Essential Question:

WHAT IS AN AMERICAN?

Entry A: William Bradford- Of Plymouth Plantation

Thesis: In an excerpt from William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, although the Puritans experience hardships 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].

Favorite Passage: In sundry of these storms the winds were so fierce and the seas so high, as they could not bear a knot of sail, but were forced to hull for divers days together. And in one of them, as they thus lay at hull in a mighty storm, a lusty young man called John Howland, coming upon some occasion above the gratings, was, with a roll of the ship, thrown into sea; but it pleased God that he caught hold of the topsail halyards, which hung overboard and ran out at length. Yet he held his hold (though he was sundry fathoms under water) till he was hauled up by the same rope to the brim of the water, and then with a boat hook and other means got into the ship again and his life saved. And though he was something ill with it, yet he lived many years after and became a profitable member both in church and commonwealth. In all this voyage there died but one of the passengers, which was William But ten, a youth, servant to Samuel Fuller, when they drew near the coast.

Why: This is my favorite passage in William Bradford's writing because of the imagery that makes me feel like I am right there on the ship. It amazes me how John Howland got a hold of the topsails and ended up getting back on board of the ship. As I was reading this passage, I got chills because I can't even imagine being in that situation. It's just incredible how much they trust and believe in their God and how they believe that if you please God, he will make good things happen to you.

Political cartoon:

Due to those who are migrating to the United States for jobs, it is causing people to loose the jobs they already have. For example there are people standing in a line jumping over a fence. This shows that theyh are crossing the boarder to try to go find jobs in Mexico since they lost theirs here in the United States. Another example, is where it says "Bad news, Americans are now doing jobs we used to do." This shows that Mexicans are heading back to Mexico to try to find jobs there since they have lost theres here in the United States since we are so overpopulated. In conclusion, you can see that there are not enough jobs in one place for everyone, so we need to stop the immagration process since it is just causing people to loose their jobs, which is leading to homelessness.

Entry B: Anne Bradstreet

POEMS:
"To my Dear and Loving Husband"

"In Reference to Her Children"

"Upon the Burning of Our House"

Thesis Statements:
In "To My Dear and Loving Husband" it is through the use of paradox, hyperbolic metaphor, and diction that the author, Anne Bradstreet, is able to convey a genuine emotion as she struggles with the security of Puritan doctrine alongside the insecurity of human need for reassurance of love.

In "In Reference of Her Children" Anne Bradstreet uses imagery and figurative language to convey a message that it is hard to watch your child grow up and not depend on you as much as they used to.

In Anne Bradstreet's poem "Upon the Burning of Our House," it is through the vivid images, reterical question, and rhyme that the author is able to convey an emotion of powerlessness as she looks to god for grace to help her get through the situation of her house burning down.

Favorite: Out of these poems, the one that impressed me the most was "To my Dear and Loving Husband" due to the conflicts that she faces. I like to read about conflicts cause it makes me realize that everyone gets stuck in situations where they have to decide how to handle things. In this poem Anne Bradstreet compares herself to other women to show that she is better than any other women for her husband. This poem was really interesting and really made you think about what she was facing.

Political Cartoon:
Woman's intent of being a Mother while their husband is at work, has made woman more practical to woman voting because they stand up for their own rights. This political cartoon shows a man holding two crying babies while looking up towards the women. This shows that the man is taking on whats known to be the womens responsibility; a change in roles has occured. Comparing to Anne Bradstreet, this political cartoon shows the opposite of what happens in Anne Bradstreets life. Anne Bradstreet is always known to be the caretaker of the family while the husband is always going somewhere. This political cartoon also shows a sign that says "votes for women" and a banner that saying "Voting day". This shows how the women is off to vote now that women are allowed to and shes taking control in it because she feels that she has more to say that a typical everyday man. In Anne Bradstreets poems she very much has her opinion, so I am sure that Anne Bradstreet would vote if she was given the right to do so. Women have the right now to voice their opinion by voting, so now maybe their roles in home will change as well.

Entry C: Edward Taylor

Thesis: In the poem "Huswifery" Edward Taylor uses imagery, rhyme, and literary conceit to convey a message that it is through care and praise that one can earn gods grace and use that grace to go to heaven.

What Impressed Me: What impressed me most in this poem was how Edward Taylor uses a spinning wheel to represent his track to earning gods grace. Edward Taylor did a phenomenal job getting his point out that if you earn god's grace, then he will allow you to go to heaven. If you had to write "Huswifery" in your own words it would look something like this...

Make my life a spinning wheel
Make God's word my sole concern
Make my emotions flow to the highest peak
Make my soul to be guided by you, God
Make my words stem from you, God
Use me as you will

Make me your tool
Weave your holy spirit into me
Lead me to your path, show me the way
Your sacraments cleanse my soul
Die or imprint your holiness/sacraments in me

Clothe me with understanding, will, emotion, passion, judgment, conscience, memory
So that my words will glorify God
If all these things are done-then my garment will give god glory

Entry D: Jonathan Edwards

Imagery: 1. Men held in the hands of God over the pit of hell. 2. The devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up. 3. Dreadful pit of the glowing flames. 4. If God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf. 5. There are black clouds of God's wrath now hanging directly over your head. 6. Great waters rising higher and higher. 7. The bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow ready on the string. 8. Thin air, and empty shadows. 9. spider web.

My Collage:

This is my collage. It is a 3D collage that I made by myself. It is in a shoe-box and the bottom of it is made up of fire images. Then on the sides of the box are images such as spiderwebs, gray clouds, and other pictures of fire. At the very top of the box I made a spiderweb out of yarn and stapled it to the box. On top of the spiderweb there are images, which you can see, and they are a picture of an eye with flames inside the pupil, a picture in the dead center that reads "hell", there are also pictures of hands which look like they are pulling you into hell.

Favorite Passage: O Sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in; it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder; and you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment.

Why: This is my favorite passage because of the strength and the depth of how Jonathon Edwards conveys the fact that before it is too late, you need to earn gods grace, or you will go to hell. The images he applies are just threatening, and scare the readers that hell is not the place you want to be. Edwards does a magnificent job in this passage on scaring the reader of going to hell. In my opinion this passage created the most emotion in me.

Essential Question: What is an American? Referring to Johnathan Edwards, an American is anyone who uses biblical references in their everyday life. For example, Jonathan Edwards says that if you don't earn God's grace, then you will go to Hell. However, if you do earn God's grace, then God will give you the opportunity to go to Heaven.

Entry E. Slave Narrative:



Essential Question: What is an American? In reference to the Slave Narrative an American is someone who is independent and doesn't rely on anyone to get them through life. In Olaudah Equiano, slaves are dependent on their masters, therefore they are not considered to be Americans. However, a true American would want to honor the freedom that this country allows us to have but it seems that in this country peoples minds seem to change when they are given a chance at power.



Political Cartoon Extension:

Due to the injustice of the court system, punishment is based on race: if you’re white, you live and if you’re colored, you die. In the political cartoon there is a courtroom where there are two jail cells, the first one reading "white". This demonstrates that if your white, then you get the bare minimum punishment which the court thinks should be jail time. Also in the political cartoon there is another cell that reads "colored" with an electric chair inside. This further shows that the punishment for colored people is more severe than those who are white because the court system is stereotyping colored people as criminals and they don’t think they deserve to live if they have been sent to court. Furthermore, it can be said that unfair punishment can occur in the court system due to the color of your skin and their biased decisions.

My story Corps: Interview

My mom is my hero. She has always been an inspiration to me. If I could be like anyone in life, I would choose her because my moms personality is just amazing, and she has the biggest heart, and is the most caring and generous person I know.