sometimes. This year, if I go out into the snow, I will not worry about my appearance and worry more about my warmth.

Journal 21

This quote basically tells me that one should not rely on others to set a standard for one's self. I think that it means to not compare yourself to someone else, and instead create your own view and standards. I also believe that it is saying that this insight comes with time. As you grow you start to understand how other people do not matter as much as it seems when you are young.
So if you really think about it, we could either go our whole lives listening to what others say or following what it common to believe, or we could go by what we really think. We could think for ourselves instead of basing our actions on the opinions of our peers. When we decide to stop worrying about these ideas, we decide to take control of our lives. You should never let someone else influence what you believe or your opinion. Sure, it is good to take other people's thoughts into consideration, but when it all comes down to it, you are ultimately the only one who knows yourself.
When you are young, your parents or the people who watch over you are really the ones who make you who you are. The habits and mentalities we gain while we are just babies can be seen much later in a person's life. As a child, you're vulnerable to whatever the people around you do or say. Although these are large parts of a person's character, as they get older, people should be confident in themselves and make their own choices as to who they want to be. This can be difficult at times because we honestly do not have much control over our lives until we get out into the world on our own. Until we at least get to college, we have to live by what our parents say. Once we get to that point, we have to be independent.

Journal 20

Life is extremely unpredictable. Each person has their own way of living, no one is the same. However, we all follow the same basic patterns. We are all born, we all live, we all experience things, then we die.
We all began in a woman, each woman was different, apart from brothers and sisters. All of the mothers in the world are different. The way we would like to believe it happens is a nine-month, perfect, healthy pregnancy and birth. While this is not the actual way things tend to go, for the sake of the journal, we can go with that approach. You start as nothing. You grow into tissue, develop organs and muscles and bones. Eventually you are good enough to come out into the world and sustain yourself for short periods of time.
As you grow up, you continue to develop. Once again assuming that you have the perfect family, you are dressed each day, fed, loved and cared for. You are taken on walks, you meet other children, you do some weird things and learn. It takes a while to learn, but you do. Everything you do is learning, even past this stage. You learn to speak somehow, usually based on example from family. You are taught to walk and dress yourself. You are taught to mind and behave, or at least the basics of these concepts.
Eventually you are put into school. You start by learning colors and shapes, learning social skills and basic English. As you move along, things advance. You start to understand structure and relationships. You begin to think abstractly, predicting the future and noticing patterns. These senses develop more and more until you no longer need constant attention. At home, you are able to ask for specific things and have conversations with your family in the kitchen. These stimulate the brain to think for itself. 
A world full of wonder is before you from there on.

Journal 19

I went out to the middle of the street,
The shadow of the flag over my feet.
I searched all around to find the true source,
But I could not find it, no matter the force.

Looked back at my feet, and my eyes darted down,
Then I noticed a dark shade on the ground.
My eyes followed  it, looked down to its base,
They followed it more, stared at the flag's face.

As I watched the wind make waves in the flag,
I remembered those who died in Iraq.
So many battles we've claimed since that war,
Yet we forget what shook us to the core.

So many lives we will never forget,
So many people I never have met.
We are so grateful to all of those men,
To read their story, written in black pen.

These thoughts were present as I watched that flag.
I never gazed down, or checked in my bag.
The street cars passed by as I stared it down,
I never realized whats left in this town.

I did try to find where my thoughts took root,
My hand seemed to end up in a salute.
For those who have died, I shed one last tear.
Remembering those who's songs I won't hear.

Journal 16 (I accidentally saved this as a draft)

When you wear something that society does not agree with, people look at you funny. Like yesterday was a good example. People from the school musical were dressed as their characters in the play. At first, people did not know why they were dressed like this, and they were questioned by all. When the others found out that they were doing this because they had to, they were more easily accepted by the rest of the school. I don't understand why society has to question everyone else's choices. We should just calm down and worry about ourselves. People make sure that they comply the other people. If everyone dressed like elves, and you showed up in normal clothes, then you would seem out of place. I wish people would just stop trying to judge other people's decisions, especially in appearance.
I feel like I would disagree with my friends if they ever criticized someone else's clothes or face or weight or anything. Luckily, those criticisms usually come from people of the female gender, and I tend to hang around with people of the male gender. I used to hang out with girls much more than guys, and I feel like my quality of life has become much higher since I separated myself from girls. I'll be around maybe one or two girls occasionally, and I'm usually with Angelea because she isn't crazy. Other girls are the people who judge others and make people feel terrible about themselves. I never want to bee like that. I try so hard to sty away from that type of thinking, and I wish no one ever did. I used to be that way, constantly judging people in my head. One day a realized that no one truly likes people who do that. I wanted to be nice to everyone and make people happy, not upset with themselves. I now prefer to be  better person than other girls.

Journal 18

As I pondered the multitude of eyes beaming at me from the magnificent creature, I felt a bead of sweat trickle down the back of my neck. I could feel the temperature of my body rising as I gripped my sword tighter. The ship seemed like she was ready to fall completely to her side as each wave hit. I cannot fully remember what I was hearing, just swear words and the voices of my men urging me forward. This was the first time I had ever faced such a monstrous thing. 
The cave had seemed so much smaller when we spotted it beneath a cliff nearly a mile away. We had traveled into uncharted territories in search of what we thought would become the fortune of a lifetime. I remember watching my beauty, Adriana, as we sailed away from the dock in the middle of the night. Her skin was glowing as tears fell from her eyes. Her dress was torn all the way up to her thigh. I had promised to buy her a new one as soon as I was back to her. I promised her the life of a queen when I returned. As what seemed like a thousand eyes stared angrily back at me, I realized that I only had one option in order to give Adriana what she deserved. 
I brushed my hair from my eyes and took a step forward. My men became silent, and a reptilian growl passed through my ears as the beast moved its head closer to me, observing our possible power and strength. A moment of stillness passed, but it felt like an hour. The next thing I knew, a blood-curdling shriek came from the monster as he threw his head back and his vocal cords vibrated. The sound threw me into instant confusion, and I stared blankly as the monster cracked his neck to one side, and then to the other. I drew my sword, and let out battle cry that had been used in many other battles by my father when he was Captain...

#17

As the light blue fuzz feathered through the warm current of air purring from the heating vent, I watched the road intently, trying to focus on the events to come. The thought of my sister's wedding was something to truly dread. I wanted nothing more than to go back to my bed with my kitty and sleep the day away. My thoughts poured through my mouth to my mother as we carpooled out to the lake. 
She looked lovely and young, as usual. Her hair was light and healthy, and she wore a pastel pink maxidress with the highest wedge heels you can imagine. She had pristine makeup. Not a smudge or smear was anywhere to be found. The strange thing about my mother, though, is that you can never seem to get her to tell you about herself. You never really know what is happening in her life unless you are there with her. 
I sit, shift gear up to five, watch the road intently as I forget that there is someone else in the car. I see a long stretch of empty road in front of me and my force on the gas petal strengthens. I am talking to my mother, but she just watches the road, smiling and pretending to understand why I would rather be somewhere new. I hardly even realize what I am saying until she finally tells me to stop. It catches me by surprise, but I know she is right. "Don't talk like that, please. Your sister is getting married today, and it would mean so much if you would show some sort of approval of her decision."
I suddenly reassessed the situation. I looked down at myself. I was wearing the long, satin red and white dress that Anne told me to wear, but underneath were my black combat boots. It was apparent that the wedding was something that my subconscious had rebelled against. 

