reflection blog - 3

The book "The Crucible" definitely displays the qualities of puritan writing and puritan beliefs. For the people in the book, their everyday world and their spiritual world were very closely intertwined. In the book, whenever anything happens, the people immediately relate it to spiritual things. One thing that is interesting about this book, which is different than many other puritan writings is that the people in the story usually relate things to spiritual things when the thing is a negative thing. Usually the puritans relate everything good that happens in their life to God and say that they are able to experience those good things because of the providence of God. Whereas in this book, so far the people have only related things in a spiritual way only when things have been going badly. For example, When the girl would not wake up and seemed to be acting strangely, they immediately blamed it on spirit, and the devil and blamed the girls for conjuring spirits. I find it interesting that instead of immediately turning to God to ask what was the problem and turning to him to see what should be done, they started making accusations of their own and trying to fix things by themselves. I feel like as Christians they should have had a different response to how they went about things, but that is just my opinion.

Puritans were a protestant group seeking to "purify" the church in England. The people in this story were definitely seeking to "purify" the church. They wanted what was best and did not want there to be things standing in the way of their town having God's blessing. They minister was quite rude to his niece when he thought they were conjuring spirits in the woods, and he was very quick to judge her and would not listen to what she was saying. The Bible says to be quick to listen and slow to speak. This minister apparently didn't get the memo. He was very quick to judge harshly and needed to work on his listening skills.

It seemed as if the whole town gathered in the bedroom of the minister's house when his daughter was "sick". All of the people wanted to work together to help the town and do things for the good of the people and in God's favor. When they did that, it seemed very much like the puritans. Although they did spend much of their time arguing, they really did want to be there to help solve the problem and to help figure out what was wrong. They were very similar to the puritans.

It was very interesting that Abigail was lying and covering up for the things that she did wrong. It seems like that is not something that the puritans would appreciate, and clearly the minister was fairly upset that she was acting that way. I think it is also strange, as the people were supposedly Christians, and they believed the girl had a demon in her yet did not ask God to call the demon out. That seems very strange that self-proclaiming Christians would not call on the Lord during this frightening phase of their life.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. New York, NY: Penguin, 2003. Print.

Journal - 4

I love traveling and going on vacations. I am aware that there are many people that are not too fond of traveling and taking vacations, but I certainly am. Many people do not like the extensive car rides and complain of their joints cramping up. Other people are afraid of flying on airplanes as well as feeling like airplanes are disgusting and unclean. Other people do not like that when they go on family vacations, they actually have to spend time with their family, and that is something that they do not like. All of these things can be set-backs of vacations, but they are only minor issues and are worth putting up with these things for the experience of a vacation.

Vacations are wonderful, in my opinion. They allow you to get away from the stress of life and the craziness that normally goes on. For me, vacations are not a time that I spend touring new places and going to museums, but I spend them relaxing. Vacations are a perfect time to rejuvenate and get a fresh start and a new focus and perspective on things going on back home. When you are on vacations there are no distractions. Yes, sometimes there are small distractions, but on vacations there are not very many people there that you know. People are often a distraction in my life, and on vacations there is nobody to text you and ask if you can hang out, because you are in a different state than they are. Also on vacations, you get to bond with your family. There are many people that do not like to spend time with their families, but I am not one of those people. It is so nice to have time together to get away and get to know each other better and just sit and talk, or not even talk. But just to be in each other's presence with an undivided attention. Family vacations can word wonders in families, and more families should go on trips together, if possible.

Reflection Blog - 2

I think the style of writing in the story definitely reflects the writing style of the puritans. Near the beginning of the story the writer correlates the safety of the men on the ship with the providence of God. Most writers do not do this, yet this author makes claims like that many times throughout the story. That is a definite sign that he is of the puritan era.

When their ship came to land, they realized they were not where they wanted to but. Instead of being angry with God and cursing at him, they thanked God and were grateful that God had brought them to land. They thanked God for everything and always saw things as blessings rather than problems. The story we read was about them coming to America, which also points to them being puritans because the puritans were people that traveled to America and were Christians.

Along their journey, some of the people became sick with scurvy. A few people died and many were sick. The people did not become angry because of this, but instead they praised God that the rest were not sick and that God brought them to land.

When they came to America, they met Squanto Indians. The Indians taught them how to plant corn and grow it. The people were very thankful that the Indians taught them this, yet they still believed that the Indians were lost and did not know the truth. The people that came to America were Christians and only believed there was one way to Heaven, and did not believe the Indians were Christians. Also, the author wrote in a very straight forward manner and this was seen throughout much of puritan writing.

