Benjamin Franklin

"...education, properly undertaken, would transform our lives and set us free from the tyrannies of church and monarchy" (219).

As a (hopefully) future educator, I love this statement. But the important part to me at this time, and for this class, is "...free from the tyrannies of church and monarchy." These two institutions were such a difficulty in Franklin's time for people who thought as he did--those of the Enlightened era. The stringency of Christian beliefs, even while trying to adopt human sympathies into their doctrine, were great. And we have all heard over and over again what colonial life was like under the rule of England. Franklin, and many like him, believed wholeheartedly that only by having an educated population would we be able to overcome such tyranny.

However, while trying to gain freedom from the church, Franklin, in his autobiography, seemed to love and praise God. On page 232, he thanks God and acknowledges Him for all the happiness he has received in his life. And later on he comments on visiting church and then not returning when the sermons lack substance. But he still prays everyday (as known by his part regarding virtues). So it seems like organized religion at that time was disheartening to Franklin. I wonder if he is less a deist than thought. He seems like a Christian, just one who doesn't like his worshiping options at the time. It reminds me of the John Lennon quote, "Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."

A few other things that I liked about Franklin was that he seemed to truly desire goodness, not only in himself but in others also. From having and striving to be virtuous to his desire to publish his Acts of Virtues for the betterment of mankind to consciously changing his speaking style to not offend people to giving fatherly advice in his autobiography to his son. I mean, he even used his parents' gravestone to plead for goodness: "From this Instance, Reader, Be encouraged to Diligence in thy Calling, and distrust not Providence" (236).

One last note on Franklin's writing. I really enjoyed his personality that came through in his autobiography. He makes a few funny comments about his lack of ability in poetry and his pleasure in his ability to make men who knew more than he did look like idiots. (Until he realized it was wrong at least.) And his concluding remark:

"In reality there is perhaps no one of our natural Passions so hard to subdue as Pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself. You will see it perhaps often in this History. For even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my Humility" (292).

Introduction to 1700-1820

Simply judging from the introduction I think I'm going to like this section better than the last one. I found it to be informative as to the history that was happening at the time. A few things that I thought were particularly interesting and/or odd:

1. The transatlantic trade routes created "the worlds's first multiethnic working class" (152). This was interesting to me since I am a sociology major, in addition to English, and have done quite of bit of study regarding socio-economic class structure. I would like to study the effects of the transatlantic trading more and see what kind of structure they had then that is still with us today.

2. Even this early in "American" history (as far as I can glean from the book, between 1713 and 1750) the colonists had a sense that slavery was unjust and un-Christian (152). So why did it take so long for there to be an outcry against slavery? Uncle Tom's Cabin, the book which supposedly caused the Civil War, wasn't written until 1852.

3. Human sympathy and sentiment was one of the causes of the Enlightenment? When I think of the Enlightenment period this is not on the forefront of my mind. Science, philosophy, mathematics, etc. But not sentiment.

There is also the couplet by Alexander Pope that resonated with me.

Know then thyself, presume not God to scan,
The proper study of mankind is man.

Edward Taylor & Cotton Mather

As noted before, I'm not a poetry person. To be honest, I'm a little tired of reading about the religion of the Puritans. I understand that it was a major issue/concept/concern for them. but after awhile a break would be nice.

That being said, Taylor's vivid metaphors caught my attention. I particularly enjoyed Upon a Wasp Chilled with Cold. The poem begins without the Wasp being a metaphor but instead a simple character. Much like Anne Bradstreet wrote about crickets and trees and nature in her Contemplations. Towards the end, the wasp become a metaphor of what Christians should do and how they should act when something bad happens to them.

Cotton Mather's The Wonders of the Invisible World provided me with the break I was looking for. I am a little disappointed that we didn't read some insert from one of his conduct books. I think it would be very interesting to see what kind of conduct was expected at that time.

But as far as The Wonders of the Invisible World, I found it interesting how the witchcraft was seen as the last attack on the Puritan's by the devil. Not the latest, but the devil's last ditch effort to bring the new colonies down. What would you consider everything that has happened since? Religion certainly isn't America's primary issue/concept/concern today. Did burning "witches" really keep Americans out of the devil's reach?

Mary Rowlandson's A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mary Rowlandson

In this writing I found the introduction very helpful. Even though there is little information on Mary Rowlandson, the information on King Phillip's War did put the piece into a larger context for me. When I had previously read this narrative I was always uncertain of how all this bloodshed came about. Sure some of the natives were violent but certainly not all of them. and not to the point where it would be expected that at some point in time this would occur to Mrs. Rowlandson's town.

The part of the narrative that I enjoyed the most is the beginning. On one hand, Rowlandson is so matter of fact about all this horrific killing. (I think she provided one line to describe her nefew's death and sometimes less to other family members, ie. the baby in her arms.) On the other hand, I think her matter-of-factness makes that beginning attack occur very swiftly. This results in the reader being a little hurried, disorientated, and able to feel how Rowlandson did as all this occured to her and her family.

Anne Bradstreet's Contemplations

I have recently become more and more accepting of Bradstreet. Previously, and those who know me know, I have no real connection or affinity for poetry. It is simply "not my thing." However, I do realize that for Anne Bradstreet to be the first published poet from the New World was a very big deal. To me the fact that she was a woman is what makes it so.

In the introduction it is said that most people now read Bradstreet for her domestic poetry. That these are the works that most people relate to and are interested in. For me this is not the case. One of my favorite poems of Bradstreet's is Contemplations. This is the poem in which she finds the wonder and proof of God in nature. Her imagry and descriptions of the natural world that surrounds her is wonderful. In stanza 22 and 23 she uses the "stealing stream" to map the path that Christians should take in the world: never being hindered or obstructed and carrying others with it where a "hundred brooks" meet together.

The last two stanzas, however, take her previous statements and turns them around. This beautiful world that is a proof of God will end. "Here's neither honor, wealth, nor safety; Only above is found all with security" (ln 223-4).

John Winthrop: A Model of Christian Charity

The section of this reading is Winthrop's statement that "the exercise of this [Christian/brotherly] love...is twofold, inward or outward...Simile simili gaudet (like will to like). (83)" This notion that in order to show and share love one must love oneself first. The inward love is necessary to fully engage in the charity which the colony was striving for. This loving of oneself is a difficult thing for many people, then and now. However, it stands to reason that, and is certainly visible in some people we all know, if a person is truly unhappy with themselves they are not able to project true love onto another person. One must love oneself first.

Winthrop's second portion of this statement is that the exercise of love is outward. He uses the examples of a mother and child, God and His followers, and Adam and Eve, but it is true in all of our lives. If taken into the area of marriage, most people can relate to it. When a person finds the one who is the same as themselves, it is an amazing, fullfilling feeling. True love with one who you would give anything for and do anything to make that person happy and live side by side working and struggling throughout life. This is the commitment and love Whinthrop is speaking of as being necessary for Christian survival.

"Nothing yields more pleasure and content to the soul than when it finds that which it may love fervently, for to love and live beloved is the soul's paradise, both here and in heaven" (84).