Pit in the Pendulum- Dark Romanticism

Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, “The Pit and the Pendulum” is heavily descriptive and suspenseful in the most extreme level. The story is centered around a mans questioning his very sanity and perception of the conscious world. As this man endures the promise of death and questionable, torturous situations, Poe's character is forced to deal with the guilt of his unnamed crime. The mysteriousness of Poe's writing style creates a feeling of the darkness exemplified in the era of Dark Romanticism. This aspect of Romanticism is filled greatly with suspense and darkened, warped views on human life and situations. This story shows this nature in the tone, mood, and the dark views of his main character. 
The mood of the short story is obvious even in the very first parts of the story. His first sentence is a perfect example of the way he writes most of his works. He describes the character as sick, dying, and in agony (Poe 263). The struggles of the main character are clear straight from the introduction. It is clear that the tone is dark and gloomy. You know right from the start that the author is trying to create a negative, tense feeling. You are directed into the psychological aspect of the character, rather than his behaviors and actions. The fear he feels is obvious and extreme as the reader is introduced to the fact that the character is going through a legal matter in which it is quite possible that he could be sentenced to death (Poe 263). The terms he chooses are also used to portray the feelings of the Dark Romanticism era. Some of the words he commonly uses are "agony," "death," "torture," and "horror," which make the reader realize a greater sense of the initial tone (Poe 263-275). 
This short story goes deeper into the human mind than others of different eras. You get to see what actually happens when people are compromised and lose a sense of true reality. The main character is using only animal instinct and the small sense of rational thought to try and solve his problems. This leaves the reader in a state of constant curiosity and causes you to wonder how far he will end up going.  May creates a perfect description of the problems being dealt with my the character. “The narrator's task is simply to save himself, but in order to survive he must know where he is; the first crucial task he undertakes is to try to orient himself. However, his efforts are complicated by his moving back and forth between sleep and waking; each time he falls asleep, he must reorient himself all over again," (May). As you can see, the character never really knows what is real and what is not. 
It is obvious that the author had a direct message to give when writing "The Pit and the Pendulum," but there is an underlying, thought-provoking effect given to the reader. It almost leave the reader questioning his or her own consciousness, questioning reality and delusion.  The messages hidden behind the text will never be completely clear. 

May, Charles E. "In Edgar Allan Poe: A Study of Short Fiction- Alternate Forms of Reality" Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991, Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 1998. (Updated 2007.) Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BMSSEP39&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 4, 2012).

Poe, Edgar A. "The Pit and the Pedullum." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 263-73. Print.

I Miss You

I used to have a friend back when I was younger. Her name was Callie. We were the best of friends from first grade on. Eventually, it became difficult to keep in touch with her when my dad decided he disapproved of their family. My mom knew all of the quite well, so she love Callie and her family. They were all like an extension of my own family. When I moved to Petersburg, our friendship became even harder to maintain. That meant every other weekend, when we were calling each other and attempting to make plans. Often times, we would get a "no" from our moms, due to the distance. We would go for months at a time without seeing each other. Of course we grew apart. When I finally did move back into Springfield, she moved out to Greenview, which was inconveniently close to Petersburg! It was so difficult to make it work, eventually, hope was lost and we essentially gave up.
We would send each other an occasional text, a Facebook message, a rare phone call. Eventually we both became apathetic about our friendship. Neither of us cared if we saw each other. Things were different between us. She had been raised quite a bit differently than I had. It was unfair, but we had to deal with it, because that is just how the world works sometimes. The effort we made could have been applauded, but really, we both know we could have done a better job keeping in touch. I had another friend that I moved away from named Sierra. We are still the best of friends today. Callie, on the other hand, is almost completely out of my life. The only reason I chose to write about her is because we spoke the other day. We plan on seeing each other soon, but sometimes, you both know that talking is a lot more convenient than walking.
I am going to try though, because I do miss her. So much.

Scary

I was quite frightened when I went to a haunted house last weekend. I was so terrified when the scary monsters jumped out at me. They gave me chills and goosebumps, like I was really cold, but I wasn't cold, I was only scared. I really like getting scared and hiding from the monsters. I cling onto people and forget that anything outside of the haunted houses exist. It all seems so real. The best haunted house that I went to this year was the Auburn haunted house. They did such a good job of making everything seem like you were in real danger. I clung to my friends for my life. The worst thing about haunted houses is the stairs. I went to Terror on  the Square in Petersburg a few weeks ago, and I cannot bend my knee to get up the stairs! How was I supposed to get up there? It took forever and I felt really bad, and it made me slower which made me even more scared that the monsters would get to  me faster. It was dreadful. Overall though, I am glad that I went because I was able to feel genuine fear over something. Sometimes you have to get a little scared in order to feel anything. Sometimes I wish that it was Halloween all of the time, because it is so chilly and dead. That is a frightening idea, if you really think about it. I like to be afraid, it wakes up your mind from mental hibernation. Everyone feels so alive! I really like it, and I think everyone does. I think that could be why people pay for things like that. There are so many scary things in the world today. I wish there was that option all year. I would totally pay for people to scare my pants off on the weekends.

Franklin Bettered Himself...

Franklin was able to create a complete list of virtues that reflected his ideas on a perfect being. I do think that these virtues were a great idea to picture people following, but I wonder if Franklin's list actually helped him better himself. I honestly believe that he did do some good in trying to abide by this set of rules, especially because he had to put a lot of thought into them to even write them down on paper. To write these out, you have to thoroughly ponder the ideas you are putting out. Many people today rarely let things like morals cross their mind on specific basis. Franklin, on the other hand, spent much of his valuable time specifically on things like this. He had to study these concepts extensively to even write them out. Today, people never really seem to care about things like this. I cannot imagine someone today writing out something like this today, they would only be mocked and would never be taken seriously. It is obvious that no one really considers these things now. The only time we actually evaluate out morals is when we have a difficult decision at hand. Only then do many of us look to our moral reasoning for a solution. These thoughts lead me to believe that Franklin truly had to have improved his self-worth in this analysis of perfect morals and attempt at following them. He had to have learned something in all of this research. He dedicated so much of his time to following these written ideas that his thought process had to have changed at least a little along the way. Franklin shows that he put excessive thought and consideration into his virtues when Franklin gives these words about his virtuous views: "I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent our slipping; and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct." (Franklin, 82) This passage makes it completely obvious that Benjamin Franklin improved his personal morals through the process of attempting to follow his virtues.
Some of the most established writers in history applauded Franklin's system of virtues, like Sydney Smith, who was mentioned numerously in Tuckerman's literary criticism of Franklin's works, which were claimed to be revolutionary (Tuckerman, 9-10) Almost all of the critics who analyzed Franklin's work gave it positive feedback, saying that it reflected the ideas purity and independence. Even the other writers who looked into his work said similar things, and praised this magnificent set of morals all in one place. It is clear that these ideas made him a better person.
The standards of society back then were certainly changed after these works were released. Many people took the same route to perfection that Franklin took, attempting to follow his virtues and use a recording system to keep themselves on track. Because of Franklin, the world became just a little bit better to live in due to his many followers. The virtues he included in his work, such as honestly, tranquility, humility, silence, etc., are what people tried to follow, and therefore Franklin was forced to follow (Franklin 83-84). These traits are not difficult to comprehend, they seem simple. The trick is trying to apply them to one's everyday life.