After the people had settled down and the Indians had taught them how to plant crops and after they had places to live and had bee settled down, they had their first Thanksgiving. They all gathered together and with them and the Indians and had a feast together. This was important because it created a national holiday for our country. I think it is neat how the people were all able to come together in fellowship and worship together even though they hardly had anything and they

In "Of Plymouth Plantation", God was referenced many times and even the providence of God was mentioned, as were other religious/spiritual suggestions. In the beginning of the reading it starts by saying God was pleased that John Howland's life was saved. It says that later John becomes a profitable man in the church. It describes in one instance how they escaped the dangers of the night by the providence of God. When the men were brought safely to land, it said they fell on their knees and worshipped the God of Heaven. All of these things are examples that the writing style is very puritan in nature.

Bradford, William "Of Plymouth Plantation." Comp. Wilhelm, Jeffrey D Glencoe Literature. new York, NY: McGraw-Hill Glencoe, 2010. Print.

journal - 3

Being held hostage is not something that I think about very often. In America being held hostage seems like a very rare thing and you do not hear much about it. But in other countries it happens quite often, as well as sometimes in America. One of my best friend's dad was held hostage by people in Panama. My friend was almost two years old when this happened. He got to talk to his dad two times a year by short wave radio for a few years. But he never saw his dad again. He was killed by the people that took him hostage because my friend's mom refused to pay the ransom- and rightly so.

I have no idea what it would be like to be taken hostage. At first, I'm assuming it would be very scary. You would probably be caught off guard and not know what was happening. You would be scared that the people would kill you or hurt you. It would be extremely scary and I would be very concerned. How I would feel and react would also depend on how the people are that took me hostage. I often hear of stories of people that are held hostage that become friends with the people that took them hostage. I am sure that there is a bond between the people that held someone hostage and the person that is being held hostage. I am sure that there is a bond, and that it is one that we, who have not been held hostage can understand.

It would be really hard at first to be held hostage because I would want to be mad at the people who held me hostage. But I would need to instead be focusing on getting the essential things that I need to survive. Also, if I were to start building relationships with the people that took me hostage, I would be able to make the most of my time and would also probably get more benefits. I think if I was held hostage, that is what I would do. I would try to become friends with the people that took me. It would actually probably be morel like becoming family with them than it would be like becoming friends, because you would be doing everything with those people for a long period of time. I would try to be like the woman that we read about if I were held hostage.

Reflection Blog - 1

Many of the Puritans had much self reliance and were very industrious. We see that very clearly in the story by Mary Rowlandson. The Puritan people stayed at the ministers house and were staying to stand their ground and fight off the Indians. Many people would have fled, but not these Puritans, they stayed to fight. At one point in the story, there is a quote inserted by Mrs. Rowlings, saying that she would rather die there in her house by the Indians, than be taken hostage. That shows the industrious view of the Puritans, even though she later changed her mind.

Many Puritans also used writing to explore their inner and outer lives for signs of God working. We see this done by Mary Rowlandson who published a book of her experiences with the Wampanoag. In her book she told her story, and related it to how God was entwined with her life during that time period. The Puritans also emphasized education for the sake of people being able to read the Bible; for they believed it was the literal word of God. We see in the story that Mrs. Rowlandson is revived by receiving a Bible while being held hostage, and this is one of the only things that keeps her going. That shows how she valued that she could read the Bible, and could also lead to mean that she thought what she was reading was the literal word of God.

In "Upon the Burning of our House", the reader can see many of the Puritan values holding true in the life of the Puritan author. The Puritans believed that the everyday world and the spiritual world were closely entwined. And through reading this story, the reader gains perspective on how that could be so, to the lives of the Puritans. The reader, however, gets a great view of this by reading "Upon the Burning of our House". The author of the story relates everything that happens in her life to God. The instant this woman's house was on fire, her thoughts went to God. While it was burning, she spent the time talking to God. After it was burned down, she trusted that God would provide for her. The way she was always talking to God, gives the reader a glimpse into the life of a Puritan and how they entwine God and life.

In Puritan writing, the Bible provided a model of how to live their individual life as a pilgrimage to salvation. Through The poem "Upon the Burning of our House", we get a glimpse into the author's though process and how she lives her daily life as a pilgrimage to salvation. Everything she thought and did related to God and could be something that helped her through her pilgrimage to salvation.

As we see in the two literary pieces, the Puritans did indeed live their daily lives for God and believed it helped them in their journey to salvation and they were wholeheartedly committed to the Lord.

journal - 2

Once upon a time, there was a badger family that lived in a quaint little home in Louisiana. They lived in a burrow Under a great oak tree. The tree was located on the property of a pig farm and it grew right by the door of the great pig barn. In the badger family, were three small badgers. Their names were Gertrude, Gregory, and Granger. The three badgers were triplets and they were best friends. Granger and Gregory were the boys, and they loved playing and wrestling with each other. Gertrude was the little girl, and the baby of the family. Gertrude always tagged along with Gregory and Granger, and they even got in trouble together quite often. The three kids were always on adventures together and used their imagination to explore the world every day.

