Flower-de-Luce & April

The two poems that I decided to compare and contrast were the poems Flower-de-Luce by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and April by John Greenleaf Whittier. Both of these poems fall under the writing style of Romanticism. Romanticism, as defined by dictionary.com, is the romantic style or movement in literature and art. So basically, the some of the characteristics of Romanticism include that it is poetic and elegant sounding. At least I think that it sounds that way. Compared to the other types of writing styles we have looked at, I think that this one is a little more flowery than the rest. Another characteristic that Romanticism possesses is the fact that it includes a lot of things about nature. Every poem that falls into the Romanticism writing style time period includes nature in their poems some way or another. Anyway, the first poem that I read was Flower-de-Luce by Henry Longfellow. This one was my least favorite out of the two just because it was more sad than the other one, and not near as uplifting. The poem basically is about the author and how he loses someone or a friend that was very close to him. It talks about how he tries to cope and deal with the loss, and how no one else can ever take his friend's place. For example, in the poem it states, (Longfellow 33-36)

"Ah! who shall lift that wand of magic power,

And the lost clew regain?

The unfinished window in Aladdin's tower

Unfinished must remain!

The other poem that I read was April by Whittier. I felt that this one was a much more uplifting poem just because it was talking mostly about Spring and that is the time when life springs up from the earth. I guess that is what makes them opposite then. Flower-de-Luce talked about death and how the author viewed it and was able to cope with it. April on the other hand is all about how the author cannot wait for Spring to come because that it when the sunshine comes, etc. For example, Whittier writes, (lines 23-25)

"O soul of the spring-time, its light and its breath,

Bring warmth to this coldness, bring life to this death;

Renew the great miracle; let us behold"

I think that this poem is beautiful actually. The author not only talks about how he loves spring for all of the normal reasons, but he also compares it to our faith and how during spring it feels alive again and renewed after going through long, hard winter. I think that this poem is very thoughtful and I really enjoyed reading it! Another example that I really liked was lines 28-29.

Let our faith, which in darkness and coldness has lain,
Revive with the warmth and the brightness again,

Both of these poems were great examples of the Romanticism period and I enjoyed reading them both although April was my favorite. They both have many similarities and differences. As I said before, on is about death and one is about life. However, they both portray the same writing style and include nature in some way or another.

P.S - Sorry I did not include literary criticisms. I had trouble finding them.

Greenleaf, John. "April by John Greenleaf Whittier." PoemHunter.Com - Thousands of Poems and Poets.. Poetry Search Engine. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. .

Longfellow, Henry W. "Hawthorne. Flower-de-Luce. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 1893. Complete Poetical Works." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 09 Dec. 2011. .

Journal #20 - Autumn, an original journal by Abigail E. Ulrich

This poem is a great example of the Romanticism writing style. Like all of the other poems we have read so far, this one portrays the writing style because it is very descriptive and relates to nature in some way or another. This poem here is about how the speaker is really happy that Autumn is coming. I did not like this poem near as much as the poem we read the other day. The Chambered Nautilus I think first of all, was way more interesting and imaginative. Unlike this one, The Chambered Nautilus was a whole little story about the nautilus or the creature and I think was a good and imaginative little story. This one, on the other hand, is just describing how much the speaker likes Autumn. For example, the poem states, "Thou comest, Autumn, heralded by the rain, With banners, by great gales incessant fanned." (Longfellow 1-2) The sonnet also describes some of the events that occur in Autumn. Longfellow describes things about the farmers and the harvest moon. "Blessing the farms through all thy vast domain" and "Thy shield is the red harvest moon, suspended." (Longfellow 8-9) This is saying that Autumn is a great blessing to the farmers and it also describes the big red harvest moon. Like I said before, this is very descriptive and that is why it falls into the Romanticism period. So, I thought this poem was pretty boring, but this is just one poem out of the many that have been written during the Romanticism period. Overall or in general, I think I like the Romanticism period. I think that the reason I do not like this poem over the other poems we have read is because to me, it is a lot harder to understand than other ones such as The Chambered Nautilus. This poem also includes a metaphor such as "Like flames upon an alter shine the sheaves." (Longfellow 12) I did like this poem a little bit though because it was short and simple once you figured out what it meant.

The Chambered Nautilus Reflection

Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote the poem The Chambered Nautilus. I did like the poem, however I thought that it was a little hard to read at times just because of the writing style. So anyway, the poem starts out like this...

THIS is the ship of pearl, which, poets feign,
Sails the unshadowed main,—
The venturous bark that flings
On the sweet summer wind its purpled wings
In gulfs enchanted, where the siren sings,	5
And coral reefs lie bare,
Where the cold sea-maids rise to sun their streaming hair (Holmes).

This is basically saying that the nautilus creature is sailing from place to place. It describes the sirens and the coral reefs.

Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl;
Wrecked is the ship of pearl!
And every chambered cell,
Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell,
As the frail tenant shaped his growing shell,
Before thee lies revealed,—
Its irised ceiling rent, its sunless crypt unsealed (Holmes)!

The second little paragraph describes how the shell broke. I hate this part. It is hard to go into detail on these things and write more because they really are simple and do not have to say much to get the point across.

As for the rest of the poem, the third paragraph talks about how the creature had worked really hard to build up his shell. Every single year he had to do this, because each year it would grow. Then the fourth paragraph it sounds as if the nautilus is dead. "From thy dead lips a clearer note is born" (Holmes). Finally, the very last and final paragraph is about how his shell got bigger and better each time and how his outgrown shell would stay there in life's unresting sea. I really liked this little poem actually. Other than it being a little hard to read, once you actually got what it was saying, it was really good. I really liked how they incorporated a little bit of mythology in there as well. For example, in the poem it says, " Than ever Triton blew from wreathèd horn!" (Holmes.) I think that this adds a very nice touch (Huff). This would fall somewhere in the Romanticism period because it is filled with detail and uses very descriptive language throughout the whole thing. I think that it would also fall into this category because it still has a little bit of that childlike story element to it.

"801. The Chambered Nautilus. Oliver Wendell Holmes. 1909-14. English Poetry III: From Tennyson to Whitman. The Harvard Classics." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 07 Dec.