Franklin, Benjamin. Autobiography. London: J.M. Dent, 1948. Print.

Tuckerman, Henry T. The Character of Franklin. N.p.: n.p., 1856. Print.

Franklin Project Reflection

The Franklin project was really difficult to deal with, especially because there were people from other locations. It was not easy to connect with them. It was already a huge task to even communicate with people from other English classes. The focus of the project was supposed to be about learning communication skills with people who are not easy to communicate with. This presented a challenge to all of the students in our English class, even more so because we were all the essential leaders of the groups. Most of us were the people who had to put the video together, and we also had the responsibility of contacting everyone else, because it seemed as if the other students did not have much motivation. The kids from Farmington in my group were on task, relatively easy to contact, and did quality work. I feel bad that they had to deal with some of the students from Pleasant Plains. They should have had more qualified people to work with, mainly because it seemed like us people at Plains were moving substantially slower than them. I felt sympathetic towards them. Those poor souls had to deal with us through this projects course.
On the other hand, it was easy to help others, and the project made it learn. I think each person should only have their individual grade to deal with. It is not fair that we had to make others try to communicate with us. I wish it was easier to talk to people that we can't even see. I find technology to be unreliable, mostly because it is unavailable to some. It is also not always working properly, which is annoying to deal with. I think that this project could be easier on people if there was an easier way to communicate. The teachers could have been more involved as well. Sometimes the teachers had issues that were not handled, like deadlines and role selection. I think that these are issues that need addressed for next year.

American Dream

I feel like the American Dream today is the idea of being in a typical 4-person family, living in a house with a pool and 3 cars, and the father coming home from work to a home-cooked meal with his family. The problem with this is that this is unrealistic. There is no life like that. Maybe someone has a day like that occasionally, but even that has got to be lucky. I guarantee there is no perfect family with perfect jobs. There are no perfect kids who obey your every rule. There are is no easy way into a home like that. That has got to be something from a Disney movie.
Some people spend their whole life on a quest for a life like that. I personally do not understand that. I think of America and I think of baseball, pie, and dads. Not just any dads, but white, "successful," republican, office working dads. It seems like that is what America is based off of today. If that is the American Dream, then where do I come in? Some guy's stay-at-home wife? Cooking and cleaning all day while I take care of our two "perfect" children? Wearing an apron and curling my hair like some housewife in the 1950's? I do not think so. That is definitely not the life that I want to live. I doubt many women of today want to live that way, because it does not exactly sound like fun.
Men probably don't really want that anymore either. How could they? Knowing they were living the typical life would make then want to go insane, if only to make things more interesting. How can people have goals like that? I just don't understand.
So really, the American Dream kind of sucks, in my personal opinion. I feel like they are all trying to be something that plainly sucks. That is the end of it.

Ben Franklin Virtue Analysis

The excerpt I read from Ben Franklin's autobiography demonstrated Rationalism from the most basic, new standpoint. Ben Franklin was one of the leading figures in the Great Awakening, which went hand in hand with the Rationalism period. Ben Franklin may have not always been the perfect example for the people to follow, but he did set out a group of virtues for people to go by that made a great deal of sense. Sure, you could call him a hypocrite, but at least he proposed well planned ideas for people to keep in mind as they lived their day-to-day life in the Rationalism period. 
In the autobiography, Franklin talks about his virtues, and makes people really think about the lives that they are living. This was the entire point of the Rationalism period. People opened their eyes to the world and began questioning their surroundings and responding logically instead of just religiously. He wanted religion to be important still, just not the leading factor in everyone's lives (Franklin 80). I interpreted this as a way of making everyone more aware and awake to how much more the world can be outside of the Bible. Sure, he was raised Presbyterian, and he knew that religion was important to a lot of people, it gave them purpose, but he still saw that the world had a lot more to offer apart from religion.
His virtues made a lot of sense for people to follow. They were pretty basic morals, but they were so simple that people preferred them over the complex system of the Christian religion. His virtues included basic elements such as Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, etc. (Franklin 83). These virtues were straightforward, and they were easy enough to follow so people did no complaining. I do not know about everyone else, but I would have much rather attempted to live by Ban Franklin's virtues than the Bible. Their obviousness and simplistic manner make them much more appealing to the imperfect human. 
In the Rationalism period, people were trying to get past the heavy barriers of orthodox religion. The church was ridiculously overbearing on the people before the Rationalist period. The Enlightened ones became the most popular figures of that time period, especially because what they were doing was significantly easier than following popular religious beliefs. They knew what they stood for and they were able to focus on life more than trying to please a god that not even the religious figures focused on. Of course, they all focused most of their time on religion, but that was only because the churches were focusing on making them fearful of Hell rather than uplifting them towards heaven. They needed to be motivated with positivity rather than with fear. When Franklin published his autobiography, he was already a very popular Rationalist throughout the United States. Everyone wanted to listen to what he had to say, so when he basically presented an alternative to the forceful tactics of the Christian religion. Franklin's virtues were easily used by many people after the Puritan era overwhelmed the Americans. This came as a sort of salvation to the people of the United States. 

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Philadelphia: Henry Altemus, 1895. Print.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Propaganda was used technically by Thomas Jefferson in "The Declaration of Independence" frequently, and I found them to be very obvious in the document. The Cuesta College explains these techniques in their article over The Declaration. It clearly states, "the methods and approaches used to spread ideas that further a cause - political, commercial, religious, or civil cause (Recognizing)." They are justifying his use of propaganda by saying that he wanted to make his views more widely accepted, and he wanted to further his cause. Through attempting this, he resorts to using methods manipulative to the listener's point of view on the subject. While I do understand his point, he was going about it the wrong way. He should have presented real, factual, relevant information. 
The technique I found to be the most emphasized in the document was not really a technique, but just plain name-calling. To me, this part of his writing stood out the most. Here writes about one paragraph of real support, and then moves on to just spitting insults to King George III.  I would compare this to the types of political campaign commercials all over the media. He basically only wants to make a mockery of his opponents instead of strengthening his side of the argument. He really does not have much to say about himself, only things about how terrible the Parliament is. The entire Declaration was just one huge celebrity roast on George III. You cannot actually pick out very many of Jefferson's political opinions, only harsh comments on the king can be observed. People who call names on others often use this approach in debates. "Rather than explain what they believe in, they prefer to try to tear their opponent down (Recognizing)."  Jefferson fits perfectly into this category. It is a sure thing that Jefferson wants to break down what the king has going. Although none of the Americans wanted the king's policies, they still should have supported an argument with better points as a country. He never really supports his own side, he only spends his words bringing down Parliament. It is possible that he is bashing the other side because he is not willing to accept his own lack of solution. Sure, he has no problem focusing all of his attention on the mistakes of others, but he cannot take the time to actually fix the problems that he complains of. He cannot solve the problems, he can only distinguish them and make them obvious to other people. His first sentence complains about the debate of personal freedoms, right off the bat. "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpation, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states (Wilhelm 122)."  In the rest of the document, he proceeds to criticize the every flaw on the British rule. I find this to be hypocritical. He talks about the American values being unaccepted by the English, as he is not accepting the English values. While the values of the British are overwhelming to the Americans, they should not have taken this approach. 



