Research Paper Reflection and Explanations

      Something I learned from my research paper is that not procrastinating makes everything much less stressful. I am a very big procrastinator and I was surprised at myself when I started working on it ahead of time. I took one day to write half of the paper and another day to write the rest of it. Doing this was actually a very big step for me instead of trying to write the entire thing the night before. It was also very helpful that I did the entire paper full out so that when I would need to go back in a make corrections, it wouldn't take me more than 20 minutes.

      Another thing that I learned from my research was that I am glad I do not live back in one of the Pre-Columbian Empires. The religious aspects of those empires was the focus of my paper and they were very violent. These cultures practiced human sacrifice to please their gods and I would not be okay with other people dying like that, or if I was the chosen one to be sacrificed. They were very brutal with their sacrifices, but that was just their way of life. I am glad that we do not hold human sacrifices in our country or our religion.

Edgar Allan Pooh

I enjoyed this picture because ever since I was little I have loved watching Winnie the Pooh and I thought this cartoon was very clever. However, it is also sad to think of Pooh Bear putting Eeyore in his floor, but it was still quite funny.

Romantic Poem Reflection

http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/owh/oldiron.html
http://www.notes4free.com/old-ironsides-by-holmes

     "Old Ironsides" by Oliver Wendell Holmes is an interesting poem if you can actually understand it. I had a hard time figuring out what the poem was even talking about until I looked up what the author was actually saying. When I did figure out what the poem was saying I thought it was very nice. The author is talking about trying to convince everyone not to take down this old, worn down ship in port, but to let it out to sea where it belongs to sink. The poem talks about how there were many heros aboard the ship and it was very important. I think that is a good message because he is sticking up for what he believes in even if it is just about an old ship.

Connection to Nature

My connection to nature consists of just looking around outside and being amazed by what God has created. We are all dependent on nature. It creats not only oxygen, but it adds beauty to our society. My connection with nature is strengthened when I think about how God has created something so amazing. Everything is all so beautiful, and we should all have a deeper appreciation of it.

The Pit and the Pendulum...

... the walls of the room have just ceased, and yet while I feel an uncontrollable amount of relief I am disturbed on why these people watching me did not squish the life out of me. I question to myself, "why did they stop the walls, did they think of a different way to lead me to my doom as they watch?" I have no time to continue contimplating on these things before I hear the sound of rushing water. The sound is coming from the pit below me. By the time I realize this the pit is half way filled with water and quickly rising. In a frantic attempt I try and climb the walls of my cell that are on each side of me. Since the walls are now so close to me i can climb my way up the slick walls. Placing one hand and foot on each wall, I climb my way up to the ceiling. The clash of my head against the ceiling is my signal that I have reached the end of my climb. The water must be well above the pit by now. With one slip I could fall to my doom and drown within the water, just like the men watching me want. With my head already bleeding from the collision with the ceiling, I am confused and running out of ideas on my next step towards escaping from this wretched place.

     With my head, elbows and any other body part that can reach the ceiling, I hit them against the ceiling in hopes that it will become loose. I can feel the water tickling my feet as it rises. Just then I can feel a weak spot within the ceiling just above my head. With my remaining adrenaline I use all my strength to burst my way through the ceiling. I scramble my way upon the roof of the building. It has been so long since I have seen light that it blinds my eyes, but in my desperation to be free I crawl out of my hole. The water is still rising out of the hole I have created. Knowing that in just mere moments I could have been dead frightens me, but knowing that the men that were watching me will soon be on the roof as well to come and kill me once and for all forces me to continue my escape.

     On the side of the builing I find a rail at which I could possibly side down to the ground. As I mount the rail and start my decent, the rail begins to drag against my skin. It feels as if my skin is being ripped off and rubbed dry, but I am too focused to give up now. The skin all over my body burning and red as I reach the soft ground. The feeling of the dirt and grass is more than I could have ever hoped for just an hour ago. I can hear the men yelling and their weapons clashing as they come out of the building after me. I make a mad dash into the near by forest. My childhood spent outside comes in handy and I make my way through the brush. My energy is depleting quickly so I decide that my best chance would be to climb a tree and hope for the best. The first tree I lay eyes on is a massive oak with an abundance of leaves to conceal me. Stepping on each branch, I make my way up the tree like a rabid animal. I conceal myself just in time for the men have made it to the base of my tree. I hold my breath, close my eyes and when I open them I realize that I have finally done it. I have done the impossible all on my own. Through the torture and doubt I have escaped the clenches of these people and made it out alive.

