The Feminist-American-Puritan

Fred Heath
Eng 48A
11.24.09
Journal on Bradstreet

Anne Bradstreet

1612-1672

"If for thy father asked, say thou hadst none" (Norton Pg. 213)

"In Bradstreet's Puritan culture, the love between husband and wife was supposed to be slightly repressed, so as not to distract one from devotion to God. Yet, some of Bradstreet's sonnets work against this idea." (www.uncp.edu)

In the first quote, Bradstreet ends her poem The Author to Her Book on a rebellious note by forcing the reader to accept the fact that the poem was written by a woman (herself). If you look deeper, her choice of words seem to be carefully chosen. She admits the feminine authorship of her poem, but she does so indirectly by calling her work fatherless, a bastard son that will be looked down upon, however unfairly. By doing so indirectly, she makes it easier for the reader to accept the fact that her poem is the work of a woman, but in the end, I find it to be a weak method of supporting feminist values. Its submissive undertones make it seem almost as if her declaration was simply a pen-blotch on the page, a fact that shouldn't be taken note of, or a mistake that wont be made again. Another conclusion that should be taken note of is that by calling her work fatherless, she seems to imply that it will never earn the respect that it deserves, being as a bastard son can never receive a father. By doing so, she admits that her work deserves to be accepted as equal, but she seems to accept the idea that it never will.
This being the case, when standing next to Wheatley, who was not only a woman, but black as well, she shrinks in comparison. As a Puritan woman in the 1600's however, this act is daring, but in the retrospect of the 21st century, she seems to be holding back.

The second quote taken from an online criticism of Bradstreet, brings up her counter-Puritan tendencies, by illustrating her difficulties with religion. As can be seen in her poem To My Dear and Loving Husband, Bradstreet most definitely does not repress the love she has for her husband: "I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, or all the riches that the East doth hold. Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense. My love is such that rivers cannot quench." (Norton pg. 206) Looking back, there seems to be no reason why one should repress his or her love, but as pointed out, from a Puritans perspective it was distracting from God. Bradstreet seems comfortable in displaying the love she feels however. This was not the only qualm she had with Puritanism in the new world however. Predestination was yet another issue that she had difficulty accepting, as can be seen in her poem Here Follows Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House: "The world no longer let me love, My hope and treasure lies above." Although accepting the idea that her true hope, and treasure lies with God, she obviously has difficulty in accepting His 'decision' to let her house burn down. By saying that 'the world no longer let me love', for example, she uses the world as the culprit rather than God. Being as Puritans blamed just about everything, from incontinence to plague on God however, this sudden change of heart seems to say something. Once again however, she accepts what she cannot seem to change.

Salvation for Sinners

Fred Heath
Eng 48A
Journal on Edwards
November 19th 2009

Jonathan Edwards

1703-1758"You especially have now an extraordinary opportunity; but if you neglect it, it will soon be with you as with those persons who spent all the precious days of youth in sin, and are now come to such a dreadful pass in blindness and hardness... Will you be content to be the children of the devil, when so many other children in the land are converted, and are become the holy and happy children of the King of kings?" (Norton Pg.436)

"God's excellency, his wisdom, his purity and love, seemed to appear in everything; in the sun, moon, and stars; in the clouds, and blue sky; in the grass, flowers, trees; in the water, and all nature; which used greatly to fix my mind." (Personal Narrative, Edwards)

The first quote is taken from the final pages of Edwards' Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. After all the fire and brimstone, all the fear-mongering, and colorful analogies, Edwards finally turns on the 'natural' or unsaved, and gives him a chance to be 'saved' by God; 'Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open' He says, promising an escape from a life of sin. The salvation that Edwards speaks of however, is not a part of the Puritan beliefs that he stands for. The foundations of Puritanism describe the salvation of man as predestined by god, and set in stone, while Edwards words illustrate the possibility of attaining purity on earth. An important distinction between the two, Edwards beliefs signal a change in the founding Puritan beliefs. By denying predestination, he submits that men are capable of attaining salvation on earth. Although at the time, it may have been considered controversial to do so, it seems to me that it was a powerful means of attracting followers. In a predominantly Christian society, it had the effect of making believers more fervent, and making non-believers consider becoming Christian. Obviously the technique endured, as can be seen today in evangelicalism, but personally, I find it to be one of the more detestable methods of converting. Preaching salvation after describing god as a vengeful murderer that takes pleasure in torturing his own children seems just plain sick. Shouldn't love inspire belief in God rather than fear? Why would a person want to believe in a god that is such a monster? Isn't it like supporting slavery for fear of being enslaved?