"Recognizing Propaganda Techniquesand Errors of Faulty Logic." Recognizing Propaganda--Guide to Critical Thinking--Academic Support. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2012.http://academic.cuesta.edu/acasupp/as/404.htm.


Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., Douglas Fisher, Kathleen A. Hinchman, David G. O'Brien, Taffy Raphael, and Cynthia Hynd. Shanahan. Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.

VIRTUES

I really could not decide what my virtues to live by are, so I will not describe the virtues that my mother lives by.
My mom believes that you could do anything wrong, but you could never lie about it. No matter how bad something is, you  should always tell the truth. In the end, that will make you feel less guilty about whatever you did. Honesty is something that you should never leave out of your character.
She also believes that one should have a very strong spirituality, no matter what that is associated with. Whether it is religious or philosophical, that sense of self-knowing should always exist in order to keep yourself from losing sight of who you are.
I cannot look into my mother's thoughts, but I would believe that she wants everyone to live up to their full potential. She thinks that you should never give up or give in, and live life in the most fulfilling way possible. I agree with that, and she does not make her expectations frightening, and she is very accepting and supportive of anything that I do. I love her.
I love that I feel like I could come home one day with nothing left and she would still take me into her care and make sure I was alright. The rest would come later, after I was settled. It is good to know that caring is a virtue for her. I will always have somewhere to go, even when I feel like I do not. Sure, she might be angry or disappointed at first, but there is nothing I could do to where she would not accept me in time. She tells me that all the time, randomly. She knows me. She lets me cry to her and never complains. I appreciate that about her, and she knows that I would do the same for her.

MINTS

You should bring in the mints so we will not be as chatty during class. If we all are consuming mints, we will not be able to talk as much, due to the fact that our mouths will be busy through lectures and discussions. We will also have more thought to what we say, because we will not be blurting  out whatever we think first. Discussions will be more productive, because you will be happy with our attentiveness, and we will be happy with our delicious mints! Nothing could go wrong here.
Another reason to bring in mints is so we will not complain about hunger as much. When people are hungry, but they cannot eat, they tend to become angry and upset, especially towards the end of the day. A good alternative to this complaining is to give us mints! Our mouths will be occupied, and therefore distracted from our raging hunger. Our mouths will be happy, so they will not acknowledge cravings. This is why people tend to chew gum when they are dieting, so they will eliminate cravings and follow their diet with more consistency.
More importantly, everyone loves mints. We all want mints, do we not? You obviously want mints, or else you would not have brought up the subject. You see, sir, we are all having a mint craving right now at the very mention of Brach's Star Brites. Although we are not going to get much nutrition from a mint, we will find pleasure and happiness within them. Everyone wants a mint. If you do not want a mint, you must be a special case, because mints are commonly accepted as delicious little sugar treats to freshen breath and relieve cravings that everyone wishes we could shake. Who likes feeling icky because you cannot have what you crave? No one, that is who! So, to end my argument, I think that you should bring the class some stinkin' mints, man.

Autumn

Well, I can honestly say that Autumn is my favorite season. It is for a number of reasons, one being the smell. I cannot explain why, but I love how it smells. The smell of dry leaves, smokey nights, incense,  laundry detergent on an old sweatshirt. I don't know why, I just love the smell of everything. Currently, I am not even experiencing smell though, mostly because I'm sick. My nose's current condition is almost painful. Oh well, at least I can still see all of the beautiful colors. The dark browns and purples, and just about every color in between. Everyone talks about the colors, but I really mean it. Oh well. 
I almost always want to shave my head in the fall, mostly so I can see what it would feel like to feel wind on the back of my naked scalp. I don't know why, I guess I'm just curious. 
On the typical side, my birthday is in fall, and so is Halloween. Those are two of my favorite days. I just wish they weren't over so quickly. I hate that things like that only last twenty four hours, and half of that is spent usually spent sleeping. I love sleeping as much as the next person, but it totally  is not worth missing so much time on awesome days. That is why I don't sleep all that much. I just hate missing things. Why sleep, when I could be awake doing something somewhat productive, or even just thinking? Thinking takes up a ton of my time, especially in the Fall. I am usually more at peace. I love it. I just want to float around and think in my mine. I want to keep to myself, and maybe spend some time learning about myself. That sounds so stupid to write on an English blog. I don't even care. Whatever works for me!

Rational Solutions for Emotional Problems

Sometimes, people have to deal with situations rationally, even when emotions get in the way of logic. I remember a time when I was emotionally reactive, but had to stop and think before making a decision. I was driving my car for one of the first times and I was faced with my first crowded 4-way intersection, and I will admit to being a little nervous. Sometimes when a person is nervous, that is almost enough to justify any crazy decisions that would have never occurred without anxiety. 
So there I was, facing real danger and looking it right in the eye. I had no idea what I was doing, so I decided to just drive. Unfortunately, that was the wrong decision. The cars to the left and right of me also wanted to go, which was probably what they were supposed to be doing. I did not know at the time, but I was a very stupid driver. I was in the middle of the road with cars coming at me from both sides. At that time, my emotional reaction was to curl up into a ball and scream. I then realized that I needed to deal with the situation, rather than hiding from it like my emotions told me to do. I decided that I needed to first start the car, because I drive a manual and I had killed it. I then moved forward to get out of everyone's way and not be a problem to the other drivers. 
I eventually was out of the intersection and safe. It was finally obvious what I had just done, and I was scared still. I wanted to switch spots with my mother, who was in the passenger seat the entire time. She did not let me, she knew that it was only good for me to gain some experience and work through on my own. 

The Crucible - Part IV: Response/Relation to Johnathan Edwards

First of all, I would just like to write a small disclaimer to all religiously opinionated people, so I advise reader digression. These are merely my thoughts on the given essay topic, and I do not want to offend anyone with my beliefs, as this book talks about religion quite often. My opinion is as good as anyone else's. 

