Black for Remembrance- Carlene Thompson

This book was 326 pages long. The story was about a women who lost her child twenty years ago, her daughter Hayley was 5 when she was kidnapped, and not long after her body was found burned. Hayles mom Caroline remarried and had another little girl. As soon as she thinks everythings okay strange things start happening around the town, people start getting killed and she thinks she hears hayleys voice when shes alone. Every time someone dies there is a black rose left that says black for remembrance. I really enjoyed this book because it was easy to get into and it tricked me and had a really good ending.

Incident

This poem relates to both the Harlem Renaissance and Disillusionment. This eight year old African American boy goes to Boston for some excitement."Once riding in old Baltimore, Heart-filled, head-filled with glee" This boy keeps staring him down and calls him a nigger, "And so I smiled, but he poked out His tongue, and called me, "Nigger." This shows their culture, they want people to realize it hurts more then most people think. Especially for a eight year old boy just minding his own business to be called such a name and ruin his whole day. He was also disillusioned by thinking people wouldn't say anything. He didn't realize how harsh the world was.

"I saw the whole of Baltimore From May until December;Of all the things that happened there That's all that I remember. "

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

"I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins."

Langston Hughes express the Harlem Renaissance by expressing African Americans culture. They've seen many things, and have been here along time.They know ancient rivers and pyramids before any one discovered them. "I've known rivers:Ancient, dusky rivers." I feel sad when I read this poem, because the author expresses his feeling with the line, "My soul has grown deep like the rivers." I feel like they had everything, they were happy with themselves where they were, until they became slaves.

A Dream Deferred

I feel that this relates to the Harlem Renaissance. It describes the way African Americans feel about their dreams and their lifestyle. That the white people are holding them back from everything they have, until its gone. "Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet?" This meaning their dream is like a sweet, something they can't wait to taste. As time goes by though the sweet soon becomes old and crust over, like their dream, dying because it's been too long, and they have finally lost hope.

Mending Wall

“Good fences make good neighbours.”

This is a disillusionment to both of the characters in the poem. The two neighbors have built a fence, and one feels it's pointless because they have no cows to get mixed up, all they have is trees. The other neighbor on the other hand keeps saying the phrase his father once told him, "good fences make good neighbours." thinking the idea of separation. I feel the fence is pointless, if they have a big farm and lots of land why do they need a fence? Their pretty separated all ready. I feel though that the neighbour who wants the fence is white, and the other man is black. The white man his whole life has grown up with his father saying stay separated from the blacks, but he doesn't want to tell the man in a mean way. "He will not go behind his father’s saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well He says again, “Good fences make good neighbours.” I feel that the white man is disillusioned to think that he needs to have a fence to separate them just because of their race. I also think that the black man is disillusion by trying to persuade him in not having the fence, because in that time of day he should know their "suppose" to be separated.
"There where it is we do not need the wall:

He is all pine and I am apple orchard.

My apple trees will never get across

And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.

He only says, “Good fences make good neighbours.”

Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder

If I could put a notion in his head:

“Why do they make good neighbours? Isn’t it

Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.

Before I built a wall I’d ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offence."

Richard Corey

"WHENEVER Richard Cory went down town,

We people on the pavement looked at him:

He was a gentleman from sole to crown,"

These people on the pavement are poor, and Richard is drenched in glory to them. He has money, education, and grace as they see. "And he was rich—yes, richer than a king,And admirably schooled in every grace:"This is only on the outside though. I feel that they wanted to be him so bad, they expressed this as "And went without the meat, and cursed the bread" meaning they were starving for a while just so they could try and build up to what Mr.Corey was. That's only what they interpreted him to be, happy as can be, he had everything in the world to them. Richard didn't think so though, something besides being poor, or uneducated was eating him inside, something enough to take away all his glory and money. "And Richard Corey, one calm summer night,Went home and put a bullet through his head."

Modernism

I have chosen the Harlem Renaissance to studied more about solely because I am interested. I want to see and read the works of the African Americans, some coming straight out of war. I am intrigued to learn and see what their ideas were and the way they felt and saw life.