Huff, Randall. "'The Chambered Nautilus'." The Facts On File Companion to American Poetry, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Irving Reflection Blog

Both of the stories that we had to read are considered to be of the Romanticism period. The Romanticism period was a time when people often used very descriptive writing. The writing would pay great attention to little details and many of it would be about nature and things of that sort. I personally like the Romanticism because it was really descriptive. I think that the more detail the better! Well, maybe not always but to a certain extent, I love it because it makes the reading so much more interesting. The more something is described, the better you can imagine it. Anyway, the two stories that we read were both different and similar to each other. The first story is about a man named Rip Van Winkle. Now Rip Van Winkle was described as a very nice and charitable man. However, he never did what his wife said eventually, his home was failing (Rip paragraph 8). Basically, the whole moral of the story was that you should not let your life pass you by. Now, in the other story that we read, the theme was pretty much to not be greedy and to try and live a life that does not focus just on all material things. In the story The Devil and Tom Walker, a man named Tom is well known for being greedy. His wife is also very greedy and they do not have a very loving relationship what so ever (The Devil and Tom Walker). In the tale, he makes a deal with the devil and is greedy his whole life. In the end, he tries very hard to outsmart the Devil or to beat him, but as expected, he was just taken away in the end. This story relates to the Romanticism period especially because it is about how being greedy is not the right way to live. It is also about how there are way better things than just material items or things in life. This also relates to the Romanticism period because like I said earlier, it is very descriptive. A difference between the two stories would be how the two main characters are very different from each other. Rip Van Winkle can help others and work for them, but not so much for himself. I think that is very strange. Tom on the other hand, uses people and for the most part makes money off of them, but he does not work for them, he just rips them off. (D'Ammassa). For some reason however, the both tend to have some problems with their wives. Anyway, these stories both include a good lesson of some sort and they also both include the Romanticism style of writing. I did like both of these stories for the most part, but even though I really like descriptive writing, I feel like sometimes they both just kind of drug on. Overall though , I thought that they were very interesting and they did have both some similarities and some differences.

D'Ammassa, Don. "'Rip Van Winkle'." Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Horror Fiction. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EFHF0432&SingleRecord=True (accessed December 6, 2011).

Irving, Washington. “The Devil and Tom Walker.” Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 242-250. Print.

Matthews, Washington Irving. "4. Rip Van Winkle By Washington Irving. Matthews, Brander. 1907. The Short-Story." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 06 Dec. 2011.

Thanatopsis - Reflection Blog

Well, I do have to admit that this poem is kind of depressing. However, I did find it interesting enough. First of all, you can tell that it is going to be depressing right from the start because the word "Thanatopsis" translates to "Mediation of Death" or "View of Death. (Huff). Basically, in this poem William Cullen Bryant talks about his view on death and how one should not necessarily be afraid of it. He first starts out talking and saying things about "the last bitter hour" and "the narrow house. (Bryant lines 9-12). That is why at first, this poem seems pretty depressing. I kept thinking to myself, "I really hope the whole poem isn't like this." But then, it gets a little better because I actually start seeing what maybe Bryant's whole point was. At this point, the poem gets a little less upsetting and a little more thoughtful. After, talking about the normal kind of scary death talk, Bryant starts to talk about how he thinks we should look at it. He actually makes a really interesting point that I have never ever thought of before. He talks about how even though we may be scared and lonely, that we do not have to be scared and lonely by ourselves, but rather we will be laid next to many of the most famous and intelligent people.

Shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish
Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down
With patriarchs of the infant world,—with kings,

The powerful of the earth, - the wise, the good,

Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past, (Bryant lines 32-36)

I do have to admit that I have never thought of death in that way before at all and I find it really interesting how he looked at it in this way. I like it though, because William Bryant tells you to not be afraid of death but rather look at it like him and think about how close you get to be to some of those people. He also talks about how we should at least be thankful because it is better to be buried in the ground after a full life than "the speechless babe" you did not have enough time (Bryant line 70). Basically, William Bryant says that we should be strong in whatever faith we have and live well, for we will all be in the ground all together anyway one day.

Bryant, William Cullen. "16. Thanatopsis." Bartleby.com. Web. 23 Nov. 2011.

Huff, Randall. "'Thanatopsis'." The Facts On File Companion to American Poetry, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 23 Nov. 2011.

Journal #19 - Importance of Nature & Spirituality

I think that nature and spirituality play a very important role in the cycle of life and death. I feel like nature is important because just like nature, people in a way, kind of go through their own seasons in life just like nature does. I am not exactly sure if this is what I should be writing about, but when I thought about nature and how it is important to the cycle, I immediately thought about this one movie that I usually watch around Christmas time. It is an older movie and at times can be a little cheesy, but ultimately, it is really good and kind of relates to what we are talking about. This movie is called Seasons of the Heart. Basically, to make a long story short, it is about how people got through hard times in life and kind of shut down, like winter. But then, eventually things change and they change and summer roles around. It is actually a really good movie. Anyway, that is what I think about nature and how it relates to our life cycle. Another way you could look at it, is that nature can affect your mood and your attitude at times. Sometimes I really just don't want to get out of bed because it is so dreary outside and it makes me really tired and not motivated at all. The days that are sunny however, make me feel at times, a little happier because it is warm and sunny. So, I guess that nature can affect you in that way too. As for spirituality, I am not exactly sure how it relates to the cycle of life, death, and nature other than that there are many different religions and some of them do involve nature and things like that. Other than religion though, I am not for sure what to write about that. In my opinion, this is how nature and spirituality are tied into the cycle of life and death.

Journal #17 - Bonding with Nature

I think that I have bonded with nature more times than I think I have. When I first think of bonding with nature, I tend to think of things like Native Americans and how they lived off of the earth and things like that. Now I realize that people do not really live that way anymore so sometimes I think it can be hard to bond with nature, at least in that way. But then I started thinking about more of the little things that I do sometimes. For example, there have been many times that I look out of my window and see the sun setting, making orange and pink streaks across my floor. I look at things like that and think about how cool and wonderful they are. Another example would be the sunrise. Now, to be honest, I have not seen the sunrise too many times, just because I rarely get up that early, but the few times that I have seen it, it is often indescribable. One time when I was at camp in North Carolina, our group decided to wake up at four in the morning and look out over the mountains to see the sunrise. At first, I was reluctant to go due to lack of sleep, but in the end, I am so glad that I decided to go! As the sun slowly came up above the purplish blue mountains, the sky lit up and became also a beautiful kind of periwinkle color. I think that is a really good example of how I bonded with nature because it was just one of those moments when you feel so small because of the giant mountains surrounding you, but at the same time you feel so powerful because you climbed all the way and got to see such a thing. So, even though I feel like I do not give a lot of credit to nature all of the time like the natives did, I still feel like you can bond with nature by just appreciating it for what it is.

