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A. William Bradford

Thesis

In an excerpt from William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, although the puritans experience hardship in their voyage to America, in their initial arrival and in their dealings with the Indians, they still maintain their reverence to God and to one another (their initial reason for fleeing England).


Impressive Literary Passage

A passage that enthused me the most from Of Plymouth Plantation is about the Indians shooting their arrows at a sneak attack at the English men but the men were able to keep safe and take cover miraculously.

"Thus it pleased God to vanquish their enemies and give them deliverance; and by His special providence so to dispose that not any one of them were either hurt or hit, though their arrows came close by them and on every side [of] them; and sundry of their coats, which hung up in the barricade, were shot through and through. Afterwards they gave God solemn thanks and praise for their deliverance, and gathered up a bundle of their arrows and sent them into England afterward by the master of the ship, and called that place the First Encounter."

Reflection

This passage from Of Plymouth Plantation by A. William Bradford enthused me more than the others, because of the circumstances the English were put in and how through the brutality, they survived. Through the confrontation with the Indians, the English men gave lofty thanks to their God for "vanquishing their enemies". Faith is such an important factor in their lives to the point of belief in protection through out there ventures. Because of this attack the English men decided to dispatch a bundle of arrows from the attack with a succinct note atached to the bundle saying "First Encounter". This was sent to England to show everyone what they have gone through in this period of time since departing which I feel was a cry for succor. Over all, this passage galvanized my interest in the faith and courage of the English puritans that came to the New World.


Diary Entry

Dear Diary,

Tribulation has overcome the ship as sickness spreads through out. My Mother heaves her dinner into the bucket as she grips her stomach like she can save her unborn baby; my brother. I don't know how we will make this voyage, but I do know that the irascible man who paces the ship complaining is someone I wish we were with out. I try to console my Mother as the man gripes about her being seasick but she just lies there like no one is talking to her. My father is out securing the beam on the ship for he is the craftsmen that everyone seems to need at any part of the day. May God bring us to shore with a whole ship and delirium through out! Also, may God save my family from any imperilment that comes to us. Amen.

William A. Bradford compared with a Political Cartoon

The Economy in present-day America is in such poor condition, that once immigrants, thinking to enter the US realize this poor economy, they retreat. In the political cartoon shown, there is a Hispanic man walking like he is going to traverse the Mexico border over to the United States yet turns around. This indicates the decreasing foreign imigration after it at one time, was a growing problem. To relate with William A. Bradfords essay "Of Plymouth Plantation",the puritans came to America not knowing what to expect yet many didn't go at first like the Hispanics did; none turned back. The cause of this "turn around" in the political cartoon is a buletin board that shows the economic down-fall with American jobs, homes, etc. and the parole offices stating "A line of bulletin boards turned out to be cheaper than the border fence". This represents how even through the decreasing outcome of immigration, the reason why the immigrants are turning around is the American economy that has blundered; basically showing the economy in Mexico, even though it's more penurious, it's better than our falling economy here in America. To relate to Bradford's essay, the Puritans came over to America with nothing and had to raise the economy on their own and it was failing at times before the Indians were discovered. Overall, the opinion of the "American Dream" may be delayed for now as the ever-falling economy races towards its lowest peak.