The story "Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston, was a sad story with a good moral to it. The story was about a women who helped out the "white" people for some money, and her husband hated that, and hated her all around. She would work and clean for him and her both while all the day he would be gone cheating on her. When he would return home he would yell and often beat her. "Ah done tole you time and again to keep them white folks clothes outa dis house." "He picked up the whip and glared at her." It bothered me the way he treated her, because even though that was back in the old days and that is how the majority of marriages were, it still happens today. It is not acceptable and there needs to be something done. This story ended good, because Delia was terrified of snakes, or basically anything that moved. Well one day as a mean thing to do her husband went and put a rattle snake in her clothes basket. The snake slithered out shaking his tail, but she ran off. The next morning her husband came home and got attacked by his own set up. "Outside Delia herd a cry that might have come from a maddened chimpanzee, a tricken gorilla. All terror, all the horror, all the rage that man possibly could express, without a recognizable human sound."

In "Sweat", Zora relates this story to the Harlem Renaissance by showing the dialect of the African Americans to show a piece of their lifestyle. "You ain't got no business doing it, Gawd knows it's a sin. Some day Ah'm gointuh drop dead from some of yo' foolishness. 'Nother thing, where you been wid mah rig? Ah feeds dat pony. He ain't fuh you to be drivin wid no bull whip." Another example of the African American culture she describes is the way the women lives day to day. She shows how Delia doesn't have all the rights that the white people have, but she has to do what she can to survive.

Realism

In the story "The Story of an Hour", there is a character named Louise Mallard. Louise is an old lady with heart trouble, and has just lost her husband but has no idea. Someone has to tell her and the person that takes responsibility to do so is her sister. When her sister tells her the news, she goes to her room and asks to be alone. When she goes to her room it describes the room as her looking out her open window. She says "Free! Body and soul free!", this here is when she expresses her feeling of her love and hate for her husband. Even though she loved him sometimes, now she was free to live by herself, for herself with no one to tell her what to do. As she became one with her soul, she walked out and stubble down her stairs and her husband was there at the door, but as he walked in, she died at the sight of him.

The social issue in this short story is marriage. Back in the day marriage wasn't fair for women. They had to do what their husband said whether they wanted to or not. They weren't able to be their own person. The way "The Story of an Hour" writes this is in the line, "There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in the blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature."

This is an example of realism for the fact that it is actually expressing how some women felt back then. It's proving to you that is was bad enough to where if their husband died they would find joy in it, and become their self once again.

In the story "The Battle with Mr.Covey" by Frederick Douglass, Frederick is talking about himself. He is a slave who has been working hard for Mr. Covey for a long time. One day out in the field he started to become tired and sick, "I broke down; my strength failed me; I was seized with a violent aching of the head, attended with extreme dizziness; I trembled in every limb." Mr. Covey then comes out and starts kicking and yelling at him to get up and work, but Frederick can't with all his strength, "I tried to do so, but fell back in the attempt." After all this, Frederick runs off with his head bleeding, and through the woods his feet get torn up by the thorns, "My hair was all clotted with dust and blood; my shirt was stiff with blood. My legs and feet were torn in sundry places with briers and thorns."

I think the social issue of this story is that having slaves is wrong, especially the way they treated them back in the day. They treated slaves as if they weren't real people, as if they had no say in what they wanted to do with their day let alone their own life. This was a big problem back then that no one realized until now.

Frederick wrote this as a personal experience. Something he had to go through, which was terribly wrong, but made him tremendously strong. I think he wrote this for all the people who really do care, and for the ones who don't. To open up the eyes of those who felt that there was nothing wrong, to show them his point of view and his life day to day. For those to jump in his shoes and maybe feel sympathy for what he had to go through.

In todays society, if you turn on the television there are many examples of realism. My example would have to be the movie, American Gangster. This movie stars Denzel Washington, and is based on a true story. The social issue would have to be drugs and crooked cops. The movie is about a man who is a drug lord and smuggled herion into Harlem. He would do so by hiding the stash inside the coffins of American soldiers returning from Vietnam.