Reflection: Fireside Poets

Fireside Poets use a very different writing style than any of the other styles we have encountered so far. We call these poets fireside poets because it is said that many families would sit by the fire and read these poems. I have decided that I already like fireside poets because I like the fact that families could sit all together in one room and just sit and listen to these descriptive poems. In fact, I think that story telling is a lost art. Don't get me wrong, I love movies and seeing really whats happening, but nobody ever tells good stories anymore. I also like these fireside poems because people can imagine things that they hear differently. It is fun hearing the story or poem and picturing it in your head and knowing that people may not be thinking the same as you. Anyway, some of these Fireside Poets include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russel Howell, and of course the oldest writer, William Current Bryant. These poems were mostly narrative poems and were often very descriptive (Wilhelm 210).

I really like this style of writing because it is so much more descriptive than some of the other styles we have looked at. For example, William Cullen Bryant is very descriptive when he says "Thou blossom bright with autumn dew, and colored with the heaven's own blue, that openest with the quiet light, succeeds the keen and frosty night" (Wilhelm 211). I think the way this is written is really pretty and like I said earlier, I love when you can read something and imagine what it actually looks like in your head. When he talks about the bright blossoms covered in dew, I feel like I can actually picture in my head what he was trying to say. I just love it. We know that people must have really liked reading these poems otherwise, these poems or poets would not have been called Fireside Poets. There must have been a reason that people liked these poems maybe more than other things they could have been reading. If I had to guess, I would say that people often liked these poems because they really did not incorporate anything about religion. Unlike Puritan writing styles and such, these poems were just nicer to listen to. I also do not think that there was much logic in them either. People probably liked them pretty much for the same reason I like them. There is no thinking required, you just listen and use your imagination. I think that the people that listened to these poems could relate much better compared to other styles we have seen like Puritan writing or Rationalism. I think that it probably meant more to them because they include values like respect and courage. Many of these poets included nature that they have encountered in there poems and that is where a lot of descriptive writing comes in. I guess that is why we had to write about bonding with nature in our journal and trying to be more descriptive. That is what these Fireside Poets did.

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., and Douglas Fisher. Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 210-111. Web. 21 Nov. 2011

Journal #18 - Autumn

Autumn days are always nice anyway, but if I could have the perfect Autumn day I imagine it would be something like this. The weather, of course would be fantastic. It would be chilly outside with a slight fresh breeze, but the sun would be peeking through some of the white puffy clouds making it just a tad warmer. It would be the kind of weather that even though the sun is out, you would still have to have a coat and scarf. As I walk along, I would see many big and beautiful trees that were made up of vibrant reds and yellows. The slight breeze would gently shake the leaves on the trees making a quiet rustling sound and the crisp leaves that have already fallen off of the trees would crunch under my shoes. Not only would the weather be perfect, but what would the Autumn season be if it did not involve some warm apple cider or some yummy pumpkin pie. I would eat my pie and drink my cider preferably by a warm, crackly fire. When it starts to get dark the moon would come out and some clouds would gather around it, making it light up the whole sky with a slight glow. The wind would still be rustling in the tree leaves and as it got colder and the temperature dropped, I would have to wear my warm coat and fuzzy scarf and mittens while trying to warm up my hands with the hot apple cider. Autumn is definitely one of my favorite times of the year. It is runner up behind Christmas of course, because that really the best time of the year. I love Autumn though because of all of the vibrant colors that are on the trees and the slight smell of burning leaves in the distance. I wish every day st this time of the year could be the perfect Autumn day. This is how I would describe the perfect Autumn day.

Journal #16

There are many different tools that you can use to communicate with your partners. I'm pretty sure we talked a lot about this in journal fifteen, but I will just tell you again. It used to be that communicating with people was more difficult because we did not have things like the Internet and cell phones. Cell phones is just one way that people can communicate back and forth very easily. For example, even if you do not want to talk to the person on the phone or maybe you just do not feel like talking at all, you can just send little messages back and forth. (aka text messaging). Phones of course, is just one of the many ways that you can communicate. These days everyone also has some kind of social network or online chat thing. As you know, facebook and twitter is all the rage these days. I can honestly say, that I only know about three people who do not have any form of a social network. That is probably the best way to communicate. That, or maybe text messaging. I think those would be the best, because then you could communicate back and forth fairly easy because everyone either has their phone, or has facebook or twitter. These days, everyone even has access to their network on their phone!! I think that this will help prepare us for college and careers because sometimes in some jobs, you have to be able to communicate with people that live in different areas from you. Also, sometimes if you work for a company, your boss could live states away from you, but in some way, you will have to be able to communicate with people. Even though I honestly do not like communicating with people over the computer, I know that it will help me out a lot in the future and I know it is good that we are doing projects like this one.

Journal #15

Although I think it is very inconvenient to work on a project with a group of people that live far away from you, with today's technology there are many other ways to communicate. Back in the day, this would have been very difficult to do, but now a days we have things like facebook and twitter. Social networks like those are super easy to use and can be a great way to keep in touch with people that you have to talk to, but are not necessarily pals with. Not only do you have facebook and twitter, but you also have the option of using email and or text messaging as well. However, the reason that this particular project is not my favorite is because sometimes technology can be kind of confusing to use. Because you are not talking face to face, you cannot always hear them so well or something can interrupt the connection, so it can kind of be a pain to use, no matter how convenient it may seem. Also projects like these can be difficult because it is hard to find a time to talk with your partner. Since we do not know them personally, it might be hard to find a time where both of us can talk and work on the project. Also, I do admit, it is a little awkward talking to someone you do not know over the computer or something. I think it is much less awkward when you are actually meeting them in person. Well, I guess I have to do this project no matter what so if I had to pick which kind of technology I would use, I would use either email of text messaging. I think that those types of communications are much easier to use. I think that that is the easiest thing to use because I have my phone with me almost all the time and I also check my email pretty often.