The second quote is taken from Edwards self narrative. A description of the beauty found on Earth, this quote illustrates his belief that God puts beauty into the world. Yet another controversial idea in the context of puritan belief, this idea goes against the idea that life on Earth is just a test, devoid of god's beauty. Why someone would Want to believe that life on earth was devoid of 'gods' beauty, or any beauty at all is beyond me however. It's hard enough finding beauty in this world sometimes, especially back then. The worlds hard enough, so why shit on it? In this respect, I agree with Edwards. Although it's questionable that it is a beauty imbued by god, I believe that it is important to respect the beauty that is out there in the world. Actually, I think people should spend more time just admiring the beauty that is out there, in all the little things. It might add another smile into the day, and those are rare enough as it is.

The Daring Idealist

Fred Heath
Eng 48A
Journal on Jefferson
11/18/09

Thomas Jefferson

1743-1826

"We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;" (Norton Pg 652)

"Do you recollect the pensive and awful silence which pervaded the house when we were called up, one after another, to the table of the President of Congress to subscribe what was believed by many at that time to be our own death warrants?" (Benjamin Rush's Letter to Adams, Spur of Fame)

"This act was called by General Green a "bold speculation." It was happily a successful one. Human wisdom had derived more honor from it than it deserves. Most of the men who had been active in bringing it about, were blind actors in the business." (An Account of Political and Military Events and Observations, Benjamin Rush)

The first quote is taken from the second paragraph of Thomas Jefferson's A Declaration By The Representatives of The United States of America, In General Congress Assembled. A seemingly strange way to begin what is considered to be the document that lead to the American Revolution, Jefferson doesn't start by bringing up the concept of revolution, but the idea of equality, and of man's inherent inalienable rights. Granting moral support for the revolution to come, Jefferson speaks of equality, and puts across one of the most controversial quotes of all time, saying that all men are created equal. In a world of kings, this statement seems far from the truth, but Jefferson isn't appealing to man's reason, rather he is appealing to his hope, and sense of moral justice. Jefferson's words are not meant for King George, they are a cry out to all mankind carrying with them the philosophy that all men deserve to be free. The title of the document gives itself away by being called a declaration. Jefferson isn't writing to the king, he is writing to the world, saying that men should be equal. His words don't just promote freedom and equality, however, he even goes so far as to subtly accept religious freedom by using the word 'Creator' instead of God. It begs one to wonder whether these men knew that their words would be echoed throughout the centuries. In their carefully chosen words however, this document means as much now as it did then.

The Second and Third quote were taken from letters by Benjamin Rush, and they put into perspective, just how daunting the creation of the Declaration of Independence was to those that signed it. As Rush says, at the time, they were practically signing their own death warrants. It really goes to show how much hope and idealism was put into the writing. I believe the declaration would have come out quite differently if there hadn't been so much at stake. If anything, it was it's daring that defined it. It wasn't speaking of reality, but of an existence that they believed should exist. It was idealism in action, and we owe a great deal to their bold words even today. They put everything on the line, and they came out with it all. In effect, they were saying, we may die tomorrow, but we live today, in the hope of achieving something better, and luckily, they did.

The Radical

Fred Heath
Eng 48A
Journal on Paine
November 10th 2009

Thomas Paine

1737-1809

"I mean not to exhibit horror for the purpose of provoking revenge, but to awaken us from fatal and unmanly slumbers, that we may pursue determinately some fixed object."(Norton Pg. 635)

"Paine had turned Americans into radicals-and we have remained radicals at heart ever since." (Harvey J. Kaye)