I really do disagree with just about every single thing that Johnathan Edwards has to say in his frightening little speech. I know that I would rather be a million other places than there when he was preaching and writing these awful accounts and ideas to people (Edwards 10). I do not think that I could ever read that without becoming very uncomfortable, just as I did this time around. What happens to the people in The Crucible makes me feel like they could connect to what Edwards is saying. They have very serious beliefs, even if they do sound completely ridiculous to society today (Miller 306). We have to understand when reading these things that people all have their little explanations of who is running all of the world in the sky or something like that. I feel like the churches in the Puritan times were all connected in some way or another because somehow, they all seemed to act the same way and want to scare the pants off of everyone. I was honestly afraid when read some of these things. 
In both of these stories, there are people who are essentially doing something wrong in the eyes of their god. Whether it be something like cheating on your wife, or simply lying over something unimportant (Miller 118, 245). It may be hard to live in a position where you can hardly do anything without feeling horrible grief, and putting yourself in potential danger of losing your soul to the devil, who lurks around every corner and works through other people in mysterious ways. 
These passages all are written through people of the Puritan religion, which is a very strict, almost aggressive religion. I honestly am already tired of reading about this religion, mainly because it makes me feel uncomfortable discussing it through school work, but also because the religion is so very closed-minded and it has a sort of "my way or the highway" attitude. I am someone who is extremely supportive of religious tolerance, so it pains me to read about how bad things used to be in our own country. Both writings are perfect examples of exactly how things worked in the Puritan religion. Everything is centered around scaring people into wanting to get into heaven, as opposed to making them want to get into heaven on their own terms (Edwards 12). The objective of the religion was to scare people away from hell, instead of urging them toward whatever god they were looking to. I would hate to have to live in fear of going somewhere horrible for all of eternity just because of something so meaningless as shoveling snow on a Sunday (234). 
I find that their whole establishment was just messed up from the beginning, and that is probably why this religion does not exist any longer. I am starting to become seriously sick of hearing about these people, it gets me angry and I disagree with every "logical" connection they make.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.

Edwards, Jonathan. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God a Sermon, Preached at Enfield, July 8th, 1741, at a Time of Great Awakenings, and Attended with Remarkable Impressions on Many of the Hearers. Schenectady, N.Y.: Printed by Riggs & Stevens, 1815. Print.

Bullies Are Bad

No one ever wins in a bullying situation. The bully might have the ability to beat up the smaller kid, but he is never going to truly win. Maybe one or two battles at first, but I believe that eventually it will come back to him OR HER. A bully can be any person, not just a male. It is usually, but not limited to, a student at an equal age in the society we live in today. This is not much of a problem where here in Pleasant Plains, but it does happen. When it happens, it hurts. No one knows how to react, as it can be an extremely difficult situation for anyone involved. It is complicated for a parent to decide what to do for their child, it is difficult to see something happen to someone you care about. It is troublesome for the bully to have to deal with whatever punishment they get, and to admit defeat. No one ever really talks about that, they only talk about the real physical punishment, such as grounding or losing a phone. They never talk about how emotional and stressful it is on everyone. No one knows what to do. Above all, the person taking most of the problems is the victim. They could be dealing with a number of things. They are afraid of embarrassment or physical brutality. They are afraid of people watching them, or possibly just harmful words. Aggression towards someone you constantly have to deal with can make them extremely uncomfortable, but they do not know what to do about it because they do not want to make it worse by telling someone about it. They only want to be happy, and they want to get alone, but they just can't. Sometimes, you just cannot change people, no matter how much you wish you could. At times, it seems like the best thing to do is keep your mouth shut. That way at least you are the only person who is unhappy, and no one else has to deal with your problems.

The Crucible - Part III

Act III of The Crucible is extremely intense. I cannot think of many things more intense than a life-or-death court room scene.  When people are put into situations such as this, their human instincts tend to come out quite a bit more than usual. As people, it is only natural to defend ourselves and the ones we love when lives are at stake. In a court room scene, you really have no choice other than to stick to your guns and hope for the best. In this case, I am sure that many people were looking to God in their times of need. Like I previously said, reading this section of the book was very intense and I was sort of at the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. 
An example of human nature is when Abigail pretends that Mary is possessing her and her posse with her own spirit (Miller  115). They begin to say everything she is saying just mere moments after she says it, which is a lot to comprehend. Suddenly, she breaks down and begins to support their claim by yelling out unholy things and scaring everyone in court (Miller 118). 
There are really three examples of human nature in this scene. One being Abigail's desperate attempt to make the court believe her story (Miller 114). She does this so that she can save her own skin, she in tangled up in her web of lies and she is just trying to claw her way out. Really, though, she is only getting herself more tangled up. It is only natural for us humans to do whatever it takes to keep ourselves safe. She was just doing what she thought she needed to do. 
Another example here is the girls who go along with what Abigail is doing and saying (Miller 115). They want to keep themselves and Abigail, whom they care for very much, safe in this trial. As humans, we are inclined to follow whatever we are regularly comfortable following. These girls were used to doing whatever Abigail told them to do, right or wrong. They found her comfortable, almost like a mother figure. You listen to what your mother tells you because she knows best.
The last example of human nature showing through in this situation is how Mary reacts to what all the girls begin to do (Miller 118). She only wants to come clean and call it quits, she is finally done dealing with the lies and the guilt (Miller 102). In the heat of the moment, she finds herself doing exactly what the girls wanted her to do (Miller 118). It was the most beautifully crafted, rushed, impulsive scheme that Abigail could have came up with. She just wanted to do the right thing, but sometimes when we get too much adrenalin, it can altar what we think is right to do.
Basically, we can only say that humans will always be what they are, humans. This is just the way we are, and we cannot expect people to change their "true color" to accommodate our needs. 
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.

The Crucible - Part II: True Colors

The characters are very defined throughout the story so far. I find that the most interesting characters could fit into multiple "colors" from the True Colors activity, such as Abigail. I find that Abigail is both a thinker and a doer. I also think some of the more simplistic characters are easier to analyze, such as John Proctor, who is very straightforward with his thoughts and words. I have decided that he is definitely a doer, due to his rash decisions.

Abigail is both a thinker and a doer because she contemplates her actions, and then does things that could be considered very unexpected, especially to a reader who knows nothing about the Salem Witches. She is basically the leader of the whole group of children who claim to be witches. She is the one who comes up with the schemes and she also carries them out while influencing the other children. For an example of her thinking through and carrying out plans is when she uses Mary to set Elizabeth up. Mary hates Elizabeth for "blackening her name," so she gets Mary to give Elizabeth a doll with a needle in it so the people searching for witchcraft would think she was preforming Voodoo rituals (Miller 56). She is extremely devious! These traits combined with evil traits are what makes her such a vital character. She is able to be the whole basis of the witches because of these acts. If you look at it from a psychoanalytical point, she is an orphan, she lost her parents. This can take a huge toll on a child, but that is beside the point.
In my opinion, John Proctor is definitely a doer, there is no doubt. He does not really contemplate his actions at all, he just sort of goes with whatever impulse he feels at the time. I completely understand this, but I would not consider him to be a very trustworthy person in this sense. While he is trying to change his ways, he still deceived Elizabeth with Abigail, which was not very thoughtful or considerate of him (Miller 54). If he would have taken the time to think his decisions through, he may have found that he was making the wrong choice and that his whole marriage was in jeopardy. Another example of him being a doer is when he just randomly shows up where Abigail is, without any reason other than to hear a story firsthand (Miller 22). I feel like if he thought about this a bit more, he would have known that only trouble would come from such a situation and he would have steered clear of her. If I were him, I would have just kept to myself and let rumors be. He did not need to set out to talk to her and tempt himself with her presence. He did not do anything wrong at that time, but the risk was far too high to be fooling around with. He had been caught in a situation like that once, and he did not want to get caught again.
Overall, these two characters are both sort of extremes. One is very thoughtful and patient, the other is impulsive and eager. I think these two are the best examples of the True Colors assessment because of their strong characteristics and traits. 