Of Mice and Men- 107

This book that I have just completed reading really caught my interest. The two main characters in this book are George and Lennie. Two men trying to look for work. After meeting each other George finds out that Lennie has some kind of mental disorder. They become friends, and Lennie relys on George to take care of him. A obsession of Lennie is touching "soft" things, such as mice, but hes so strong that he kills them and doesn't relize it. With Lennies mental disorder and strong hands, it tends to cause him a tremendous amount of trouble.While they were working a farm, thier goal was to save money and buy thier own farm and tend the rabbits and have cows. Lennie was so excited because George promised him he would be able to tend the rabbits. Near the end of the book Lennie gets in some trouble. He accidentally breaks one of the owners wifes neck, and runs up to the spot where George told him to go if anything was to happen. As Lennie sat thier worried as can be, George shows up and he feels comfort. He asks George to tell him about the land they will one day share so he can imagine that happy day. As George is telling him of the beautiful land he takes a gun and shoots him in the head. That really made me sad, because Lennie was such a good guy but hurt everything he touched on accident. I guess as a friend he wanted to but him out of misery, but I wouldn't be able to that to someone who is inside so innocent.

Dark Romanticism

I think Hawthorne would be against transcendentalism. Transcendentalist believe that everyone has a part of God inside of them. That man itself has a stronger power and mind then any government that could ever be made. Hawthorne on the other hand, had ancestors who were judges. Judges who would hang and kill people because of others who claimed they were evil.

In my point of few there is no way that Herman Melville could ever be the same person. If you see humans fighting to eat other humans you've seen the unbelievable. I understand that that was probably the only thing they had to survive, but I think by Melville seeing that that showed him that you fight or die. So, no I don't think he thinks everyone is pure.

Edgar Allen Poe has completely different morals then transcendentalist. Even though I feel its not his fault, but the fault of the environment he grew up in. If you are writing stories and poems about everyone starting off with a touch of evil, you most likely believe in original sin. That everyone is born a sinner because of Adam and Eve.

I think I am more with the transcendentalist. The way I feel when I go outside by myself, even if its not the prettiest sight, the atmosphere just takes me to another place. I also feel like everyone does connect in some sort of way. Once you become real close to a certain person you realize more and more you guys think alike or you might even say the same thing at the same time. Its just hard to believe that if we are all from one thing, that we wouldn't have a part of each other.

After reading The Black Cat it kind of scared me. The story is about a man who has a huge obsession over animals. He gets married, and as a coincidence his wife loves them too. One day he gets a black cat and his wife goes on and on about a old myth that they are evil. He cares for the cat very much and ignores his wife, but day by day he grows meaner and meaner. He stops taking care of all the animals except for the one black cat, Pluto. I thought that was very weird that he would only start caring for that one cat when his wife said it was evil. Then, he started to become mean and ill, he would even cuss at his wife occasionally. This is where it relates to Dark Romanticism, they think the cat is evil and now has turned him evil. "In speaking of his intelligence, my wife, who at heart was not a little tinctured with superstition, made frequent allusion to the ancient popular notion, which regarded all black cats as witches in disguise." I don't believe in it, but it did freak me out, especially when he hung some animal and was crying. He had turned "evil" but still knew it was wrong so he was crying as the "evil" took over him.

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, was a very intriguing poem. What I interpret the poem as is his wife is dieing, and the raven is used as a symbol of scariness and sorrow. He keeps hearing something at his door, but no ones every there, and finally the raven comes through the window. The line, "Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;" stuck out to me. This is where he wants you to know he is terrified. It is late at night and hes so dramatized by what is happening to his wife that he starts to hallucinate that something is there calling for him. "And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-- He feels as if something is out there repeating what he said, because he only whispered the words and they came back louder then ever.

This relates to dark romanticism because of the imagination. Not only the imagination, but the evil imagination. In the poem this guys conscience is not completely pure. Something is haunting him because of the way he feels. "In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore." Here he is explaining the symbol of the Raven, that not only does he represent sorrow but he also represents saintly evil.

Not only did Edgar Allan Poe's wife die when he was literally in the next room, both his parents also died when he was only three years old. I can see how this would change his state of mind. Of course he had to be more independent, which would explain why he is so open minded and has such a big imagination. Also, if he had to face that his parents died at such a young age, death probably didn't become such a big thing to him. Everything that happens in every ones life affects the way the think and feel about certain situations, and I can see where Poe comes from.

