Modern Puritans

Modern Puritans don’t exist. However, there are still groups that are similar in their harshness of rules. Puritans escaped to America for religious freedom when the Church of England was formed. Puritans believed in strict rules and ruthless and cruel punishments if broken.

There is one religious group I should mention, mainly because it is very hard on the people, using shame and humiliation to keep people has followers. It is the Church of Bible Understanding.

The Church of Bible Understanding (formerly known as the Forever Family) was formed by former atheist Stewart Traill. He started his group in Pennsylvania, targeting people has young as 13 by drawing on their weaknesses. Throughout the 1970s, the group expanded to other parts of the United States. Traill, born in Quebec in 1936 is the son of a Presbyterian minister, who teaches that he is the reincarnation of Elijah, and that he knows the date of the return of Christ.

According to members of the group, they live in a commune and donate 90% of their income to the religious faction. Traill amassed a fortune and owns four planes and a half million dollar mansion. According to former members, Traill controls every aspect of members’ lives through harsh criticism, shame, and public humiliation. The cult also runs a mission in Haiti, where some former members claim Haitian children are indoctrinated in exchange for food and clothing.

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

     Is John Proctor hero or stooge? The definition of hero is a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength. A stooge is more of a stupid character. He may appear to be a stooge at times, but I believe is the hero of this story. Even though he died and couldn’t save anyone, the courage in him to go against Abigail really makes up for it.

     His affair with Abigail was his chance to save everyone. It would prove that Abigail is trying to kill his wife. It was a sin that destroyed his honor, and his wife did not want to destroy it and lied about it. Lying about it got Proctor in even deeper trouble.

     Throughout the play, he is an enigma. I could never figure out what his personality. At first, I thought he was a bigot since he didn’t go to church. The more I thought about it, I realized he is man of opinion and I respect it. Parris and Danforth are the ones I can’t bear to stand. They are so concerned about their reputation that they would kill a bunch of innocent people. Abigail’s course of action was based on their tolerance for admitting to witchcraft. This led to accusations of false people. Proctor rarely goes to church because he dislikes Parris’s way of church. This is something was not really tolerant back then, but is a choice that really effects the outcome of the book.

     Proctor may have done a couple of “bad” things, such as not going to church and having an affair. But that doesn’t mean he is a stooge. He had evidence against Abigail, and he tried to put her behind bars. However, the court was once again concerned about its reputation and Proctor lost. Out of the whole book, he is the one trying to save everyone accused, not just his wife. Trying to save others, not just his wife, is something hero would do. However, he doesn't follow Puritan beliefs and doesn't go to church. Therefore, I believe even Proctor committed a couple sins, he is more of the hero than anyone else in the story. 

Arrivals...There goes the neighborhood

     This statement is correct. As soon as Columbus discovered the New World, the natives' neighborhoods instantly disappeared. Why? Although they said whey came in peace, and intended to explore, they settled down in the land. England actually started the colony here. They obviously did not move in with the natives. They just simply booted them out of their land. Some of the land was bought. They rest was rather "booting" the natives off. They even gathered them into lands designated for the natives. The lands were way different than the plains, the mountains, the forests where they used to live. Even so, the government actually cut off little by little off of the reservations the natives already moved to.

     How, we say, why would the natives just welcome them? How is there such peace as Thanksgiving? What happened to the Iroquois Pact? The answer is the same. They simply got booted off the land after the settlers moved in and need the space for them to live in. They slowly push them across the west. They also took away Indian resources. They hunted bison. With guns, their efficiency was deadly. They wiped out all the bison, so much that the natives were forced to change their way of life due to lack of their food resources. All around America, the Native Americans were forced to move. Even when they put up a fight, the U.S. just pushed them aside so they could mine the land for gold. No matter who and what it is, arrivals cause the neighborhood to face change.