Carnival Post 1700-1820

During our unit on "The Enlightenment" we have read a variety of authors ranging in topics from sermons to self help narratives.  Each of the blogs have expressed how our class perceived various authors.  While each blog is worth reading here are a few that can be referenced for further insight on each author.  Four authors really stood out to me as making a strong impact on the Enlightenment period, as a whole.

Johnathan Edwards

If you found Johnathan Edwards' Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, intriqueing because it dealt with a new way of looking at Christians, without sugar coating anything, you should check out Tanisha's Blog.  She points out how it is important to see the greatness of God and not His possible desire to punish us.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was a man with a plan.  If you found him to relate to your need to have every minute of your day mean something, then you should check out Julia's Blog.  Here she talks about Franklin's chart measuring his success rate and what she found interesting about his need to be successful.

John and Abigail Adams

John and Abigail Adams communicated for almost 10 years of their lives through letters to each other.  In class we read a few of these letters and talked about how this communication worked and did not work.  We also discussed the lack of affection shown between the two.  Nicole's Blog talked a lot about this lack of affection, she says, "It did not seem like they had much affection for each other but I guess how much affection can you show in a letter?"  This is very interesting, check out the rest of her blog to see what she thinks!

All of the authors we read had something amazing to say, however, these four authors seemed to be able to capture the new period in their own unique ways.

J. Hector St. John DeCrevecoer

     I thought that DeCrevecouer had some very valid ideas about America in his narrative.  I thought his idea that once everyone is in America their heritages begin to blend together is very true, even today.  The idea that the English, Irish, Scotch, German, Swedish, etc. all sort of become one mixed group that describe all Americans is happening just as much in the 21st Century as it was in the 18th and 19th Centuries.  Certain aspects of the cultures that come over to America seem to fade away as communities come together.  Recently I took a human relations class that dealt with the ideas of American cultures and the melting pot idea.  I thought that the idea of every culture sort of melting together to form the unique American culture is a fabulous idea.  However, America today still has prejudices that started to form in the early days of the country.

     DeCrevecouer also talked about the same thing happening with religions.  I think that America is absolutely a place where people can be free to be a part of any denomination they choose.  The idea that all religions will be allied is certainly a positive of American culture.  However, like with races, religions are still victims of prejudice.  Christianity has been guilty in the past of claiming that they the superior religion.  I am Christian, however, I still respect other religions completely.  There is still work to be done for all religions to be perfectly allied.

John and Abigail Adams

     I really liked the letters from John and Abigail Adams for a variety of reasons.  First, I liked that theses letters were deeply personal and probably not intended for us to see.  I thought that most of the time they seemed pretty dry towards each other and did not share much emotion.  However, there were instances when I could tell that they really did worry about each other.  I cannot imagine how hard it would be on a relationship to be apart for that long.  Especially, since at the time there were many diseases that were going around and they must have both been very scared for the others safety. 

     Second, I though that there was a different tone in these letters than in the previous pieces we have read.  It is clear that Abigail is concerned primarily for her husband's well being and also the health of her children.  While John is driven by his ambitions, however, still gets distressed when he does not hear how his children are doing after their smallpox sickness.  I would like to know more of whether or not Abigail was ever frustrated by the fact that John was off doing his own thing all of the time.  It is clearly a, period of time, situation.  I think that today a marriage would never be able to sustain such a long separation.  At the time I think that women had to just accept whatever that men decided, which is no longer the case today.

Benjamin Franklin

    I found Benjamin Franklin's narrative intriguing in a variety of ways.  First, simply what he came from and how far he got is very inspiring.  The idea of being a "self-made man" is so admirable because he was literally poor and some how rose to be one of the most remember people in U.S. history.  What adds to this is that he was able to step out of the shadows of his family and do things his own way.  I think of this time period as very controlled and people always had to go by the rules.  However, I think that Franklin had to courage to kind of put that aside and focus more on himself and take pride in the things he knew he could accomplish. 

     Second, I found his obsession with trying to perform his day to day tasks in meaningful ways was also very interesting.  When I stop and think about my day I never take the time to think about who I have impacted and what I have done to help anyone else.  It seems so selfish when I think about it in retrospect.  However, I think that the ways in which Franklin was trying to control all of the things going on in his life down to the minute is unrealistic.  No one can be completely perfect all of the time.  I think that after Franklin's research he was able to see more closely how impossible it is to live that way constantly.  He was filled with self determination and I think that is what causes him to want to be that perfect member of society all of the time.

Jonathan Edwards

     When I think about the sermons that I have heard recently in my own church and others that I have attended, they seem so light and nice.  Jonathan Edwards clearly does not share this same approach.  One particular aspect that I found intriguing was his use of fear in order to get his parishioners to follow in the right way with Christ.  Nowadays we would find this totally out of line, however, I do in some ways think that people need to be told when they are not following on the right path.  The harsh tone that is carried out during the sermon is needed I think in order for the listeners to understand the seriousness of Christianity.  

     The second aspect of the sermon that I really liked was his use of honesty.  I feel like pastors today do a lot of sugar coating when it comes to the more serious issues and I really like some of Edwards honesty is needed today.  Edwards is trying to stir the crowd up by taking down the walls and just putting his truth about God out on the table.  He is, of course, focusing on the emotions of the audience.  But it is easier to get people to understand the truth when their emotions are out on the table.