Franklin's Virtues Reflection

Benjamin Franklin was very smart and loved gaining as much knowledge as possible. In fact, not only did he want to be "book smart", but he also set up a system in which he could learn or try to become a better person. Ben Franklin wrote a list of thirteen virtues. He would try to follow these virtues to the best of his ability and made it a goal to follow as many of them as possible. He even went as far as designing a chart that allowed him to check off the virtues that he felt he needed to work on. He did this pretty much on a daily basis. Some of his virtues include Silence, Humility, and Sincerity. I find it very interesting how he came up with all of these virtues. I also think that his virtues are good ones to try and live by. For example, Sincerity is this: Use not hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly; and if you speak, speak accordingly (Franklin 149 ). All this is saying is that you should not do anything or say anything that will hurt others and that you should not think mischievously or unjust, but rather have thoughts that are good. It sounds easy enough to follow these virtues because most of them are really not that hard to follow. However, Ben Franklin knew better. That is why he started to make an actual chart and started to set personal goals for himself. Goals that would hopefully help him achieve to become a better person.

I obviously do not think that anyone can be perfect. They just can not. We often speak before we think and say and do things that we often do not think through. So no, I do not think that Ben Franklin's virtues were one hundred percent successful. However, I think that you could say it was somewhat successful just because he thought about it in the first place and at least he tried. Although Ben Franklin was not perfect, he set up these goals to at least be a reminder of what he should strive for. For example, he was not good when it came to the silence virtue and that was something that he needed to work on (Franklin 15). In Tuckerman's criticism he explained how Ben Franklin was more focused on the details. He believed that even the smallest details could make a difference in a person (Bloom, Harold). I think ultimately that was what Ben Franklin was striving for all along. So yes, actually, I do think that he was successful. Ben Franklin never said that he was striving to be perfect. He just wanted to be the best version of him that he could be. I think that Benjamin Franklin was a very smart man. I also think that he probably did better with those virtues than I, and many other people could have. I have really enjoyed learning about Ben Franklin and all of his accomplishments. I think he was very smart to this day he is still teaching us things.

Bloom, Harold, ed. "The Character of Franklin." Benjamin Franklin, Classic Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Franklin, Benjamin. Autobiography. Harvard University, 1895. Print.

Franklin & Deism Reflection

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin does in fact relate to Deism. I remember learning about Deism before, but for some reason I just can't remember what it means. Deism is defined as this: belief in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation (Deism). In my own words this basically means that Deists believe in the existence of a God, but only in a rational sense. Deism is different from other religions such as Judaism and Christianity in the fact that they do not believe in revealed religion. Instead of just believing because they have been told to etc, they believe that as long as they can back it up with some kind of rational reasoning then it can be true. This is what we call a natural religion. It is basically the opposite of a revealed religion because instead of God guiding us through the Bible or other things of that nature, they believe that God is not revealing himself but rather we are just finding him (World Religions).

Benjamin Franklin was a Deist, which is kind of surprising considering that his father was a Puritan, and as we have learned in some of our previous reading, the Puritan faith is a great deal different from the Deism religion. As we already know, the Puritans definitely believed in a God. However, talking about some of the general Puritan communities, not all of them were so open for reason or rationalism. Many of them believed that everything that happened, whether it be good or bad, was God's doing. They did not ever consider there being a simple explanation for something unusual. They just assumed that it was either the devil's doing or God's doing (Miller 3). Benjamin Franklin was a Deist because he wanted to look at things from a more reasonable point of view. He did not deny that there was a God, but he liked to make sure his assumptions were reasonable and that he could back them up. He wanted to make sure that he knew the facts about his faith. Deists did not recite things that they had heard or read out of the Bible, they simply believe in what they can prove is true to them (World Religions). Ben Franklin was very smart and he knew that whatever his religion he wanted to be a better person and learn more about God in general and live a good life. Therefore, he decided to create his thirteen virtues.

These thirteen virtues were supposed to help him become a better person . Ben figured that you could always better yourself in some way or another. I really admire this in Ben Franklin because even though I do not always agree with all of his views and opinions, I do agree that you can always work harder to be a better person. I also admire him because I feel like he did not waste time. There are so many others things he could have been doing, but instead he decide to try and better himself. I think that is pretty impressive.

"Deism | Define Deism at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. .

"Deist Roots of America." Welcome To The Deism Site! Web. 26 Oct. 2011. .

"The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin." Archiving Early America: Primary Source Material from 18th Century America. Web. 27 Oct. 2011.

"World Religions." Religious Tolerance. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. .

Journal #14 - Ben Franklin's Apprentice

I believe that if I were an apprentice to Benjamin Franklin I would learn many things. Benjamin Franklin was a very smart man and was a big part of our county's history. He had many skills so I assume that I would be learning many skills from him as well. I also believe that I could learn many life lessons. I believe that if I were his apprentice, I would definitely learn a great deal about the rationalism time period. Benjamin Franklin lived in a time period in which the idea of knowledge and enlightenment was a pretty big deal. Because Ben Franklin loved to learn new things and loved the idea of gaining as much knowledge as possible, he was a huge fan of Enlightenment. Enlightenment replaced the idea of just using God as an excuse for everything and the ideas of reasoning and scientific knowledge. I believe that I would also learn many things about his thirteen virtues. If I was his apprentice during this time frame, I believe that I would hear a great deal about them and why learning them was so important to him. It would kind of be cool to be his apprentice because maybe I would try to better myself with his virtues as well. Then, I could also try to become a better person in general just like him. We would then talk about what virtues we have trouble with and the ones we need to do better on. I think in a way, it would also be super intimidating to work and help out Ben Franklin. He was crazy smart and it would kind of be hard to be around him without feeling like you had to be that smart too. Overall, I think that it would be an amazing experience just because you have the opportunity to learn so much. It is especially a good opportunity because not everyone during this time received a good education.

Journal #13 - The American Dream

Journal #13 – The American Dream
We learned a lot about the American Dream in 20th Century history class last year. However, the American Dream has obviously changed since the 1950’s. Back in that time, the dream consisted of living in a little suburb where most of the houses are cookie cutter, and having a family that included usually two to three children. If you have ever seen Pleasantville, that was basically what people were going for. They liked the image of having a perfect family in a perfect little community. So that was the American Dream back then. I do not think that today’s American Dream differs that much from the old American Dream. In fact, I think that it is basically the same. People have different definitions of success. However, I define success as not always having money, although that would be nice, but getting a good job and supporting yourself as well as your family. I think that is quite an accomplishment. I also think that most people hope to end up and live in a nice and safe community, especially if they have a family to look after. Even though living in the suburbs in not what everyone wants, I think that it is overall, still an American Dream just because it is a perfect place to raise a family and it is nice to live in. It’s not too fancy, and it’s not too small. It is perfect. I think that living the American Dream would also include having a good job. Especially living in a time like this when work is sometimes hard to find, I think that most people want a job that they like as well as getting paid a descent amount. I think that would have to be part of the American Dream because if you do not have a decent job, then you will not be able to pay for the other stuff that you want like a nice house, etc. So overall, I do not think the American Dream has changed that much.