Transcendentalist

I read From Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and I agree with what this author feels. Throughout the essay he discusses nature, and how when he's in the wild he is apart of God. He strongly believes that God is apart of him, and when he is out looking at nature he is taken away from his own body and God over comes him. I agree with him in the sense of nature taking you to another place. I feel calm and peaceful, like nothing could harm you in such a beautiful place. That no matter what the scene is your feelings find a way to relate to nature. In the poem he speaks the touching words, "For nature is not always tricked in holiday attire, but the same scene which yesterday breathed perfume and glittered as for the frolic of the nymphs, is overspread with melancholy today." I believe what he feels is true. What he is trying to get across here is that if you seek a beautiful place like the mountains, one day it could be filled with beauty, because your soul is happy inside. The next day something petrifying could happen to you, and that same spot that was yesterday stunning, could turn gloomy and heartbreaking.




The essay From Nature relates to transcendentalist. Transcendentalist believe that everyone has a "oversoul". That some where in everyone is a piece of god, and that everyone connects to each other some how. In From Nature, the author expresses this through nature. "I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of God." This quote is from the poem, and is explaining the connection between him and God. He believes that the nature pulls God out of his soul and he becomes part of his holiness.



The essay From Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson is what I understand to be about being independent. He feels that if you imitate people or follow the crowd you are killing the soul that was given to you. In the poem he quotes, " There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till." To me this means that everyone has their own personality and if your not being yourself your not using what God has provided you with. That if you have this great idea that everyone thinks is crazy, one day your idea will be what everyone believes in.



This essay relates to Transcendentalist because in the essay he talks about listening to yourself and being individual. Transcendentalist believe that of the same nature. They believe that there is apart of everyone with in you, and God speaks to you somehow. So, if you listen to your instinct which they believe to be God, you wouldn't be following the crowd. If your not following the crowd, then therefore you are considered to be a individual.

In the essay, Resistance to Civil Government by Henry Thoreau, the impression it has on me is that he doesn't like the structure of the government."Why can't there be a government where right and wrong are not decided by the majority but by conscience?" To me he is saying that the government is based on majority instead of the few with their own unique ideas. I think this is true in a way. I know the government has to try and satisfy every one's needs, which would be the reason for following what the majority says. If you always listen to the majority though, they could all just agree with each other because they really have no ideas themselves. There are a tremendous amount of people out there with magnificent ideas, but they have no one who will listen.

In this essay this man believes that you should go with your conscience instead of what "law" says. This is what transcendentalist believe. They believe you should listen to your intuition, that little voice inside of you instead of following the crowd. The way he portrays this image is from the statements he makes throughout the essay; "Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then? I think we should be men first, and subjects afterward."

After reading Chris's scenario, I understand how he feels. My family has always been hard on me to make the best grades, go to college, stay out of trouble, and degree in a profession that will provide me with a good amount of money. Sometimes that's not the case though, sometimes I don't want to proceed with what I've always told my family. I want to travel and explore so I can settle down with a job that I really love and dedicate myself to. In Chris's situation I would do what I felt was best for myself. If I didn't think I was going to be happy with something everyone else wanted me to do, Id do what I feel is right for me. If the people your scared of hurting really love you as much as you think, changing your profession shouldn't change that. Your wife or husband should be there for you 150%, so if something that makes you happy and is good for the both of you makes your marriage have tighter budget, so be it. In the long run it's your life and it's what you want to proceed, and anyone that doesn't back you up on that doesn't care for your happiness. I think a Transcendentalist would do what their heart was telling them. No matter how many people they knew were telling them they were making a mistake, I feel they would follow that voice everyone has."Why can't there be a government where right and wrong are not decided by the majority but by conscience?" That's the way transcendentalist feel, they feel that we should decide on what's right and wrong by the feeling we have inside, not the rules of the law.

Alone in the wilderness relates to Transcendentalist tremendously. The video clip is about a old man who decides to "become one" with nature, and build his own cabin so he can survive out in the wilderness. His plan is to stay out in the wild observing nature for thirty-five years. He is like a transcendentalist in the way of resulting to nature for peace. Transcendentalist believe that nature calms you, and brings the God in you out of your soul. "I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of God." This is a quote on the way transcendentalist feel, and they way the old man in the video portrays to be.

