Uncle Tom's Cabin Pt. 1

The issue of slaverly fronts itself nearly immediately in this novel. The fact that Mrs Shelby is attempting to justify slavery even though she is a christian sits uneasy with most modern day Christians. My personal Views walking into this novel is that there is no way that a Christian could own a slave, its against the teachings of the bible in many ways. As far as plot goes, I felt it interesting that Eliza took her son Harry and ran away since Harry was to be sold as a slave. I felt that Eliza took a great risk in protecting her son from Mr. Haley. As I read on I hope that her risk will pay off.

E.A. Poe's The Raven

I have not ever found much personal value in the reading/ analyzing of poetry personally, but always find it interesting when its done as a group and I have people pointing out facts to me that I am blind to notice. The Raven is filled with excellent internal and external rhyme, making the piece both pleasing to hear and to read. The previous characteristics enable this story to be memerable and noteworthy. The underlying theme of Love and Loss can be applicable to many people, if not all people. It was hard for me to gather much insight into the poem as it was read, but the creative perception proved quite evident and interesting.

The Scarlet Letter Ending

As most endings do the end of the scarlet letter wrapped up the unresolved conflict that kept the reader reading on. The sin of adultury has completely saturated the minds of Hester, Dimmsdale and Chillingworth nearly to the point of insanity. The third and final scene dealing with the scaffold is where all the conflicts come to a conclusion. Pearl now has a father to the public, as Dimmsdale confesses, and Chillingworth looses his chance at revenge. The theme of sin followed every character to their grave except Hester, after Hester moves away the scarlet letter's original meaning becomes saturated and confused. Sin can end you, if you let it, as evidence to Dimmsdale, and on the contrary it can be conquired as in Hesters case.

The Scarlet letter Middle

Throughout the middle of The Scarlet Letter the themes are presented quite evidently. The overwelming theme of sin comes out especially after the first scene where Hester is required to publically present herself to shame because of her adultury. The novel depics her and the changed that her Sin has had on the lives of herself, Pearl, Dimmsdale, and Chillingworth. Her sin put her in to a state of true lonliness with only Pearl at her side.  Throughout this time in her life Hester recieves a large amount of unforgiveness from the people familiar with the meaning of the scarlet letter A. This lack of forgiveness was possibly due to the fact that the towns people seemd to use Hester as a scapegoat, people felt free to mock her for her public problems, but denied their own sins as equal.

The Scarlet Letter: Beginning

The first few chapters are used to intoduce Hester and other key characters to the reader. Also some of the themes are presented in this beginning portion. The overall theme of Sin is introduced through the scarlet letter "A." representing adultury. The theme of Sin is relating to the puritan culture, holding the belief of "Origional Sin" and also believing that sin needs to be brought out into the public in order that any type of healing were to occur. The first initial scene with hester and the scaffolding is representing her certain lonliness in her Sin, whereas in the future scaffold scenes the situation is changed.

The Custom House

I found The Custom House to be quite an interesting introduction to start out such a novel. The author uses this section of the book to introduce the narrator, having similar qualities to Hawthorn himself. And also linking the Narrator and Hester Prynn in that they are both surrounded by people whom they feel seperate from. Another aspect of this intoductory piece is that Hawthorn emphesizes through the narrator that he has a desire to contribute to American culture.

Walden

Of any writings ever presented to me in all my years of literary analysis, Henry David Thoreau's Walden has proven most influential to me in my life. The passage that has stuck with me eversince I first parts of Walden in highschool was:

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary."

Throughout my I have been striving to learn and understand what a deliberately lived life looks like. My first defination embraces the fact that living deliberately means that we are to live life going somewhere and not just being somewhere. Meaning to live with purpose and intent, knowing where you are, and understanding where you want to be, not knowing the steps its going to take to arrive there but undergoing the task anyway, thus embracing a life thats worth being lived. It's my goal to live a life, and not come to recognise when I die that I had not lived, but to know that I have indeed, lived.

Emerson

I enjoy the writings of Emerson. As far as reading goes im a hard man to please, I enjoyed the meaning behind his writings, encouraging people to live to live and not live for work. It's this sort of writing that has caused me to take a second look at how my life is being lived out. This second look into my life involves what I spend most of my time thinking about. Currently, while im at work, im focusing on the task at hand and am able to do that to the 100%, and also embrace others in good conversation. I attempt to leave work out of conversation when im not at work so that might better seperate my life, and live to live, and not live to work. I ponder the consideration of man working verses employee, it's important to me that my work life is accomplsihed to the utmost satisfaction of myself, thus causing a non passive approach in my day to day labors. I feel that goaling oneself with certain aspirations enables one to more fully enjoy work and then live to live, while working.

John + Abigal Adams

The letters written between John and Abigale Adams were very encouraging and relateable. My freshmen year of college I had to spend 9 months away from my now Fiancee seeing eachother only every other weekend, I can relate to the frustrations of both parities as I have been on the side of one and expirienced the wrath of the other. As seen in the letters these minor trials between the two did not result in a life/marriage altering conflict. It's cool to be able to read the letters of two individuals so utterly devoted to the other, that not even the atlantic ocean could seperate. It was also cool to see that even though Abigale was pain'd by the seperation she still fully supported him and his efforts in the contintential congress.