Journal #12 - Right & Wrong

I think that this topic is super hard to write about because I feel like I could never just take control and make up random rules that were made just for me. I think that would be really selfish of me and inconsiderate to other people and what they think about what should be right and wrong. I know this is just a journal, but if I had to make such a big decision like this in real life I would probably be so overwhelmed and just cry. Therefore, I would probably get someone to help me make the rules up, that way at least I could get someone elses opinions about what should be right and wrong. If I had to make at least one rule up, I would say that all of the work should be done strictly in school and no homework should be given out. I think many people would appreciate this rule, including myself and I think that it would get many followers. Another rule that I would iniciate is the rule that we should be able to take other classes in the place of fitness or whatever. I like fitness alright and I do not mind doing it, but just last year I had to decide between two classes that I wanted just because I had to fit fitness somewhere in my schedule. Once again, I like fitness, so I am not really complaining but I do not think it should be required all four years. Other than little things like that, I really have no idea what I would make right and wrong. I wish I could be more creative in this way, but I honestly have no desire to make up rules that I personally think are right and wrong. I would much rather have vote with a whole bunch of people or something along those lines. I think that would be better for everyone else and myself included.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Reflection

Benjamin Franklin's writing style is most definitely different from the previous writing styles we have looked at this year. Compared to other writers like Anne Bradstreet and William Bradford, Ben Franklin's writing style takes a more rational approach. For example, going back to Anne Bradstreet's Upon the Burning of Our House, Bradstreet talks a lot about God and how material things mean nothing to her anymore. "There's wealth enough, I need no more," and "My hope and treasure lies above," are two great examples of how she portrays this (Bradstreet 91). Anne Bradstreet has great faith in God and believes that life on earth is not a permanent thing, but that she will one day go to heaven and it will not matter how much money she has, etc. You can tell that this was written in the Puritan/Pilgrim time period for many reasons. First of all, in this time period, everything pretty much revolved around God and the church. That is why Bradstreet makes so many references to God and is not near as rational as Ben Franklin. Rationalism had not yet come during this time. Also, this was before the time of Enlightenment. Enlightenment changed the way that people thought about nature, God, and society. It was a time in which knowledge and rationalism became more important, rather than just thinking about God and the church. Another writer that reflected the Puritan/Pilgrim time was William Bradford. Like Anne Bradstreet, Bradford also makes many references to God in the passage, Of Plymouth Plantation. For example, the statement "as by God's good providence, they did"(Bradford 64). These are just two writers that wrote during this time period. Another difference that I noticed is that Ben Franklin noted things like the places and times. He wrote down details whereas the other writers did not note things like that. "Then one of the company knew the place to be Cooper's Creek,"(Franklin 108) is an example of how Franklin adds these little details in the passage. Another thing that I believe changed drastically during the rationalism period is the fact that you could go to different churches and not be criticized for it. In The Autobiography of Ben Franklin, there is a paragraph in which Ben Franklin walks into a Quaker meeting and just falls asleep."I joined them, and was thereby was led into a great meeting-house of Quakers"(Franklin 108). Back in the time of Puritan styles you had to go to your church and your church only. That is why it is really interesting and kind of cool that Ben Franklin just went in and sat down. That is kind of a big deal and shows a great difference between the two time periods. As you can see, there are many differences between Ben Franklin's writing style and other writers that wrote in the time of Puritan practice. However, with those differences comes many similarities as well. Rationalism was a big change in society because it changed the way people thought and it also changed the way that we wrote as well.

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 104- 108. Print.

Bradstreet, Anne. Upon the Burning of our House. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 91. Print.

Bradford, William. Of Plymouth Plantation. Comp. Jefferey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw- Hill Companies,2009. 64-67. Print.

Journal #11 - Aphorism

As our Glencoe Literature book defines it, an aphorism is a "short, pointed statement that expresses a wise or clever observation about human experience." I am sure that there are many aphorisms that can relate to something in my life, but the one aphorism that comes to mind is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson states, "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." It is funny that we have to write about this topic today I feel that this quote just recently is now relating to my life a little. Just the other day I was talking about college and school in general with my parents. I was all down and out because it seems like all of my friends make really good grades without even trying that hard and already know kind of what they want to do after high school. I, myself, absolutely have no idea and my grades are only okay. My dad brought up a really good point though. He said that no matter what I decide to do, I should always do it with a good attitude and do that job to the best of my ability. This quote by Emerson talks about exactly that. You could be the smartest person in the world, and could go far, but if you so not have a good attitude and do your job well, people are not going to take you seriously. Many bosses and people in general notice when you have a good attitude and a good work ethic, and that can help you work your way up the career "ladder." Having a good attitude is not always easy to have, but it is good to know that just by being a good person, can affect the way your life turns out. Of course I will continue to work on my grades, but I will also try to remember to have a good attitude whether I am working really hard on school, or working a job, or just hanging out. So, that is how the quote, "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm," relates to my life and is a very good aphorism.

"Nothing Great Was Ever Achieved without Enthusiasm. by Ralph Waldo Emerson."Quotations, Famous Quotes at Quote World. Web. 11 Oct. 2011. .

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., and Douglas Fisher. Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.