The first quote, taken from Thomas Paine's Common Sense, exemplifies Paine as the gadfly of pre-revolutionary times. After describing the horrors of the British military occupation of Boston, he describes his true purpose -although vaguely- in writing Common Sense. As he says, his object is not to provoke revenge but to awaken the Colonists to the reality of British sovereignty, and define an object for which to pursue. Although seemingly straightforwards, this quote is far from your regular deep dish slice of American common sense. Although Paine say's: 'I mean not to exhibit horror for the purpose of provoking revenge' his disclaimer seems hollow, and devoid of any real substance to support it. So much for common sense, Paine is authorizing the reader to feel like he deserves revenge for the Boston occupation, but of course he has no real purpose in telling the reader this. A very subtle and manipulative disclaimer, this quote inevitably provokes anger, and although it may not be Paine's primary objective, it is most definitely part of the game-plan. Following this statement, he goes on to say that instead of provoking revenge, his true purpose is to 'awaken' us -as colonials- from our 'fatal' and 'unmanly' slumber so that we can pursue some fixed object. Obviously, his words are designed to provoke feeling. Words like 'fatal' and 'unmanly' incite the reader to react, they grab the reader by the throat, throw him out of bed, and force him to fight back against the accusation. He is not only saying that the colonists are 'slumbering' through British abuse, but that they are hiding from it, and being 'unmanly' in their servitude to their British Sovereign. Finally, after all of his subtle manipulations, Paine says that his true purpose is to lay us on the path, 'that we may pursue determinately some fixed object'. A vague purpose if I've ever heard one, we all know that Paine's 'fixed object' is freedom, but what does he get out of alluding to it? Naysayers crucify me, but I find that the reason he defines his true purpose as a 'fixed object' instead of freedom, is because to Paine, freedom shouldn't even be a necessary incentive to fight back against the British. He seems to be saying that even if you don't give a shit about freedom, you should be a man, and fight back against the British sovereignty that is holding you down, pillaging your country, and ultimately emasculating you.

The second quote describes the radical philosophy that Paine embodied and his lasting impression on the world of today. As Americans, we are enormously indebted to this man. Not only did Paine instigate the Revolutionary War, literally putting America on the map, he started the 'common man' American prose, putting American literature on the map with a bang. Most enduring however, is the American philosophy that he left behind, founded in his actions and beliefs, and laminated in the blood of revolution. Paine, was the ultimate rebel. He was not only against Authority, but Religion and Slavery as well, all of which were the biggest issues of the time, and would be for the next century and a half. He was the man that said "A government of our own is our natural right." (Norton Pg. 636), and, "That which we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly, it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be so highly rated."(My head). Paine was an amazing, and revolutionary man, but his power of manipulation can also be seen as disturbing. When it comes down to it, it is very reminiscent of Hitler. Especially his idea of American exceptionalism, which is going strong to this very day, Aryan race anyone?

Undercove Abolitionist

Fred Heath
Eng 48A
Journal on Wheatley
November 5th 2009

Phillis Wheatley

1753-1784

"But when these shades of time are chased away,
And darkness ends in everlasting day,
On what seraphic pinions shall we move,
And view the landscape in the realms above?
There shall thy tongue in heavenly murmurs flow,
And there my muse with heavenly transport glow:
No more to tell of Damon's tender sighs,
Or rising radiance of Aurora's eyes,
For nobler themes demand a nobler strain,
And purer language on the ethereal plain.
Cease, gentle muse! The solemn gloom of night
Now seals the fair creation from my sight."
(Norton Pg. 761)

"In a more formal tactic, Wheatley challenged eighteenth-century evangelicals in their cherished religious arena by redeploying the same language and doctrine that whites had used to define the African, thereby undercutting conventional colonial assumptions about race and skin color."
(A Slave's Subtle War: Phillis Wheatley's Use of Biblical Myth and Symbol Oneale, Sondra)

The first quote was selected from Wheatley's A Young African Painter, on Seeing His Works. After praising Scipio Moorhead's for his natural talent, and his ability to create and give life to his artwork, Wheatley moves her perspective back to the harsh realities of the present. She seems to say that although Scipio's artwork has the power to take her away from the persecution of slavery, it's beauty is only a temporary reprieve, and at the end of the day, she must come back to a world of injustice. She admires his artwork, but see's no such angelic beauty in the world she lives in. One must understand however, that Scipio has little choice in the matter. He is a slave, just as she is, and is thus confined in the themes of his artwork, and the materialization of his passion. He is forbidden from painting the suffering he feels, the suffering of his race, and must instead synthesize a beauty that he does not feel. A beauty that is out of reach.

