Crucible Post 1

At the start of the play as in any Puritan society, the church holds all the power. With that said, the control of that power lies with town’s minister, Parris. This power means everything to Parris and he struggles through the first act to maintain it. “‘Betty. Child. Dear child. Will you wake, will you open up your eyes! Betty, little one…’” (Miller 8). Though he appears to be worried about Betty, Parris shows no real concern for the well being of his daughter. He is much more concerned with upholding his authority in Salem. He cannot admit to any suspicion that he may have of witchcraft because it will weaken his authority. Despite Parris’s best efforts, a minister from Berkeley named Hale is brought to Salem to search for any signs of witchcraft. It appears that the men arresting and prosecuting women hold the power, however, the real power lays in the hands of the accusers, four teenage girls.

In a Puritan society it was unheard of for women to have any power whatsoever. However, in this case four teenage girls are controlling who lives and who dies. At the very end of the act the girls admit to being involved in witchcraft and begin to accuse several women of also participating in witchcraft. “Abigail: ‘I saw Goody Hawkins with the Devil!’ Betty: ‘I saw Goody Bibber with the Devil!’” (48). An accusation is enough evidence for these women to be taken to jail and hanged if they do not confess and accuse other women of the same crime. Power is something that Abigail has been looking for.  These girls now have the power to prosecute anyone they chose without any real evidence.

Sinners Follow Up Post

The sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", by Jonathan Edwards was given in 1741 and is perceived as very unsettling even to this day. “’Tis no security to a natural man, that he is now in health, and that he don’t see which way he should now immediately go out of the world by any accident…”. Edwards preaches that no one is safe and that God can send anyone to hell at anytime. Even 260 years after it was given, the sermon is still relatable and makes people question whether or not they are safe from the wrath of God. The repetition and graphic metaphors that it contains make the sermon very hard to ignore. Today religion is less a part of day-to-day life than it was when Edwards gave the sermon. Hearing what Edwards had to say might make a person who only goes to church once a week question whether or not that is enough. Although reactions today are not nearly as severe as initial reactions, this sermon is still affecting lives of Americans and will continue to do so for generations to come.

"Sinners in the hands of an angry God" Post

The sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was written by Jonathan Edwards on July 8, 1741. Edwards wrote the sermon because he wanted to stress to people the severity of sinning. The video states that the sermon is extremely graphic and shockingly brutal even to those who have become accustom to violence. The speech came as a huge shock at the time because those who knew Edwards knew him as a very loving person. The sermon left Edwards shunned by the people he was attempting to help. Though extremely controversial, the sermon had a very large effect on the public.

The sermon itself must have contained extremely harsh language and graphic details to have made such a large and lasting impact. The sermon was very controversial and really made Americans stop and think about their actions and how they would affect their chances of salvation. It probably came as even more of a shock because it was written by a man that no one would have anticipated writing something so violent and controversial. Edwards seemed to think that God would be much less forgiving than most people thought at the time. I think that Edwards portrayed a horrible fate for those who sinned, a fate much worse than anything most people of that time had imagined. The fact that, even in this day in age, people are still stunned at Edwards’ brutal details shows that it still sparks debate and will have a permanent effect on our society. How well know the sermon still is confirms its value as a very important piece of literature. I would expect to come across horrifying material when reading “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”.

Labranoodle Descriptive Post

Picture this; a yellow lab tilting his head, eyes squinted. His head is covered in yellow angel hair pasta. The noodles cover his head in a tangled mess so we can just barely see his dark brown eyes. His bright pink tounge is streched out and he is baring some of his sharp white teeth in an attempt to eat some of the noodles. Some of the longer noodles dangle down far past his snout. The background is white and the dog is the only subject in the photo. His dark brown nose stands out in contrast with the noodles. His fur is golden brown and he has slightly darker brown ears. He seems to be a bit confused as to what is going on and maybe even a little angry.  

Expectations Essay

Students who enroll in Honors American Literature are expected to complete their assignments, show respect, and put effort into their work. It is expected that any and all assignments are turned in on time, with the exception of unexpected, excused absences. More so, they must be completed before the start of class. Also, all essays should be completed in the required format. Of course, no cheating or plagiarism will be tolerated. Along with assignments, students must arrive to class on time and with the proper materials in order to be able to complete any class work or assignments. A part of this class takes place online in the form of a blog. With that said, appropriate language and subject matter must always be taken into consideration when updating one’s blog.

Respect is a key element to success. It is very important to respect everyone in the classroom. Whoever is teaching the class at the time must be shown respect, including and especially, substitute teachers. Respect should be shown by not speaking when the teacher or another student is speaking. Also, aside from constructive criticism, no negative comments should ever be given about a classmate’s work. Along with showing respect for people, respect must also be given to the supplies that are provided in the classroom. The computers should only be used when given permission. In addition, students sitting near the computers should be especially careful.

As it is an honors class, students will be expected to go above and beyond the requirements of a normal American Literature class. Participation is a very important part of showing effort. It shows that you are paying attention and grasping what is being discussed. Similarly, showing effort in homework assignments and essays is of course expected. The bare minimum is not acceptable in an honors class such as this. Being an English class creativity is a major element. While it is important to follow the requirements it is also important to be thinking outside of the box. The expectations of Honors American Literature are high, but in no way unreasonable.

About Me

Hey! My name is Tara and I am almost 15 years old. I've lived in the same house in Grosse Pointe my entire life. I have two and a half siblings; Mike (31), Molly (21), and Conor (17). Mike, my half brother, works at the Detroit Metro Airport, he is an air traffic controller. Molly and Conor are both in college, so its just my parents and I at home. My parents are pretty cool, my mom is an english teacher and my dad is an entreprenuer. I also have a dog named Daisy who is only seven, but looks about fourteen years old.   

I am in the South choir which is fun, but at times extremely demanding. I also play and coach lacrosse. Outside of school I like to rollerblade and hang out with my friends. I recently got Netflix so I watch way too much TV now. My favorite shows are 30 Rock, Community, Friends, and Conan. On top of that I also spend way too much time on the Internet, going on tumblr and facebook. Also, I love listening to music. I don't really have a favorite band, but I like the Beatles and Florence and the Machine. English is one of my favorite classes, along with math and spanish. That's pretty much all there is to know about me.