Thomas Paine - Reflection Blog

Unlike the Puritan views, Thomas Paine distributes a more rational way of thinking. This particular view is called Rationalism. Rationalism is something that many writers use, Thomas Paine being one of them. Before the time of Enlightenment most people looked at things from a more religious standpoint. After awhile, Enlightenment came around. Enlightenment was a time in which people started to look at things more logically instead of religiously. It was a time for knowledge and ideas rather than using spiritual elements. Thomas Paine portrayed rationalism in The Crisis No. 1. Although Thomas Paine often refers to God in this speech, he does not blame God for anything. For example, when he states, "However, the fault if it were one, was all our own" (Paine 135). In some of the other previous reading that we have read in our book this year, they were often written from a more religious point of view. They would often use God as an excuse for everything and blame Him when things went wrong or did not go their way. Thomas Paine did not do this. Thomas Paine instead, comes to terms and realizes that ultimately it is their own fault for what had happened and it was in fact not God's fault. This is a good example or rationalism because it is using more knowledge rather than blaming others for your own mistakes. From reading Crisis No. 1 we have learned many things. From this passage we learn that Thomas Paine in fact a Patriot. He did want a war with Britain because he greatly wanted to be separate from them. With this knowledge, I am assuming that Thomas Paine is writing to both Patriots and Loyalists because he probably wanted to rally up support. Although Mr. Paine wanted to be separated from Britain, he makes it very clear that he does not support the war. For example, in Crisis No. 1 he states, "Not all the treasures in the world, so far as I believe, could have induced me to support an offensive war, for I think it is murder; but if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me and those who are in it, and to bind me in all cases whatsoever, to his absolute will, am I to suffer it?" (Paine 136) This is saying that regardless of whether you are killing one person or a whole bunch under a war, it is still murder regardless. Thomas Paine sounds like he is very passionate about this subject and he absolutely does not want to start a war with Britain because it involves unnecessary murder. This also shows more support that Thomas was saying these things to not only just Patriots or just Loyalists, but both. He would have directed this toward both groups so that he would be able to gather up more supporters for not starting a war. In this passage Thomas Paine shows great rationalism while stating his points about the war with Britain and the separation from them.

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D. "The Crisis No. 1. " Glencoe Literature. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Glencoe, 2010. 134-36. Print.

"Declaration of Independence" - Faulty Logic Reflection

Thomas Jefferson was a man of great knowledge. Unlike most people, Jefferson was gifted at many things. He did not settle for one single profession, but rather obtained several different jobs including an architect, lawyer, musician, etc; and overall he became the president of the Untied States. Jefferson also for the most part, wrote the Declaration of Independence. There were other people who helped revise and edit it, but for the most part, it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote it. In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson makes some very good points, however, much of what he writes falls under propaganda and faulty logic. We can tell this by picking out the writing techniques that he uses in his writing. For example, Jefferson often uses words that have little to no meaning behind them. These words are called "Glittery Generalities." People often use these words when they do not have enough support to back up their views. "for the public good" is an example of "Glittery Generality because it does not state what is good for the public, it just simply says "good" (Jefferson 122). Even though Jefferson does not flat out call the king names, I feel like he also uses the fault of "Name Calling". Throughout the whole Declaration Jefferson talks all about what the king has done and not done, all being bad things. For example, the statements "He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the consent of our legislature, " and "He has obstructed the administration of justice" (Jefferson 123). Now maybe that is true, however, Jefferson never explains why those things could be bad. I feel like Jefferson almost made a list of some sort so that it would look as if the king was obviously terrible and that we as the people should side with Jefferson himself. Another thing that he used is a technique called the "Band Wagon" technique. What this technique is saying is basically the whole "everyone else is doing it" technique. By using this he is almost pressuring people into believing the same things that he believes so that you do not appear as an outcast. It is important to observe and recognize the things that you are reading because it may affect how you feel about something. Because Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration to be very persuasive, it persuaded people to agree with him.If he had written it a different way, maybe it would have been less persuasive and the people would not have agreed as strongly. Using faulty logic and propaganda is a technique that people often use when they are trying to get their point across and want people to agree with them. Propaganda often makes things sound better or worse than they really are. Before this, I had never thought about propaganda techniques and how that can affect the way people see things. Propaganda played a big role during World War II and I guess it also affected what people thought during Thomas Jefferson's time as well.


Jefferson, Thomas."Declaration of Independence." American Literature. Columbus: Mc-Graw Hill, 2009. 120-124. Print.


"Recognizing Propaganda--Guide to Critical Thinking--Academic Support." 6 Mar. 2011. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. .

Journal #9 - Rational response

I'm sure that there have been many times when I have freaked out emotionally. The problem is that we do not always handle those emotional situations in the best way. There was a time when I had to solve a problem rationally even though I was panicking like crazy. This happened recently actually, like basically yesterday. So, the thing is, I have never been good at math. Ever. Math has always been super confusing to me and honestly I struggle to keep up. Our class has been taking quizzes and I have gotten all the right answers but I'm doing the work wrong. Every time I think I am getting a little better, I just end up doing something else wrong and failing. I hate admitting that I am not understanding what everyone else is getting so I waited in the hopes that I would eventually catch on. Unfortunately, I never caught on like I had planned and now I have a bad grade in the class, which is not okay. I am freaking out because I'm afraid that when she enters all of the grades, I will be ineligible. So, after I was done panicking and freaking out I decided that I would do something about it. I asked my friend Izzy if she could tutor me in math and she said that we would plan to get together at least once a week so she can help me. So, I turned an emotional situation around by being rational. I really should not have waited that long to get help, but I am glad I have help now.

Patrick Henry - Reflection Blog

Patrick Henry's speech has more to do with rationalism than with anything else we have learned about so far, such as the Puritan writing style. Unlike the Puritan writing style, I think Henry's speech is more logical and reasonable. The Puritan writing style that we looked into before was more dramatic and unreasonable. Also, most of the writing had something or other to do with religion because that is what their colonies were based off of. Rationalism however, is different. Right now in history we are learning about an idea that was going around in the 1700s called Enlightenment. Enlightenment was a pretty big deal back then because it changed the way people started to think about certain thing such as God, nature and society in general. Rationalism I think is kind of the same thing as Enlightenment a little bit. Instead of some of the other passages we read about God and how he is holding us over the pit of Hell, Rationalism is well, more rational. Henry talks about his stuff in a more reasonable tone and also I think looks at it from a more logical stand point than a religious one. On the other hand, Patrick Henry does refer to God still a couple of times in his speech. So I think that even though it was the start of rationalism. The Puritan era did not just disappear out of the blue or right away. Maybe this was just kind of the transition period. I think that Patrick Henry backs up his speech very well. For example, Patrick Henry states, "Shall acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?" (Henry 118) Patrick Henry is pretty much saying that if we do not take immediate action and fight, then we will eventually be taken over by our enemies. One of Patrick Henry's famous quotes was "I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!" (Henry 118) Patrick Henry was totally against slavery. He wanted really badly for them to fight in the war against slavery. Originally, they were not going to fight. Patrick Henry talks about how they were called weak , but then he refers back to God saying that we have a just God who is fair and will provide for them, good friends that shall help them fight in the battle. This is what makes me think about Henry's speech not being totally rational. However, you can still tell that compared to other speeches and stories that we have read, there is a great deal more rationalism in there as well. For example, when Henry says, "Our brethren are already in the field, why stand here idle?" (Henry, 118) This I believe is a rational statement. He is asking them why we would not help our brothers that are already out there fighting? Those are some of the things that make Patrick Henry's speech more rational then some of the others we have read.