Independent Readind- The Voice on the Radio (190 pages)

The book I read is called The Voice on the Radio. This book is a sequel to The Face on a milk carton.The story caught my eye because I like mysteries. This book is about a girl,named Jannie, who is living a normal life with what she thinks are her normal parents. Until one day while eating lunch in her school cafeteria she sees a picture of her when she was only three on the back of a milk carton. The milk carton has a picture posted and a caption saying "Jennie Springs is missing". Even though that is not her name now, she knows its her face on the carton. I couldn't imagine being in her position! Thinking your parents that have raised you now may be kidnappers. I'd be lost, confused, and scared. I would wonder who my parents were and if they were even looking for me anymore. It would be weird because I would feel torn away from the only thing I've ever known. In away I wouldn't even want to meet my biological parents just because for thirteen years I have been with another family. At that point in life I would trust no one. Later on the book, they reveal that the parents that supposedly kidnapped her had a daughter named Hannah. Hannah was involved in a gang and left home. When she returned she brought Jennie with her saying she had a kid and didn't know how to raise her so she put them in charge. When Hannah's parents realized that Hannah kidnapped Jennie they were sad and hurt. At this point in my life I wouldn't know what to do, because whose fault is it? It's Hannah's, so neither family is in fault.

Writing 2- Requirements for becoming a lawyer

Becoming a lawyer is a popular choice for students who want to pursue a legal career. As the population grows and people getting in trouble continues to increase, the need for lawyers will continue to match the need. A Lawyer is a professional who seeks to uphold the law in a courtroom. With their knowledge, they act as legal advisors if their clients find themselves in a legal fix. Lawyers may work for individuals, companies, the government, or have their own practice. They will need many skills such as listening, communicating, advising, and negotiating. It’s not as simple as it seems. It also takes a tremendous amount of education to meet the requirements.

The first step is graduating from a four-year bachelor’s degree program. There’s no specific major, but it would help someone perusing law out is they take courses in English, government, public speaking, and philosophy. After graduation, the next thing one needs to pursue is to enroll in a law school. She will have more opportunities if she graduates from a school that is accredited by the American Bar Association or by a state authority. If not it can limit the graduate’s ability to receive a law license in states other than where the school one graduated from is located. Most of the law degree programs available for attending to will take a student approximately three years to study. After graduation the graduate will have received a Juries Doctor degree. Before one begins their career they have one more thing to accomplish. They must pass the state bar exam in the state where one chooses to practice. Depending on where they choose to go, some states require further test, including an ethics test and a committee.

A graduate now has the title of a lawyer. Now it is time to choose what field one may be interested in. Civil and criminal law are the most popular, but one has many other choices. Such as Bankruptcy, Probate, International law, elder law, intellectual property, patents, and real estate. It all depends on the law students interested and what is compatible with them.

The field I would one day like to pursue would be criminal law. I would like to become a Public Defender. A Public Defender is an attorney whose duty is to provide legal representation to indigent defendants who have been charged criminally and who are unable to pay for an attorney. They are needed for anyone accused in a criminal case that is exposed to any likelihood of imprisonment.

Becoming a lawyer provides one with a good amount of money. Salary earnings depend on the type of law that you specialize in, and who you might work for. According to a chart updated on February 19, 2008 on average a private practice/ firm would make $41,695 a year, a company would make $43,604, government/state and local $30,783, and government/federal $35,197 a year.

There is a lot of schooling a pursuing law student has to do in order to become a lawyer. Not only do they need school, law has to be something one is good at and interested in. There are many things a student needs to accomplish to get to the big finish. If a lawyer is really what one is interested, do not let the work stop the goals one may have, because in the end it will be worth it.

Rip Van Winkle

Rip Van Winkle is a story about a old man who one day goes hiking to a beautiful place, meets some "elves" , drinks liquor they provide to him, and falls asleep for twenty years. It was a pretty boring story, but a intriguing situation to think about, even though we all know it is impossible. I put myself in his position and thought what if I fell asleep for even ten years. How would my child look? He would all of a sudden be talking to me. Who would be president and would we still be fighting in war. What if the people ruled all of a sudden and the world was going crazy. What if our technology reached the unbelievable, and our cars your built to fly, and we had robots doing everything for us.

It's crazy enough thinking there probably will be a major growth within ten year. But to be asleep through the whole transition would throw you off as a human being completely. The way we talk changes on a daily basis, think about not communicating for ten years. You might be socially retarded.

