ENTRY B. ANNE BRADSTREET

1. I chose “To My Dear and Loving Husband” because it was simplistic, yet cleverly inconsistent and serves as a perfect example for my dilemma with this “humanistic” codependent housewife. It showed Anne Bradstreet’s unconditional love for her husband and her unhealthy desperation to hold on to him. I’m confused by her language (phraseology). I feel as if she is a walking contradiction and it more than shows in her writing. Why even mention material things when she will just dismiss it by mentioning God and rhetorical Puritan belief? I understand she was afraid, but then she isn’t being true to her “personal” beliefs. She puts on this façade of an independent pre-feminism feminist that treasures her worldly pleasures, but suffocates it by throwing in a smidgen of dogma and her reliance to her seemingly transparent husband. Why even bother, Anne? You are sure no Madame Bovary.

2. Dear Diary,

I’ve been abandoned, yet again, by my wonderful husband. I was left alone to tend to the children and slave over house work, but I’ve found time to write in my diary. Over the years this diary has become a testament to my troubled life as a religious anarchist in the midst of fanatical communists in a patriarchal society. Oh, woe is me! How shall I live amongst misogynist and bible thumping plain folk? Secretly I hold dear to me my worldly possessions, especially you, dear ol’ diary of mine. When I die I hope I will rejoice with you and only you. I love you diary!

P.S.
I love God and stuff!

3. Well, since I don’t believe Anne Bradstreet had any effect on the women’s movement then I can’t compare it to one of her poems. But I will allow her some credit of pushing forward the publication of women authors, which in no way relates to the women’s movement. I will not give you that satisfaction.
However, this cartoon depicts women’s suffrage and mirrors the instant climax of women’s rights and roles in modern day America. This could possibly have regressed since then, but hopefully will bounce back up as time passes without the help of Anne Bradstreet and friends.

ENTRY A. WILLIAM BRADFORD

1. In an excerpt from William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, although the puritans experienced hardship in their voyage to America, in their intial arrival and their dealings with the Indians they still maintain their reverence to God and to one another.

2. "And those that first entered found sharp resistance from the enemy who both shot at and grappled with them; others ran into their houses and brought out fire and set them on fire, which soon took in their mat; and standing close together, with the wind all was quickly on a flame, and thereby more were burnt to death than was otherwise slain; it burnt their bowstrings and made them unserviceable; those that scraped the fire were slain with the sword, some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so as they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire and the streams of blood quenching the same, and horrible was the stink and scent thereof; but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the praise thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them, thus to enclose their enemies in their hands and give them so speedy a victory over so proud and insulting an enemy."

3. This quote coming from a literary standpoint is exceedingly well written. The author throws out these rather unsettling descriptions that allow the reader to feel as if they were standing in the middle of this massacre. However I’m also a tad confused and maybe I missed the whole point of this story or since I’m not particularly a religious person (then I could be biased), but aren’t they walking contradictions? I mean they set down these rules and insist that they live by them, but they have the audacity and a “God” given right to humiliate and slay these innocent people. Truly, what’s the point? I’ll let you ponder on that one…

4. Dear Diary,

Reality is beginning to set in as just today another one of our brothers that came with us on our journey fell ill and is in need of divine intervention. If for not God’s grace then I know he shall make it to heaven. This man spent most of his healthy days serving and pleasing his Lord. Unless this man was a sinner, a fanatical liar with a mind filled with wit and charm. It could be possibly true since as of now he isn’t pleasing God.
I am told that later this afternoon we will be conducting another trek into the woods. I shall go now otherwise I’ll have to ramble with out them.

5. I chose this cartoon because it represented not only the physical borders between us, but also the social and historical borders. It parallels the story by showing the strict and apparent differences between two different groups of people and the nationalist attitude that follows. It’s very apropos to today since this nationalist attitude has evolved to a level of violence and hatred just as it did at the end of the story.