Henry, Patrick. "Speech to the Second Virginia Convention." Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 114-119. Print.

Journal #8 - Autumn

Autumn is absolutely my favorite time of the year. The only thing that could possibly make fall time any better is if the Christmas holiday was thrown in there. That is why winter is a close second for me. Now don't get me wrong, I love every season for what it is, but I would favor cold weather rather than hot weather any day. There are many more reasons that I love Autumn though!! First of all, the weather is absolutely perfect! Some days are warmer and some days are colder, but most are colder, which I love. The leaves all start to change from a rich green to vibrant reds, orange and yellows, and the air is fresh and crisp. I love walking outside, seeing your breath in the air and hearing the leaves crunch under your shoes. Another thing that I absolutely love about fall, is the food! Nothing can beat warm apple cider and pumpkin bread on a cold fall day. Of course there are more foods like caramel apples, pumpkin pie, chili, and all the rest of that great stuff. Autumn is also the season that leads up to many things. Both Halloween and Thanksgiving fall in the Autumn time, but the fall season also leads up to the Christmas holiday!! So all in all, fall and winter are basically the best.

The Crucible Act 4 - Reflection Blog

Its kind of weird actually because we are talking about the exact same thing in AP history as we are in this class. It has helped me a lot though because we have talked about the Salem witch trials in history as well as in The Crucible. The Crucible reflects the exact same tone as the passage of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Basically, what the passage is saying is that confessing to your sins will save you, and that you should always confess otherwise there would be consequences such as hanging. The church back then really did intimidate people. The church in a way kind of ruled people by fear. All the people ever heard is that they were being " held over the pit of Hell by God and could be dropped at any moment" (Edwards 98) . That is exactly what was going on in The Crucible. Towards the end of the book, everyone tells John Proctor that he must confess to partaking in witchcraft. If he did not confess, the consequences were high. John had the decision to either be hanged, or confess. John decides at the end that he will not confess to a sin that he did not commit. John was hung for nothing. So there are many similarities between the passage and The Crucible, and obviously, you did not always get a fair trial. John Proctor was innocent and did not once partake in witchcraft, but because rumors and stories spread quickly, John was accused anyway. I never understood how people could just accuse someone of doing something without any logical backup. It is very strange to think that these kind of things were very common and happened just about every day back in this time. Even though I still do not understand how people thought back then entirely, I guess I can try and imagine how situations like these happened. The communities were a lot different then they are today. Most of them were religiously based and often religion was really the only thing that they were taught about basically on a daily basis. Another thing is that unlike us today, they did not have the technology or just the knowledge in general that we have today. For example, they had absolutely no idea how to explain what happened to Betty in the beginning of the story (Miller 5). Therefore, they decided that Betty had had to be calling upon the devil. So, in their defense, they had no other explanation to turn to. The tone that exists in both The Crucible and Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, is very cold and harsh. Both of them are basically saying that if you sin, you must take the consequences even if they seem unfair. The problem with this is that innocent people were often times accused of something that they really did not do, resulting in their death. This is what happened to John Proctor and both passages or stories portray this same tone.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.

Edwards, Jonathan. "From Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Journal #7 - Bullying

Bullying has been around since the beginning of time. I never really understood why bullying occurs so much and is such a problem, but it always has been. I always feel really bad for the victim especially at first just because it always seems to be the nice kids that get bullied (that's not always true though). Also I hate bullying so much because you never know how something can really affect a person. For example, if I got pushed into a locker or was called a bad name or something, I would like to think that even though it would hurt a little, I could bounce back pretty easy because I have good friends and family and know how to shake it off. So overall, it probably wouldn't bother me too much, but what if the victim could not just shake it off. What if the victim takes it very seriously and that affects he or she for the rest of his/her life? Knowing that the way you treat people, even just at school can change everything is hard to believe. That is why you have to watch the things you say and do and respect people for who they are. Also, bullying is not a win- win situation. Most of the time it is lose-lose. It is like this because nine times out of ten, the victim is hurt because of the bully, but the bully is probably not to happy either. Honestly, bullying is really one big vicious cycle. Most of the time, the reason that a bully is bullying is because he/she either feels insecure, angry, emotional. I do think that our school does a good job with bullying for the most part. I feel bad though for all of those kids who have to go to a school where they do not feel safe or secure. I think that it is very important for schools to make sure that everyone feels safe.

The Crucible Act 3 - Reflection Blog

Throughout the book The Crucible, it is very obvious that the author knows some things about human nature. The author reveals these things through the characters that are involved in the story. One of the things that I think the author understands most of all is the way humans defend themselves. For example, there are many times in the book, well really throughout the whole book, that the characters defend themselves by lying or even by betraying the ones that they care about. An example from the story is when Abigail tells everyone that Elizabeth Procter kept poppets in her house. The truth is that Elizabeth only had one poppet and one poppet only and the only reason she had it in the first place was because Mary Warren made it for her and had given it to her earlier in the story. The only reason Abigail would have said this is so that she herself would not be blamed for being involved in witchcraft. Abigail was probably afraid that if she could not make someone else look suspicious, then she would look suspicious to everyone. I thought the author understood this very well because he understands the way people think. Even though I would like to think that I would be a good person and do the right thing, my first reaction would probably be to defend myself, and by defending yourself often you find someone else to blame it on. In a way, this book is kind of dark. I feel like this book is really about all of the bad things that humans do. I also think that one of the worst things we can do is betray our fellow man and that is what the characters in The Crucible do all of the time. They also lie a lot, which goes along with betrayal. Not only do the characters not stand up for each other, but they blatantly lie about each other as well, especially Abigail. I actually really like this book so far though because I feel like it is pretty realistic and it is very interesting to read. I think that Arthur Miller did a very good job writing this book.