In the story they demonstrate many examples of romanticism. One of the examples I found was "His mind now misgave him; he began to doubt whether both he and the world around him were not bewitched." What he means is something crazy happened to him, and he thinks everything around him is evil, and betraying him. You need your imagination to say this because it is not logic. He feels scared so he says everything is "bewitched", but he really knows the town cannot be evil. "He assured the company that it was a fact, handed down from his ancestor the historian, that the Kaatskill mountains had always been haunted by strange beings." What the mean by this saying is that there has always been a folk tale of creatures haunting the mountains. This is a example of romanticism because no one has seen these creatures, people just feel that they are there but their really not.

In the poem Thanatopsis I feel he is talking about a woman he loves, how the times when their together are so great, but when its almost time for her to go how he falls apart. I also think he is talking about how people die and go to a greater place which he refers to as heaven. What comes off to me as romantic in this poem is that he is imagining how heaven is and the people there, but he doesn't really know. It is strictly his imagination he is writing about.

In the Rope walk ,by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, I think the point of this writing is to take you to a place he sees, or feels. When he says, "With it mounts her own fair face, As at some magician's spell." That sticks out to me because she must have a very catchy facial expression for him to notice and describe her face as he did. This is also a example of romanticism because there is no such thing as magic, and you also have to imagine what her face looks like.

You could use a visual piece of art to illustrate romanticism. The reason I believe this is that when you look at the picture you imagine what goes on there, you wonder where it is, and sometimes you may even feel like your there. Some pictures can take you on a journey just by looking at them.

Parenting

When you are becoming a parent there are many components you need to learn before you really understand what parenting is all about. It’s a beautiful journey, but yet a challenging experience. Some components that go along with the journey are patience, money, time, flexibility, and responsibility.

Patience is a key factor when handling your little one, not only for their sake, but for yours as well. They come into this world knowing nothing but how to eat and breath, and if everything is hectic it will most likely scare them. Parents also need to learn to just breathe and get through things so you don’t become stressed out yourself. While getting used to the world, of course, your baby is going to cry a lot, but with your love and patience you can show him there is nothing to be scared of.

Money cannot buy love, but it is another essential you need to make sure you fulfill. Babies are precious, but they are expensive! As a parent you need to make sure your baby has the correct clothing that he or she needs. They will need diapers, wipes, formula, a bed, ect. You will also have bills you need to take care of. As their parent you need to take good care of their health, which means taking them to a pediatrician, which also will include using money. This will take time as well.

Time on your own is something you will loose as a parent. You will not have as much time to sleep, and it will take you more time to get ready in the morning. Time though, does not only mean you need to take time out of your schedule to take them to the doctor, or time to feed them. Your baby needs your time to give them love. They need you to be around them so they can learn to trust you and know who you are. When their upset it may take hours to calm them down, but they only know you, so you need to take the time to give them that. In the middle of the night when they wake up, as a parent it is your job to feed, change them, and settle them down so they can go back to sleep comfortably. This also includes you being flexible.

Flexibility is something you will have to work on if you aren’t flexible already. You may not be able to get every thing done as planned, or when planned, but that’s okay. You will need to be flexible with your schedule for your child’s needs such as doctors appointments, or if he gets sick. Also, when you go out places your baby might get upset, and you might have to leave, but as a parent that’s your job, and your needs come after his. To be a good parent you have to realize that everything will be okay and will eventually get done.

Parenting is a huge responsibility. From time and money, to flexibility it all ties in when it comes to being responsible. Your baby needs you and it is your responsibility to make sure you give him or her all of their necessities. It’s not only your responsibility to take care of your child, you are also their teacher. As their parent you are the one they look up to. Everything you do, and every decision you make affects them. They learn wrong from right by watching you. So it is your responsibility to show them what life is about and what decisions you should and shouldn’t make.

These are just few of the components you need to be familiar with to be a successful parent. Parenting is a job, but a job that most people love, and would never give up. It may get frustrating at times, but your child needs you there for him/her. You created them and now as a parent it is time for you to teach them. You are going to make mistakes on the way, but if you remember what big responsibility you have things will fall into place, and eventually everything will become natural to you.

The Rationalist

The Puritans beliefs and Rationalists beliefs are completely opposite. Rationalist believed in a natural law, that God created them but left it up to them to discover and figure out things. Puritans on the other hand feel that God controls everything and if thought otherwise would be going against God.



In The Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin he demonstrates rationalism. In the biography he says, " I wished to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into." He is trying to become clean and one with God. He is doing this by making a list and doing experiments to try and reach moral perfection himself.