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.

DON'T BLAME PEOPLE FOR THINGS THEY DID NOT DO

If you blame someone for something that they did not do, then they could get in trouble and you could feel guilty. This is not a good feeling, so I would not recommend it. You could try something else, like being honest or real with someone, but if that is not how you particularly roll, then you could devise an elaborate scheme and hope that you do not get caught. Once again, I would not personally recommend that because you would feel guilt, depending on the situation.
If you did get caught blaming someone else for something you did, you could be in even more trouble for lying about it. For example, if you ate the last cookie, then you told your mom that your sister ate the cookie, then your mom smelled your breath and she knew that it was you, then you would get grounded or something. If you would have been honest in the first place, then you probably would have just gotten scolded or something along those lines. I have know idea what anyone else's moms would have done, but this is probably exactly what my mom would have done. I think my mom is more cool than that though, so maybe she would have just given me the cookie. I do not really know.
If you did happen to get away with your lie, the guilt would probably get to you and you would end up fessing up in the end. I would feel extremely guilty if I got away with something while someone else took the blame. I do not think I could handle something like that, mainly because I consider myself to be an alright sort of chick and I would never want someone to do that to me. I seriously could never hurt someone in that way. If whoever is reading this could somehow handle that kind of situation, then you are a soulless being and I do not understand you. Yes I do, I really do understand. I love you.

The Crucible - Part I: Style and Ideas

The Crucible is an extremely religious book, and its focuses on God's will and word are mentioned frequently throughout the entire Act I. I find that books like this can be a particularly sensitive topic for discussion, so I would like to apologize in advance for my apparent different views on the given subject. I do not mean to disrespect anyone else's opinions, but I cannot avoid the topic, as I am obviously supposed to write five-hundred words about this.

The most interesting thing about the story is the fantastical aspect to it. These girls seriously think they are witches (Miller 18). The author chose this center basis for a reason. This was a controversial issue back when the Puritans were being prosecuted in the New World. The reputation of the Puritans was at stake already, and having witchcraft would not be tolerated not only because it was completely sacrilegious in their eyes, but also because it was endangering the reputation of the relatively new Puritans. The Puritans were sort of hypocrites, mainly because they were demanding their own religious freedom, but they were also completely intolerant of anyone else's beliefs. You would think that they would have learned how it felt from their past. Of course they could not coexist with people who believed in witchcraft, that would mean that they did not believe what the Puritans believed, and that would make them stupid. Basically they're saying "Stupid witches, you should die because you wanted to believe in magic!" Now does that not seem a little rude at least?

I honestly hate how every single tiny detail of life in the Puritan's eyes relates back to God. It angers me that they have this unbreakable fool-proof idea that even the worst situations end up being blessings from God. I mean, it's cool if that is what helps you sleep at night, but I do not think that I could ever trick my mind into believing something like that. In the book, it has not really gotten to the point where they relate things back to God's Way yet, although they had a pretty good opportunity to do that when they were unable to wake Betty up after being caught preforming witchery (Miller 8, 18). I was so sure that they would relate that to some sort of blessing, but they saw it as a threat to God instead. Parris is one of those guys who is constantly worrying about what others think of him. He is a Reverend who does not even follow his own teachings, which include avoiding selfishness. I think that obsessing over self-image is a little on the selfish side, is it not? 

So far, my opinion of the Puritan religion is not a great one. I am seeing a whole lot of hypocrisy, which seems to be apparent in many religions, even now. I understand that some people were avid in their keeping up with religion, but mostly I am seeing the more radical ends. I do not think that these people are very smart with this logic. 

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.

Modern Punishment

Punishment in today's world is confusing because it should depend on the child. I think people should be free. Every day, people make their own decisions and they should be allowed to do that. The job of a parent is to try to raise a child correctly. That depends on what "correct" is. The typical parent wants their child to be successful. They want their children to learn from their mistakes and to have better lives than they had growing up. That is what my parents believe, anyway. I find that this is the way most parents feel. I agree with this, but I also think that a parent should instill values into a child at a young age, then let them learn from their own mistakes later on. If a mistake is made, the child will learn from it eventually. That should be their own choice, and a parent should not attempt to train a child like a dog. Teaching a child things is good, giving negative reinforcement is wrong. This breaks down the relationship between the child and the parent, and draws them away from the parent. Parents these days are always going out of their way to make a kid feel guilt. Really, they just end up resenting their parents and feeling anger. Then they have negative feelings toward the parent, and the parent loses as well. Parents should have discussions with their children instead of punishing them without a word said. Why do people not see that this is not a good system. Problems should be talked about, considering that we are all human and no one should be higher than another. Sure, some people call the shots and others just listen, but we are all equal, and and ego is something we do not want to inflate. No one should feel like they are superior to anyone else, even their children. They have opinions and thoughts about everything you have them for. EQUALITY, PEOPLE.

My Travels

Once, when I was a young child, I traveled to a far away European country. This country was called France, and I was in love with the burning buildings. Everything was on fire everywhere, which made my world a blur in contrast to it. I did not care at the time. I never even knew. I was a sick little puppy, you know. I followed my comfort and clung to it like a blanket. I was only around ten years old, which is an age of nothingness when looking back from today. That day used to be called "Today," but it passed away. I miss that Today, this Today is not nearly what it used to be. Today has changed.
Paris was indescribable. If someone asked me to try to tell them what it was like, I would not be able to relate it. Unless you have been there, you cannot begin to understand. This is straightforward, which is nothing like my last paragraphs. I could write endless paragraphs, but that does not make them true. The reason Paris was indescribable is not only because it was amazing, but also because I can hardly remember. I hate myself for forgetting. All I remember is following my mom around, and there was so much wine. Everywhere you would look, you would find wine. I remember a tower. I remember a church. I remember a massive woman eating a sandwich while I attempted to order food. I remember jumping into a fountain and thinking that it was a pool because it looked like fun. I was too young to appreciate Paris. I went to the Louvre. Can you imagine a ten-year-old child at the Louvre? It is not that pleasant for someone lacking appreciation. I only remember seeing naked women and wondering why we have to be so thin now, when women were so beautifully plump back then. I hate us. I hate everything about us. One more word.