Journal #6 - Blaming

Its hard not to blame others when something goes wrong. I know I am guilty of blaming others when something does not go my way. I really do need to work on that. Now, I have never done something like accusing someone of being a witch or anything like that, but I do blame people for my having a bad day and stuff like that. For example, there has been many times, when I have blamed things on my teachers actually. Let me just say first though that I think everyone does this. So, if I have a lot of homework one night and I get home, then eat a snack, then watch a little T.V, then start my homework lets say around seven, I end up realizing that I had way more than I thought and a lot of it is due the next day. So naturally, it obviously is not my fault that I have so much homework, it is in fact the teachers fault. It is the teachers fault because they never give us a break and always pile on work, not understanding that we have like six or so other classes that we receive homework in. This is exactly what plays in my head every time I procrastinate. In reality, I know that it really is not the teacher's fault. I just say things like that because I do not want to admit that I have bad work ethic and waited until the last minute, so I just decide to blame it on the teachers. This is sort of like what happens in the book The Crucible. Because no one actually wants to own up to anything or be blamed, they just decide to blame someone else. However, in the end it just makes things way worse.

The Crucible "True Colors" - Reflection Blog

My true colors were blue, coming in first, and gold, being runner up. Being blue supposedly means a couple of different things. First, blues tend to be peacemakers. They do not like to cause trouble or be in the middle of trouble. Blues also tend to be very kind and emotional. I'm not sure how accurate these tests are but that is what blue means in a nutshell. Gold, on the other hand, means that you are very organized and always have a plan. I think golds, to me, come off as being a little OCD. Then of course there are the rest of the colors. Oranges are pretty active and have trouble staying still, and greens tend to be less emotional and are more techy. So, briefly, those were all of the colors in the True Colors test. Sometimes, you are able to pick out someones characteristics and possibly even give them a general color. There are characters in the book The Crucible that I think would fall into some of these color categories. For example, I would have to say that I think Mary Warrens is a blue. I think this because throughout the two chapters that I have read, I notice that for the most part she is pretty quiet and to herself. However, there are also times when she speaks out in defense and things of that sort, but overall she is just trying to keep the peace. (Miller, 55) Like I said before, blues tend to be on the more quiet and emotional side, so I think that Mary Warren would fall into the blue category. Now, I cannot back up this theory as well, but I also think that Elizabeth would be either a gold or possibly even a green. I think this because I think she comes off as being kind of uptight and strict. Compared to some of the other characters, Elizabeth always seemed way less emotional to me for some reason. Greens are less emotional than other colors. Abigail however, to me is the more emotional one. The relationship between Abigail and John Procter may be part of the reason that she is extremely emotional. Abigail also seems very passionate and when she talks she talks with great emotion. For example, you can tell this because of the way she talks to Mr. Procter (Miller, 22) and the way she talks to everyone else. So, I would say that Abigail is a mix between an Orange and a Blue, maybe even a little bit of green thrown in there. Now, I'm not really sure what to make of John Procter yet. I think that he is a little temperamental and that he loves Elizabeth, but on the other hand, he has a soft spot for Abigail and does care about her a little bit I think. I would have to say he is a blue just because of how emotional he is the whole time when he is talking to Elizabeth. (Miller, 54) Also, because blues tend to have mood swings and I think that John Procter may have some as well.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.

Journal #5 - Modern Day Punishment

I think mainly the punishment really depends on the kid and also the parent, but this will just be in a general sense. I think that it is harder for parents these days to punishment their children then in previous years because of all of the technology. It used to be that back in the day, you would have to do more chores, or you could not go play with your friends or play outside. But now a days you do not have to be around your friends in order to talk to them. It is so easy to stay connected all of the time with things like facebook and cell phones. I believe that this makes things a little harder on parents when it comes to punishment. I know a lot of people these days are punishing their kids by taking away facebook and such, but this is tough because almost all phones have Internet on them as well. So if you say no facebook, it would almost have to be like saying no computer or phone. However, I believe that because kids use technology a whole bunch, I feel like taking away their phone or computer is an accurate punishment. I'm sure their are other possible punishments that would work as well, but the problem is, if they still have their phone or computer, then they will still be connected. By taking away a kids phone or computer, you are taking away their privilege to talk to friends and be in the loop on facebook. So, yes, I do believe that it would be appropriate as a punishment if a parent took away a kids phone or computer for awhile. I also think that it helps kids not rely on technology as much. Even though it is always good to know how to use technology, I think it is also important for kids to be able to do things without it as well. I think that taking away technology is a good modern day punishment.

The Crucible Act 1

So far, I think this book is really interesting. Sometimes I think it is a little confusing when you are reading it, but once you get into it, the book is actually pretty entertaining. So, the Puritans were part of a religious movement that took place in the 1600s and 1700s. Unlike Separatists, Puritans did not really want to leave the Church of England, but rather "purify" it. Puritans believed that too much power rested in the hands of ministers and priests, which were the highest officials in the church. In this book, you can definitely pick out certain qualities that represent the Puritan lifestyle. For one, the Puritans were all about religious community. (Miller, 28) Often, government and religion would overlap and things, at times, could get pretty intense. Also, because these settlements were not super big, everybody knew everybody, so if there was talk that you did something bad or were a sinner, then you would kinda be in trouble. Another, not so great things about the Puritans was that they had little toleration for other religions if any at all. The whole reason they left England in the first place, was so they could "purify" the church and practice whatever religion that they wanted to practice. However, they did not put up with other religions at all, so this is sorta ironic. Back to what I was saying earlier, about being a sinner, the Puritans were what you would call now a days crazy religious. They were taught to read their Bibles constantly, and pray even more. (Miller, 46) Even if you were not a sinner, they encouraged this big time, and if you were a sinner...well then you would've been reading all of the time. During the Salem witch trials, there was great suspicion throughout the village. Although, the Puritans were supposed to follow God's word, with all of the weird witch theories happening, the people started to question their neighbors and whether or not they were real followers of God. There was a lot of talk about the Devil and how it was somehow taking over their village. This, as you can guess, really made the Puritans uneasy since they have always been so strict and sure of their religion. (Miller, 30)For example, in the book Betty seems to be under some sort of weird spell or something. This automatically brings up the idea of witchcraft in Salem. So, Mr. Paris tells everyone that enters the room, to not let anyone know about what is happening with Betty. If talk did get around and people started to hear things, then they would probably, eventually came to the conclusion of Betty, or any of her friends and relations being a witch or being associated somehow with evil spirits. That is why things were kept very secret in Salem and also the reason why people started turning against their neighbors. An example of that from the book is when Abigail tells everyone that Tituba was the one speaking to the Devil. (Miller, 43) Now, maybe Tituba was, but in the book she denies it. This book represents Puritan qualities very well.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.