The second quote was selected from Sondra Oneale's A Slaves Subtle War: Phillis Wheatley's use of Biblical Myth and Symbol. Describing Wheatley's subversive use of Christianity, Oneale shows that Wheatley uses Christianity in order to fight racism. Incapable of fighting racism head on, being as she was a black slave, and a woman, Wheatley fought the struggle for equality through her verse; in the careful selection of her words, subtle moral lessons, and christian ideology. I personally find Wheatley's work to be very inspiring. It is a sad irony to consider the disgust many people garner towards her, because in truth, I find she had little choice in the style of her writing if she was ever to be published. Although it seems as though Wheatley is content in peeling off the heritage of her race, in truth, I find the opposite to be true. The only way she could survive and be a published poet was by assimilating into European culture, infiltrating it. In effect, I believe she made a great sacrifice, in the hope that she could influence change.

Look At Me, For Better To See Yourself

Fred Heath
Eng 48A
Journal on Equiano
November 11th 2009

Olaudah Equiano
1745-1797

'From The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, the African, Written by Himself'

"Hitherto I had thought slavery only dreadful, but the state of a free negro appeared to me now equally so at least, and in some respects worse, for they live in constant alarm for their liberty; which is but nominal, for they are universally insulted and plundered, without the possibility of redress." (Norton Pg. 702)


"The book is directed not to the reason, an abstract quantity, but seeks rather to register its effect in the very bodies of its readers—at their feet, in their hearts, and in their minds. It represents individual experience to them—both the author's and their own—creating for them an isolate, intimate space through which they can respond sympathetically to its argument. It operates from the inside out, self-referentially, narrowing its focus in order to universalize its appeal." (Daniel O'Quinn, University of Guelph)

The first quote is part of Equiano's response after seeing a young mulatto man, and boat builder by the name of Joseph Clipson seized, and forced into slavery even though he was born a free man. It didn't matter that he had a certificate of being born free in St. Kitts, or that most of the people aboard the ship knew him not to be a slave, the color of his skin marked him a 'son of cain', and with the knowledge that they could take advantage of him without fear of justice, or retribution, they took everything from him. Realizing even a 'free' black man, is never truly free in the presence of racism, this quote exemplifies Equiano's understanding that there is no true escape from the injustices inflicted upon those of color until racism itself is abolished. Slavery was just the beginning of the suffering of the black man that would continue on to this very day, and as Equiano first realized hiding in the bushes in Africa: "If possibly I could escape all other animals, I could not those of the human kind." (Norton Pg. 679)

The Second quote is from Daniel O'Quinn's analysis of Equiano's narrative. In this quote, Daniel O'Quinn demonstrates Equiano's deliberate use of real life suffering to elicit a powerful response from the reader. Provoking reader-response empathy, Equiano's narrative is obviously seen as a story aimed at provoking a political change. By describing first hand the pain of losing his family, the horror of the slave ship voyages, and the mistreatment faced throughout his life, Equiano brings the reader to a place where they can sympathize with his plight, and the plight of all colored men. Through the use of his passionate exclamations, christian rhetoric, and real life suffering, he allows the reader to sympathize with him through the passage of their own memories and experiences. The same sympathy would be difficult to attain, if at all possible through reason, because there is no reason to the inhumanities of slavery. Reason is a language of right and wrong, principles and theories, and these can't represent the true wickedness of slavery. As O'Quinn says; 'the method (Equiano's) operates from the inside out, self-referencially' -thus bringing the reader a level of empathy otherwise unattainable because it allows them to truly feel how he felt as a slave.

Another interesting point that Equiano brings across through his narrative, is the manner of slavery in Africa, versus that in America, and Europe. As Equiano points out, African slavery was much more civilized and tolerable than European slavery. This can be observed through his first experiences of being subject to 'White' slavery versus that of African slavery:

"The White people looked and acted, as I thought, in so savage a manner; for I had never seen among any people such instances of brutal cruelty." (Norton Pg. 683)

"I must acknowledge, in honor of those sable destroyers of human rights, that I never met with any ill treatment, or saw any offered to their slaves, except tying them, when necessary, to keep them from running away." (Norton Pg. 680)

As can be seen from both quotations, there is a thick contrast between European and African slavery. Where European slavery depended upon fear, physical abuse, ignorance and ultimate hopelessness, the African slavery Equiano experienced depended solely on fear, and a minimum amount of physical abuse. A stark contrast to European slavery, in both the house of the smith, and the Widow, he isn't beaten or mistreated, but instead is cared for, and housed, while being forced to work. It makes one wonder how the 'civilized' Europeans came to resort to such brutality. Does the rise of civilization inevitably perpetuate violence? Will society always need a lower class to take advantage of, be it in the form of slavery, or poverty?