Olaudah Equiano

I must with utmost honesty say that before this required reading I had absolutly no idea who Olaudah Equiano was. I had never herd of him. I found it fascinating that he was one of the vary first anti-slave writers in the new world. I also feel an important note to add is that It was interesting that the anti-slave writings and justifications were based off of christian morals and ethics.
One of the most fascinating aspects about Equiano's writing is that he came to know Christ because he was a slave. The autobiographical approach enables us to look at the changes as they occured in Equiano's life. God has a perfect plan for everyone, and its quite easy to see how God was able to "bear fruit" through Equiano's life.

Benjamin Franklin

Before reading this text my understanding of Ben Fanklin was quite minimal, I knew he took part in the revolutionary war as an ambassador, and that he did something with a kite in a lightning storm, and lastly that people seemed to fancy nicknaming myself after him.

Franklin had a passion for writing, after working for many different printer's and eventually owning his own operation, the importance of writing in Franklins life is greatly exibited. In fact while Franklin was writing his letter to his son, the only thing that caused him to take a break from it was to contribute to the efforts of the revolutionary war.

Throughout the readings Benjamin Franklin seems to front a certain amount of pride. Constantly reiderating the fact that he went from poverty to wealth throughout his life, and that he was the youngest son of youngest sons for five generations. Another reason why he may have credited himself with his accomplishments is because of the fact that he was a Deist, believing that a creator basically wound him up and let im go, and on his own he accomplished so many things. Regardless of who is credited for the many accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin he lived a life worth recogniton.

1700-1820 Am Literature

Cotton Mather's death symbolically markes the passing of classic puritanism as the colonists knew it. The gradual change, now known as period of enlightenment, maked a change in the understanding of one's moral code, and the sorce thereof. Significant new ideas presented in this time were the theories and laws of Isaac Newton, explaining that there are rules to this natural world that we are living in, and new forms of religion presented by John Locke, and the religion of Deism. The idea presented by John Locke was that humans were born a "blank slate" with the idea that we are to love eachother because we share the same existance. The religion of Deism was about the idea that we were put together by a supernatural force and are set loose on this earth without governing from such force. The most significant change brought by this new era, was the movement from the classic puritan religion into a more modern understanding.

John Winthrops Modell Covenant and the Company Way

Scott Michaelsen is the author of this article explaining John Winthrop's Modell. Throughout the article Winthrop is decribed as having a lawyer / businesslike approach to his sermons. Winthrop was big on Covenant Law, meaning that law was based on agreements. Winthrop also had legalistic views on Mercy and Justice, defining mercy as the governing force behind giving, lending and forgiving. Defining Justice as governing lending agreements such as rules of collateral and repayment of debts. Winthrops views and ideals were atypical and out of step with the relgious leadership, in that he believed that the puritans had so to speak placed a contract for ratification on God's Desk.The strict idea of the covenant saturated the writings of John Winthrop ever increasing the interestingness of his ideals.

Carnival Postage

Reading over the blog posts dealing with pre 1700 authors an overwelming theme of puritan faith, and the exersice there of exists abundantly. Most specifically throughout the posts are instances of people being insipired by the faith of some of the individuals.

When Smith was trying to convice those to come with him to the new world, I assume that those who did, did not act on the good word of John Smith alone, but more of a divine calling and presence in the thought process. Alyssa's Blog goes into detail about the means by which Smith could have been convincing and his sense of being the "jack of all trades" Even though it did not seem as though John Smith was utterly dedicated to his puritan beliefs,  Nikki's Blog goes into detail on how he fluffed his writing to make those believe that he was a abiding puritan individual.

When Mary Rowlandson and Anne Bradstreet were mentioned, their faith was mentiond just as well. Crista's Blog on Anne Bradstreet includes thoughts regarding her unfailing faith in how she wrote, against the social norm. Colin's Blog explains about the strong puritan faith Mary Rowlandson exibited throughout her trials.

Throughout the Blogs, the importance of faith is exibited throughout the writings and responses of those reading. This reflection on faith, and living in response of is in direct correlation to the puritan way of life.

Anne B.

I felt the readings that went along with Anne Bradstreet were quite interesting, in that they were about the value of her writing. I believe the title "The Prologue" is both intreguing and ironic, in that her writing was the first writing published in the New World, and that she is forfronting a womens rights campaign. Throughout her writing "career" Anne encountered difficulty finding appreciation or a public view of value in her work because of the fact she was a woman. In some of her writing Bradstreet explains that her writings are of value and women writers need to be recognised. Another important factor I believe is worthy of recognition is that in "Verses apun the burning of my house" throughout the mentioned tough times in her life bradstreet clung close to God.

John Smith

I would like to start out my first blog stating that I am not a fan of reading or writing, I last remember being fond of reading in elementary school, reading Gary Paulsen, since then I have not read a book that I have not been required to read for a class other than the bible.

       After reading through and listening to the lecture on John Smith, my elementary John Smith and Pochohontus views have been drastically changed. Through reading and listening to the lectures I have learned a great deal of history behind this explorers visit to the new world. John Smith had to approach the voyage to a new world in the New World from an entrepreneurial stand point. Smith had to basically sell the idea of moving away from everything common and moving to a "New World" in search for a new life. This must have been quite a tough sell for John Smiths enterprise.