Reflection on The Crucible.

     The Crucible was a very different kind of story. I think that the characters were a little over the top. For such a small community there was a lot of drama. Each character was developed quite well, however, they were not very relateable. The lives of the characters in this story all revolved around gossip. I do not think that most of the characters such as, Reverend Hale, were that interested in "saving" the people accused of witchcraft. I think that they all just loved the drama and gossip that came with the witchcraft trials and accusations.

Political climate of the 1950s

http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/teachinger/glossary/huac.cfm
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/273188/House-Un-American-Activities-Committee-HUAC

         House Un-American Activities Committee, otherwise known as HUAC, was a group that investigated communists and people that associated with communists. This group was established in 1938and  was lead by chairman, Martin Dies. They accused numerous people and once they believed to have found one, they pressured them to submit the names of other communists or communists sympathizers. Some of the most famous of the accused were,  Hollywood Ten, Elia Kazan, Pete Seeger, Bertolt Brecht, Arthur Miller, and Alger Hiss. They had many questionable techniques used to get their information and they were constantly on the headlines of local newspapers. After awhile the committee was renamed, then later abolished in 1975.

         I believe that the HUAC was taken too far. Many accused the members of going against the First Amendment. Their tactics and accusations were sometimes taken to the extreme. There is a reason that so many people picketed the hearings and that this committee was abolished in 1975. The House on Un-American Activities Committee ruined many people's lives during the Cold War and I am glad the charges on the protestors were dropped. Those people did in fact have the right of freedom of speech.

Puritan Plain Style.

http://www.ushistory.org/us/3d.asp

   

      Part of the everyday life of a Puritan as a child included attending school. Schools were mandatory for communities with 50 families or more. The main reason they had schools was so that their children could read the Bible. Their entire lives circled around God and how they could praise him. There were no non-religious schools like we have today. Their purpose of being there was simply to be a better Puritan by being able to read the Bible. This simple fact shows how much they were obssessed with staying close to their Puritan lifestyle. They did everything in their power to keep it that way. I believe that since they exposed their children to this kind of living it made it so that the next generation would live their lives the same way that they did. I think that their lifestyle was extreme and many things were unnecessary, like their form of punishment, but that is how they were raised and that is how they raised their children. They did this both inside and outside of school.

William Bradford

     William Bradford was very influential on the history of the pilgrims and the Plymouth Plantation. William Bradford and some of his family were passangers on the Mayflower and settled in the new world with the other colonists. He was so influential because he wrote his own journal, Of Plymouth Plantation about his experiences over to and in the new world. His journal gave historians today a large portion of our knowledge about the Plymouth Plantation.

Journal of Discovery

      This image refers to the journey of John Smith. John Smith did in fact travel to the New World and meet Pocahontas. However, this picture from Disney's Pocahontas, is not accurate. Pocahontas is believed to have been around ten years old when John Smith came to the New World. Most people believe that she did not actually have the romantic relationship with John Smith as it suggests in the animated film. Pocahontas was a big part in John Smith's exploration. She helped with her father's (the chief's) approval of John Smith.

Native American Culture

http://www.pbs.org/indiancountry/challenges/cultures.html


      This link refers to the Native Americans in today's culture. Many Native Americans today do not practice the many rituals that the Native Americans did back when they strived in our country. I think that it is sad that these tribes lost their roots. I feel that it is a shame that so many tribes got basically forced out of their culture, but even though I do not believe in the things they believe in I think it is important for them to know where they came from. I do agree that people without Native American ancestry should not try to pretend that they do. It is one thing to respect the culture and even have the same beliefs, but I do understand how some legitimate Native Americans could get upset and feel that they are being disrespected by some of these "wannabes".