Baby Steps of Civil Rights

Fred Heath
Eng 48A
November 1st 2009

Journal on Apess

William Apess
1798-1893

"I would ask you if you would like to be disfranchised from all your rights, merely because your skin is white, and for no other crime." (Norton)

"Some critics claimed Apess, in adopting the rhetoric of Christian conversion narratives, "lost his voice" as a Native American and wrote in a derivative style" (Enotes.com)

The first quote exemplifies the empathetic method that Apess uses throughout An Indian's Looking-Glass For The White Man. By using sharp rhetoric, he forces the reader to contemplate the harsh realities of racism: To face inequality, and bear the manacles of segregation; To wonder what it would be like to think of yourself as an inferior, for no reason other than the color of the skin that you wear. Although non representative of his pervasively christian voice, this quote also highlights the conversational tone used in order to interact directly with the audience.

The second quote is representative of the contemporary criticism that Apess faced at the time. Being as he was a Methodist minister living in white society, many critics believed that he had no right representing Native Americans, as if Christianity naturally took the Indian out of him. I find this to be a hollow criticism. Although it is true that Apess was no longer living as a traditional tribal Indian, Apess was most definitely still an Indian. He still shared the sting of racism, the fractured childhood, and bitter abuses of an Indian heritage. Why else would he be demanding equality for Native Americans? Is it because he didn't fit the wild, and savage Indian stereotype that he faced this criticism? Because he was educated? Maybe he was seen as a man who had given up the fight for a world where Indians could still support their way of life, and turned to the society that had destroyed that possibility. But is that a crime? Did he really give up his heritage or was he just trying to keep it alive?


Another interesting thing to take note of, is the manner in which Apess brings across the Issue of race. Reminiscent of Martin Luther King Jr. Apess' use of analogies and biblical quotations echoes throughout future civil rights movements and as a method, it's very effective. By speaking in analogies, Apess gets the message across in a manner that isn't difficult to understand, and at the same time, retains a powerful depth of meaning. It doesn't exclude the lower class, and has a clarity of voice that is hard to get ahold of otherwise. It also brings about vivid imagery, and invites the audience to instill a meaning of their own to the words. The use of biblical quotations is yet another tool that is very effective because it disarms the audience of their bias. By referencing the bible, Apess roots his ideas into words that are inherently respected by the dominantly christian contemporary society. Even if they don't respect Apess because of his racial background, they respect the ideas that he presents, because they are founded on a common ground.

Apess's direct deconstruction of the typical white Jesus stereotype is also very effective. Just like the typical eurocentric representation of god as a white man living up in the clouds, the stereotype of Jesus being white is not only ignorant, but insulting. I've always thought that god would be better off being represented as a black bi-sexual cross-dressing transvestite woman, but then again, that may be asking too much. As for Jesus, it wouldn't much matter if he was accepted as being black, or brown, because he was born in the middle east and it would be an accurate representation of his complexion, but by purposefully painting him as a white man, European society implies that only a white man could be the son of god. Apess attacks this conception of superiority by bringing up the issue of Jesus' color. By establishing Jesus, as a non-white son of god, Apess dismantles the founding stereotypes of racism. He argues that if people of color are inferior, and victims of hatred, and abuse, then wouldn't the son of God be as well?

In another powerful example, Apess invites the reader to envision all of the nations of the world together in one room, and search for the white man. Leaving quite a striking image, and one that is just as true today, Apess example can only leave the reader imagining a room full of colored people, with few whites. I think to myself well big deal, I knew that, but it's still shocking to realize. Representing a majority of the media today, the 'white man' is misrepresented as the majority man, although he undoubtedly isn't. Consciously I know that caucasian males are a minority, but I feel like they're a majority because when it comes down to it, in California I'm not a subject of much ethnic diversity. It makes me wonder how much inherent racism there is in American society, and how such a cycle can ever be stopped.