Puritan Writing Style of William Bradford

The writings of William Bradford greatly reflected the Puritan philosophy. Once again, the style regards everything leading back to God in some way, and how religion is all that matters in life. During this time, the Puritan belief system was a common one. Nearly every man and woman in Plymouth was a Puritan, from what I've observed. This spirituality was not uncommon, people were being raised this way, and it was long before anyone would rebel against such ideas. Although the beliefs were completely unrelatable to most people of our time, it is still quite interesting to read into what it was like to be present during such a raw and primitive stage in our country's growth. 
In all honesty, I had to search a little for the direct religious references. Sometimes he does not just come right out and say it, and the references are not completely solid. A good reference from Bradford was found on pages 58 and 59, "So being ready to departe,  they had a day of solleme humiliation, their pastor taking his texte from Ezra 8. 21. And ther at y river, by Ahava, I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble ourselves before God, and seeke for him a right way for us, and for our children, and for all our substance." He then continues on about the rest of the time spent praising and fasting that day. This is a perfect example of how these people viewed things in that time. Everything was all thanks to God, and every single person lived by that logic, even if something bad would happen. Somehow, unfortunate things that happened to these men and women were looked on as blessings and gifts from the almighty Lord. I have to remember in these blogs that as crazy as it may seem to me, some people still have similar beliefs to this. I respect that.
The way Bradford recollects it, it seems as though religious references not only appeared frequently in text, but also in people's thoughts, words, and actions. In one particular passage that I stumbled upon, it did not seem as ridiculous for people to be praying to their Lord. "After y removall of his familie from hence, he fell into some straits, (as some others did,) and about a year or more afterwards, towards Winter, he intended a vioage to Virginia; but it so pleased God that y barke that carried him, and many other passengers, was in that danger, that they dispaired of life; so as many of them, as they fell into prayer, so also did they begine to examine their consciences and confess such sins as most did burthen them (Bradford 190)." I would say that a life being in real danger would be a valid reason to pray. I do not blame them for their prayers, as this would be a good time to have someone to pray to. The religion that these men had was what kept them sane in times of madness among settlers. 


Bradford, William. "History of Plymouth Plantation." History of Plymouth Plantation. Boston, n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2012. <http://archive.org/stream/historyplymouth00bradgoog>.

If I Were A Hostage

If I were a hostage, I would be very sad. That would truly be a difficult thing to deal with. But, I would not consider it to be a blessing from God, such as some Puritan authors put it in their recollections. I would make  sure that I did not thank anyone, including Jesus. Jesus putting humans and such through such horrible things is no blessing! Why would you think that, Puritan people?! You are not intelligent for thinking such things.
People who hold other people hostage are mean. I do not think that this is something that anyone could possibly enjoy. I also do not understand this journal, because how else would I react? Of course I think that it is awful, I mean there is really no other side to it. I guess I could talk about it being a blessing from a sarcastic standpoint. I would find it to be amazing if I could become a hostage to the Indians. It would be difficult, but the Lord would prevail! Praise that Lord, for I am created in his image! Hallelujah. If I were a hostage, it would not really matter because all that I really need is my faith. I could go through torture and pain, but who cares!? I love God, and that is all. I do not even need proof to know that, because my superiors told me, and I cannot really think for myself anyway.
But, all sarcasm aside, I really do have respect for these hostages from this time. If religion was what got them through with optimism, then power to them! They made it, so I offer my congratulations to them. I personally would look to the realistic positives, instead of creating my own false beliefs to keep me looking forward. I could probably never convince myself that being held hostage somewhere under the control of the Indians was a good thing. I find that difficult to imagine. 

A Comparison of Mary Rowlandson and Anne Bradstreet's Puritan Writing Style

How do the writings of Rowlandson and Bradstreet reflect the qualities of Puritan writing? 

The major thing that stood out to me in comparing these two stories was that both of the writers saw a divine blessing in their hardships, even if really, it was not there at all. They both believed that earthly pleasures were being taken away from them for the sake of appreciating God and nothing else. In a sense, they are basically saying if they find something pleasurable, it is a blessing from God, and if they find something horrible, it is also a blessing from God. It is a fool-proof belief system developed by early Puritan churches, and more likely by Christians before that. Christians still believe these same things today, just not to such an extreme level.

In Mary Rowlandson's recollection, she talks about the good in the people that rescued her, but completely misses the fact that hundreds of people died during this time and, to put it bluntly, she was just one of the lucky ones. Of course there is a way of justifying this in the Puritan faith. "The Lord dealt mercifully with me many times, and I fared better than many of them (Rowlandson 85)."  And although she regards that she was one of the luckier people, she is almost bragging about her blessings to the people who were not so lucky, in my opinion. 

Blessings from God are the theme that is consistent in both pieces of literature. Anne Bradstreet also talks about her losses being just a blessing on her. "A price so vast as is unknown yet by His gift is made thine own. There's wealth enough, I need no more (Bradstreet 91)." It almost sounds like she has to try and convince herself of this. Her house has just burnt down and she acts as if she could not care about it less. According to my interpretation, she needs a way to cope with such a difficult loss, and according to the Puritans, that meant turning to God and looking at the negatives as a blessing. This makes no sense to me, but I suppose if you had nothing left, a human would need something to keep them from going insane. I find this coping method to be unrealistic and sort of silly. I do not mean to offend anyone by showing that opinion, but that is what the assignment is. If you believe in religion, I have great respect for that.

When reading, someone like me notices the way that no matter what happens to a person, no matter how horrible, somehow God is involved in a positive way. I really just do not understand how this is constantly justified. It has gone on for long enough, in my opinion, and people need to face facts. Back in the sixteen hundreds, particularly during war, people were constantly turning to religion for guidance or reasoning. The Puritan writing style often, if not always, reflected back to God in some way. Both of these pieces deal with despair and total loss, but somehow it is always God who prevails.  (Yaddayaddayadda).   

     Bradstreet, Anne. "Upon The Burning of Our House." Glencoe Literature. Student ed. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 91. Print.

     Rowlandson, Mary. "A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs.Mary Rowlandson. "Glencoe Literature. Student ed. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 82-85. Print.

Francis Marie, The Little Piggy

There once was a small rodent, specifically a Guinea Pig, named Francis Marie. She had an itch on her booty that consistently continued throughout her life. She absolutely could not resist scratching her little baby rodent booty. She would parade around town with pride and she embraced her itch. Constantly scratching the itch, many other animals were sincerely concerned, especially regarding the balding spot on little Franny's bum. When they found out that Francis Marie was supporting her itch, which was something she saw as a part of her, they did not appreciate her difference from them.
The people who knew her were extremely cruel to her.  They made fun of her often, and would not allow her to partake in any of their Guinea Pig games, including the famous Water Polo Championship. This was something Francis Marie was waiting for her whole life. She had been practicing forever, and who were they to tell her that she could not play and compete for the gold?
When they announced the teams for the Water Polo Championship, little Franny was no where to be found. Everyone searched and searched, wanting to make sure that she was okay, but they simply could not find her. One young piggy, named Oliver, had a secret crush on her. He was so worried, but he was embarrassed to speak up. Really, he was the one who knew where she was hiding.
The very moment that school got out that day, because that was where they were, he walked straight to the pond where she often played. There she was, and he wanted to help her. He said hello, and she was very excited that he came to see her. They talked and she agreed to go out and hear what the people had to say.
She walked out and joined a crowd of searching people. They hugged her and apologized for making her feel sad. She said that they were forgiven, and agreed to be on the winning team for the Water Polo Championship.

