Entry 5: Guilt

How do you feel about what happens to Hester Prynne at the beginning of The Scarlet Letter? Do you think she was treated fairly? Was she guilty of the crime she was charged with? Do you think she felt guilty? Everyone (other than sociopaths) feels guilty about something at some time in his or her life. Describe a time when you felt guilty. How did guilt change your behavior? What, if anything, did you do to rid yourself of the guilt?

•  I believe that I cannot understand what the people of the colony believe in The Scarlet Letter. Even though Hester Pyrnne is not officially a widow, if her husband is assumed to be dead, then other people should not have a right to punish her. Therefore, in my opinion and point of view, she is not guilty of anything. I can kind of understand why Hester was able to hold her head up high and not feel ashamed of the so called "crime" the people of the colony says that she had committed - Hester believes that she has nothing to be guilty of. I also believe that no matter what crime she had committed, it is unfair to keep a mother and a child in prison for a long period of time, since it is both bad and unfair for the child. As the book states, the child has been living in the darkness of the prison since birth, and I believe, in the scientific point of view, that this is quite unhealthy for the child.
• Sometimes I feel guilty for not doing the work I am supposed to do when I am supposed to do them. I sometimes neglect my homework to do things that should be done after work. It always goes like this: I start out doing my work, but then finds something else that's interesting and lose concentration and focus on my work, and then after a little while, I become guilty of wasting my time and not being responsible. I would make up for my actions and get rid of my guilt by concentrating extremely hard on my assignment for the rest of the time period.

Entry 4: Puritan Poetry

Carefully re-read Anne Bradstreet's poem "Here follows some verses upon the burning of our house, July 10th, 1666". Think about the major Puritan beliefs as you re-read this poem. What philosophical beliefs about God and the purpose of human life are reflected in Bradstreet's poem? Compare and contrast these beliefs with those of the Deists and rationalists. How would a poem about a similar topic differ if written from one of those perspectives? What about your beliefs? What would your poem be like if something like this happened to you?

•  From my previous knowledge about the Puritans, and from what I have read about them, the Puritans are a group of extremely religious people who have come to the New World to see their religious freedom. To them, God's will is everything and they have to respect it. And so, they believe that they do not have the right to be "special", and thus their tendency to be plain, and even wear plain clothes. 
• In Anne's poem, we can see very clearly that she is a faithful Puritan. She believes, as stated above, that it is God's will when all of her belongings were "taken" away from her. She chides herself for even doubting God's will, and says that she has to accept what happens. To her, the purpose of her life would be to continue to live on piously.
• If we compared the Puritans with the rationalists, we can say that we are comparing reason and blinded beliefs. If a rationalist were to write a poem about a similar topic, they may be inclined to find the real, scientific reasons for the fire (chemically, and physically). 
• I am more of a rationalist. If I were to write a poem about a similar topic, I would be angry, frustrated, and would definitely keep on complaining on how unlucky I am.

Entry 3: Possessions

Anne Bradstreet wrote about the loss she and her family suffered when their house burned down, including many irreplaceable possessions. How did she respond to this loss? Do you agree with her reaction to and interpretation of the event? How important are material possessions to you? How would you deal with the destruction of your home and all of your belongings? What things would be hardest to lose? What do you think you could most easily live without?

• Anne's response to her situation was to acceptance. To me, it felt like a defeated acceptance - that she cannot change what has already happened and that that is the will of God Himself. She also blessed God because she believed that God had a reason for taking away her belongings and other material wealth.
• I do not agree at all with Anne's point of view. To me, her point of view seems totally ridiculous. So ridiculous that I might have laughed at her if she were here. However, I also have to take in the fact that Anne is religious while I am not (personally, not family). I don't believe in God, so if bad things happen, I would blame it on luck.
• If I were to lose all my belongings and other material wealth like Anne, I would feel really upset, frustrated, and angry. I might even complain to the fire department or the government, since in modern days, we have these departments to take care of us. Anyways, I would definitely find something to vent my frustration upon.
• I believe that the hardest things to lose include my computer, my iPod, my passport and other ID, and money (though money can hardly be counted as a possession, according to Mr. McCool; I disagree). The easiest things to live without would be my early and unused possessions - those that have been in my drawer and not used for at least two years.

Entry 2: Rationalism vs. Puritanism

Consider the beliefs of the Puritans and rationalists (consult your text if necessary). How do people think about the universe and human nature today? What do you think about them? Can you see evidence of either of those world views in your own views or of those of society at large? What are your views of human nature, the workings of the universe, and the role of humans in it? Are you closer to being a Rationalist, or a Puritan? Explain.

• The Puritans are a group of religious people, who believe in God and treat him with the utmost respect. They also believed that all people, by nature, are sinners. The rationalists, however, depended on logic and reason, believing that there is reason behind every phenomenon. They also focus more on the individual instead of community, like the Puritans.
• I believe that people think about the universe mostly in a logical way. However, because everyone has a different religion, they are sometimes biased into thinking another way. There are also some extremists within the large population of people (one reason why there are so many religious wars going on). My point of view about the universe and human nature is that things are logical and usually has a scientific theory behind them. 
• In today's society, view similar to the Puritans can be seen in religious groups such as the Catholics and the Christians. People with views similar, or should I say, the same as rationalists are usually scientists and objective educators. 
• I believe that things can be explained by science and scientific theories. I also sometimes believe that humans do not really have a role in the universe, because all we do is to destroy nature. 
• I believe that I am more of a rationalist because I prefer the scientific way of doing things and I am not extremely religious.

Entry 1: A New Nation

John Winthrop, a prominent puritan leader (first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and founder of Boston), while crossing the Atlantic from England on the way to the New World said, "For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world..." What do you think of this statement, which makes an allusion to Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount". What does it tell us about the Puritans? Do you think that Americans fulfilled the destiny that Winthrop spoke about? Why or why not? Explain your answer in detail. 

• I believe that this statement gives me several different feelings. First, it shows people the confidence of the person who said this statement, along with the leading qualities of that person. Second, the tone of the quote shows its importance and significance. Finally, I believe that the quote is a reasonable one, since it was able to accurately depict how people would think.
• I believe that the Puritans are a group of determined people. After all, they were able to make through the harsh conditions of the new world and establish settlements. From the quote we are also able to tell that the Puritans are a group of very religious people, since they use the term "God" in a very respectful way.
• Though America is successful, I do not think that it fulfilled the destiny that Winthrop spoke about. This is because the Puritans are quite religious, and America, as we see now, is a cultural mix of many religions. I believe that the Puritans would hope that their nation is the nation of God. However, I believe that in other aspects such as economically and politically, America is quite successful.