Relaxation- being able to reflect on things
Tranquility- being in a calm state of mind, not getting overwhelmed
Compassion- caring and giving more back to the word
Solemn- getting things done when they need to be
Reliable- people can count on you do get things done
Joyful- loving who you are and the way you live
Respectful- polite to everyone
Budget- spend money where is needed and save all you can
Achievement- try your best at everything you do, and go for all the goals you want.
Loyalty- being faithful to those you love
Dignity- being worthy
Silence- keeping to yourself those things you shouldn't say
Cleanliness- in your body, clothes, and where you live.



The list stated above would be my thirteen virtues to approve upon my life. I don't think I could reach moral perfection this way, but I know I could become a better person. Even if someone followed these rules throughout their life without faith and believing in God your only doing it for yourself. I believe God would like you to have values and not do certain things, but I think it's more of believing in him. No matter how many values I make for myself I don't think I would reach moral perfection. I think it would just satisfy me knowing that I am living my life the way I feel would make me better.

In the Declaration of Independence they state "That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." To me this means that when the government is not fulfilling the needs of the people that they are able to come in and alter the rules making them beneficial to everyone. Another statement they make is, "But when a long train of abuses and usurpation's, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security." This is basically they same concept. If the people are in danger or over ruled it is their job to take control for their safety. "Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government." Means that now it is a necessity and they have to change the form of government. This would definitely be a rationalist statement, because a puritan would never dare to change any rule unless someone was told by God to do so.

The Puritans

The Puritans have a list of believes they follow. Total depravity, unconditional election, limited attonement, irresistable grace, and perserverance of the "saints". They feel that certain people are chosen to interpret the will of God. If you are chosen they feel that it is impossible to go against the will of God. They also believe that every one is born sinful, and God saves only those he wishes to.

Typology is another belief in Puritanism. This belief says that God's intensions are present in human action and natural phenomenon. Meaning that things happen because of something else. Also they feel God's reward is present in natural phenomenon. Examples of this would be flooding, bountiful harvest, or a dried up river.I agree with this somewhat. I believe in fait and blessings. I also believe that everything happens for a reason, that God has a plan for all of us and the good things and the bad things all lead to what is meant for us.

Their way of life and belief's are very different from those of most people today. I do not believe in thier ways at all. In the "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" they make a comment saying, " Because of Adam and Eve puritains believed everyone was a born sinner." To me that is not true. I believe everyone is born innocent and has a chance to do right and, when sin they are able to repent. Another remark they make is “Thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of god over the pit of hell, they have deserved the fiery pit and are already sentenced to it.” God does not hold us over the pit of hell, no one is already sentenced to it and I believe God wants everyone back in heaven. They act as if God hates some by saying, “He is to pure eyes then to bear to have you in his sight, you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes then the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.”

I don't agree with the way they believe that at any moment God as the power to drop us in hell. I do believe God has the power to take our life at any given moment, and that we should thank God for every day we are here. But their remark “Ye there is nothing else to be given as a reason why you do not this very moment drop down into hell.” really bothers me.

They mayflower compact is a contract they all agreed to while sailing on the mayflower. They decided they would go ahead and establish the government they would follow before the ship even landed. They were not going to go by the rules of the people they left, and they really weren't considering anyone else. To me that is selfish. I understand it's every man on thier own, but I still don't think it's right to barge into some one elses lifestyle and try and change it.

Puritans believed in limited atonement; Jesus died for the chosen only, not for everyone. Irresistible Grace - God's grace is freely given, it cannot be earned or denied. Grace is defined as the saving and transfiguring power of God. They give examples of this in the "Sinner in the hand of an Angry God". They say, “It was up to saints to interpret the word of god the way THEY chose.” this is an example of transfiguring power of God. “Thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of god over the pit of hell, they have deserved the fiery pit and are already sentenced to it.” Is referring to them not being able to earn grace.

Another one of their beliefs is Unconditional Election - God "saves" those he wishes - only a few are selected for salvation. They give an example of this by saying, “You have offended him infinitely more then ever a stubborn rebel did his prince, and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment. It is to be ascribed to nothing else that you did not go into hell last night. That you had suffered to wake again in this world after you closed your eyes to sleep, and there is no other reason to be given of why you have not dropped into hell.”