How The Rhino Got His Horn

Once, long ago, rhinos were hornless beings. Of these beings one was much different from the others. His name was Chip, and he had a small lump on his nose. He was criticized by his unfortunate flaw, as they called it. "You are strange!" said Phil. "I don't want to play with you." All the rhinos were considered the same, except him. Poor Chip wanted only to be happy with the other rhinos, so he felt worthless when he could not fit in.
Even his parents found him to be abnormal. They did not like him. They said that he was not allowed to party with the other rhino babies. If not for their obligation to care for him, they would have given him away long ago. If anything, they were at least proud of his quiet behavior and studious tendencies.
One day, Chip was taking a very long romp through the waterhole when suddenly, a lovely lady appeared drinking water from the pond. She was the epitome of beauty, and Chip knew he had to have her. Suddenly, he saw her lift her head from behind. He quickly dipped his horn down in the mud before she could see his ghastly embarassment. He was ashamed of his face, and that night, he tried to run away.
He walked all the way back to the watering hole that night. He looked around only to see the beautiful rhino looking into the water. She was crying. Chip approached her cautiously. "Excuse me, Miss. Are you alright?" He looked at her reflection in the water. Wait, could it be? Is that... A horn?!
Just then she looked up into his eyes. He was right! It was a horn. He'd never seen anything so gorgeous.
She said that her name was Becky, and that she was upset that she had a horn, too. Then, it really didn't feel so bad anymore. There were two of them, together at last. They ran away together that night. These two started what is now known as The Protruding Nasal Horn Revolution, where horns were soon accepted and appreciated throughout the land. Who knew that one day, rhinos without horns would be called hippos, a very derogatory term from that time.
The End.

The Old Man and The Sea - Analysis of the Ending

When I initially read the ending to this book, I was really sad.  This poor old man spends so much time and effort attempting to catch a fish. and it is eaten by a couple of hungry sharks (Hemingway 56).  I was so confused.  I was trying to understand, but it was really depressing to me.  Maybe I'm just overemotional towards literature, but I cannot help it!  I suppose this was the reason that the book has such an important message to it, but it is still sad.  
I believe that the most significant part that the conclusion was showing was the old man's ruthless endurance and dedication.  The entire time he is on that boat, he is spending it enduring horrible pain and a zero hours of sleep.  Also in the end, he is able to endure the loss of his marlin brother.  Even after all that, picks himself up, goes home, and makes plans to go out fishing once his hands heal (Hemingway 59).  The story would be nearly meaningless if the old man would have given up after the sharks devoured he marlin.  The story is worth reading because the old man never gives up.  
The end is not all bad, anyway.  Some good comes out of it.  Santiago is able to earn the respect of the other fishermen in town because of the skeleton he brings back (Hemingway 58).  Of course they respected him then. he caught the massive all on his own with no help whatsoever.  Also, the boy agrees to fish once more with the old man afterwords (Hemingway 59).  This is a plus because the old man really wished that the boy was with him while he was out at sea.  It is good that he gets to have something to look forward to.  
Sure, a happy ending to a good book would have been nice, but if you look at it optimistically, you'll see that this was a good ending.  The old man has respect from everyone, a great best friend, new memories to learn from, and a massive skeleton of the prize fish that he took down alone.  His struggles are finally over and they will not be missed.  

Hemingway, E. The Old Man and The Sea. New York, NY: Scribner, 1980

The Old Man and The Sea - Symbolism in the Marlin

I know I already posted a little about symbolism, but I wanted to elaborate on that a little more than I did previously.  I only wanted to elaborate because I feel the need to emphasize the symbolism behind the marlin. I feel that the marlin could very well represent conflict and struggle in the old man's mind.  
First off, when the fish lurches forward, the old man's hand is cut open (Hemingway 30). The old man's job is already difficult as it was, the fish was only making it even worse.  This fish is obviously being used to accentuate the conflict and make the situation even more difficult.  
Another instance where the marlin worsens the struggle is when the old man is attempting to stop his hand from cramping up.  After he has been doing this for quite a while, the marlin leaps out of the sea (Hemingway 33).  The old man sees the fish for the very first time, yet he is already struggling to get his hand working again.  I think that the fish appears then because the old man is going through such a difficult time.  The fish symbolizes his challenge.  
As the giant marlin decides to start jumping out from the water, the fishing line is ripped from Santiago's hands so quickly that each of them are cut wide open (Hemingway 41). Now the left hand has been cut once, and the right hand has been cut twice, making the struggle even more difficult.  The conflict is now intensified due to the marlin, once again.  
The symbolism in the marlin is especially apparent when it starts to circle the boat.  Each time the fish takes a turn about the boat. the old man finds it harder and harder to stop himself from giving up (Hemingway 46).  He starts off strong, but at the fish continues to pass it becomes more difficult for the man to move on.  The symbolism is obvious here because the fish keeps the reader locked on the page as the suspense grows.  He represents the old man's struggle.  
In then end, the fish is only a skeleton, nothing but bones on  the beach.  He is no longer (Hemingway 59). To me, this represents Santiago letting go of this huge struggle and moving forward with his life.  

Hemingway, E. The Old Man and The Sea. New York, NY: Scribner, 1980

The Old Man and The Sea - Character Analysis: The Marlin

I know that it is sort of odd that a marlin is such an influential part of the story, but I genuinely thought of him as just another character.  I know he is not really the typical character, but I think that he deserves to be thought of as one, so I only think its fair to give him a character analysis.  
A character is defined as something with physical characteristics as well as emotional characteristics.  The easier one to describe would be the physical characteristics.  Obviously, the fish is massive and incredibly strong. He was a total of eighteen feet long (Hemingway 58).  He also had a long sword-like snout and a gigantic tail to go along with it.  The old man describes him as beautiful (Hemingway 45), and from what I hear, I have to agree.  And of course the old man thinks the fish is beautiful, it is what he has been waiting for for nearly three months.  
The fish had a brain, therefore it had some sort of emotions.  Also, the old man describes the fish as having emotions, so I think that he does, too.  Santiago says that the fish is not only calm, but also noble (Hemingway 45).  This makes the old man see the fish as a worthy opponent for his battle.  The fish is able to pull the man steadily along for a number of days.  This causes the old man to describe the marlin as "so fearless and so confident" (Hemingway 42).  The old man almost develops a relationship of sorts with the large fish.  He even feels distressed when the sharks eat the marlin, and apologizes for going out too far to actually catch him (Hemingway 55).  Even if these traits were not real, he still sees the fish that way and gives it his respect for having them.  
Because this is a work of fiction, the fish can have whatever traits the author decides it will have.  Sometimes. authors exaggerate their characters to make a specific point.  In this book, I think that the fish was given such a strong character because it was needed to show the amount of respect that the old man had for the fish, and  that he was capable of giving his respect to any deserving thing.

Hemingway, E. The Old Man and The Sea. New York, NY: Scribner, 1980