Puritan Woman
Puritan women in the New World of the United States were torn between belief that their "hope and treasure lies above" and their very real need to survive and create a loving community on earth. The Puritans were English Protestants, and they had very strong views on a variety of issues. For example, Puritans believed in the literal authority provided by the Bible, and that individuals who did things wrong in life would be punished by God (Coffey & Lim, 2008). There was also no guarantee of salvation for Puritans, and anything they would do for atonement was not enough to protect them from potential damnation in the future. The women in that society were not equal to men, and they were left to do what men wanted them to do and act a certain way in society, or they were not accepted (Coffey & Lim, 2008). Because the Bible can easily be interpreted in many different ways, the opinions of the Puritans may not have been correct. However, at the time the women did not question the issue.
Instead, they worked diligently to protect their families and home life while still trying very hard to focus on the idea that they would receive their rewards in heaven (Coffey & Lim, 2008). That allowed them to sacrifice much of the life they had on earth, which was oftentimes short and difficult. Childbirth and other common occurrences could easily take a woman's life during that time in history, and medical care for those kinds of events was not nearly as advanced as it is today. Men were more stoic, as well, and did not believe in helping women or taking care of them other than financially and providing protection from specific dangers. Women were second class in...
Women Poets Throughout American history, the work of American literary artists has helped shape how people think about America and its values. In the modern moment, American literary artists and those involved in other media tend to represent ideals of freedom, autonomy, and individuality. However, this is a perception which has only developed through centuries of artists trying to speak with a unique American voice. Artists who have been oppressed are
The role of women in the camp followers group was therefore crucial for the armies, regardless of their affiliation. At the same time though, there were a lot of criticism brought to the group of "camp followers." One example in this sense was the reluctance to the idea of women in the camp followers group. More precisely, "many equated 'camp follower' with 'whore' or even if they were not quite
Women and Eccentricity in Shaw Eliza Doolittle and the Dog-woman project almost opposite images of British womanhood. Eliza has been turned out by her father into the slums of London and she longs to live in comfort and security. She thinks her dreams can come true if she can speak proper English. The Dog-woman, on the other hand, unlike the Cockney flower girl, is practically a misfit, but not quite. She
Puritan Dilemma Morgan, Edmund S. The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop. USA: Pearson Education, 1999. H]e which would have suer peace and joye in Christianitye, must not ayme at a condition retyred from the world and free from temptations, but to knowe that the life which is most exercised with tryalls and temptations is the sweetest, and will prove the safeste. For such tryalls as fall within compasse of our callinges,
Puritans and Quakers Comparative Analysis of the Beliefs and Attitudes between Puritans and Quakers in Colonial America (17th-18th centuries) Early Colonial American society during the 17th and 18th centuries is characteristically bound by strong religious beliefs of Christianity. The New England inhabitants from Britain, who have established their respective colonies in the Americas, have brought with them their cultural histories; thus, this culture had been further developed in the new country to
Bradstreet also wrote about her fear of death and whether her husband might remarry. "Through her dread of dying in childbirth lets us see that her deeper fear is a jealous one that her husband might remarry," (Hensley xxiii). Bradstreet's description of childbirth as being a shade away from death shows what life was like for women in the colonies. "The last month of pregnancy was not only a
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