One day, the three badger kids were out in the tall grasses of the field chasing groundhogs in and out of their holes. Gertrude pawed at one and slid it over to Granger, who pawed at it and then it got away and went back down one of their holes. They played like this for quite some time, until the groundhogs stopped popping out of the holes, and the badgers grew bored. Granger stopped his playing to watch a butterfly. He was memorized by its bright yellow wings, so he kept watching it. The butterfly flew up by the barn and went up by the roof. It disappeared into a small hole in the top of the barn. Granger had never noticed the hole before, and suddenly became very curious. He told his brother and sister that he had an idea and told them to follow him.

Granger scampered from the field back to the barn and climbed up a tree, making sure their mom did not see them, then jumped onto the roof of the barn, and waited for his siblings to follow. "What are we doing up here?" questioned Gregory. "You'll see", said Granger. Gertrude followed close behind Granger, and Gregory hesitantly followed after Gertrude. The three of them inspected the opening that the butterfly had come out of, and then slid through tho hole. The hole led to the rafters in the top of the barn. The pigs were in the barn having a meeting. the badgers were spying on the pigs. As they were listening, they heard the pigs planning a surprise birthday party for the three badgers. This ruined the surprise, and the pigs learned to never to eavesdrop in someones house again.

Journal - 1

Back in the day, when your great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather's uncle John was a youngin', his father told him a story of when the trees were young and were only a few years past sprouting. The leaves on the trees were the most brilliant color of green and they stood out tall and proud among all of the other plants and grasses that grew native to the country. The leaves on the trees were so young and brilliant, they stayed a blazing green color all year round. They never grew tired, the trees were proud of their colors and they kept growing bigger and stronger every day.

There was one tree that stood taller and broader than the rest. This tree was known as "The Great Tree". This tree was teeming with animals and creatures that congregated in and around the tree for fellowship. Every evening the animals of the field, the birds of the sky, and the beasts of the forest would congregate around the tree to meet together and discuss their progress of that day and the upcoming tasks of the following day.

The old and wise owl was the leader of the meetings. He was voted in as their leader, because he was, after all, the oldest and the wisest. Owl started off the meeting by asking for reports on every one's progress that day. The rabbits told him they had collected two big piles of edible leaves and berries- enough to last them for three days. The moles reported that they had made a new mile of tunnels in unmarked territory to the East, and they think that the land is safe for exploration. The coyotes said they were patrolling the territory lines all day and had warded off three intruders, but were careful not to hurt them. All of the other animals made their reports to the owl, and the owl was pleased. But then the owl noticed that the group of squirrels had not yet reported to the owl.

The owl demanded of them, "Squirrels, how have you been productive today?" All of the other animals grew silent as the three squirrels trembled with fear. The smallest squirrel cuddled his red tail around his body as he boldly proclaimed, "Today we collected nuts." The owl looked at the squirrels questioningly for some time before he answered, "How many nuts were collected, young squirrels?" The smallest squirrel started stammering in his reply, and finally whispered, "we ate them all, sir."

"As you know", replied the owl. "To be part of our family, you must put in your share of work, just as all of the other animals have done today. I will give you one more day to make up for today's blunder. At this time tomorrow, I will decide if you may stay with us any longer or not. But be sure that you do not collect all of your nuts from the same tree, as I have told you before." And with that the owl ended the meeting by assigning work to all of the other animals for the following day.

The next day, all of the animals rose with the sun and began performing their duties. The birds collected twigs for fires, as the large hawks patrolled the territory from above, and the eagles along with the cougars scoured the unknown territory to the East. The beavers were working hard on making a bathing hole for the animals, as the raccoons and badgers were catching fish for the group dinner in the evening. All of the animals on the territory were hard at work, except the squirrels. Nobody else knew it, but the squirrels were in the great tree gorging themselves with acorns. They were making a small pile of acorns to collect, but for every acorn they put in the pile, they ate another one. The squirrels were too lazy to spend the day collecting from many trees, so instead they only collected acorns form the great tree. In doing this, they directly disobeyed the owl, which was their authority.

When the group meeting came together in the evening, the owl saw the small stack of nuts the squirrels had collected and saw how sluggish and gorged they were, and decided to ask them to leave the group. After the squirrels left, everyone else was very hard working and they had a great system going. The squirrels, however, did not leave the land for good. They snuck back in and slept in the great tree. They spent the rest of the summer eating the acorns only from the great tree and lived in its limbs every day. This caused the great tree much stress. By the end of the summer the tree had no acorns left. this caused the tree to lose its pride. Because of the lazy squirrels that had disobeyed, the tree was no longer proud and strong. The tree became sad and slowly its leaves started turning dismal colors and eventually all of the leaves fell off of the tree. The great tree is still depressed, to this day, and because of how strong and mighty the great tree was, every year all of the other leaves get sad in remembrance of the great tree and change the colors of their leaves and drop their leaves. We have come to call this season of the trees fall.