Modern Day Puritans?

Puritanism died out along time ago, but few of its principles can be related to in modern society.  In the public school system there is more leniency for just about everything, in my opinion. I went from a strict Catholic grade school to Whitney. In my old school many of the overly strict rules can be related to the ones in puritan society on a smalller scale. My classmates and I had to follow a rigorous dress code. If as so much as your shirt tale was un tucked it could be punishable by detentions. For the most part the detentions were fine, but the guilt the teachers left you with as if you had committed a murder for having your shirt un tucked was the part that always got me. This scenario can be related to the overly strict rules in the puritan age, on a smaller scale. 

I think Puritanism died out for good reasons. Their ways of life seem to me to be ridiculous and overly harsh. The huge majority of religions today they are more “customizable”, as in you believe what you want and don’t believe in what doesn't seem right to you. In today’s world if you feel like believing the philosophy of Taoism over the religion of Christianity you wont be condemned to a pit in hell. With today’s religions being extremely lenient compared to Puritanism, none of the religious aspects of Puritan society still thrive today. 

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

John Proctor is one of the most complex characters in the story. He is confused with what he wants and sometimes his morals can be out of line. In the beginning of the story, I was sure he was pure stooge because he had an affair with Abigail, his wife’s servant girl. He was not faithful to his wife Elizabeth. He seemed not intrested and cold toward her by saying, “No more! I should have roared you down when first you told me of your suspicion. But I wilted, and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed! ...Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not”. He gets mad at her for not letting it go, but he should be more considerate of her feelings and the effect it had on her. Elizabeth tells him, “I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart the judges you”. This makes him less stoogy in my eyes. It shows he is so guilty that he feels his wife judged him or thinks she should. In the end he tries to do the right thing and save his wife, along with the rest of the town from the delusion the girls are causing. When he is given the perfect chance to fix the whole problem and prove Abby a liar, he compromises his good name. He tells everyone of his affair to save his wife from death. This makes John a hero. John has the tendancy to make mistakes, but deep down I belive he is a good man.

Arrivals... There goes the neighborhood

This post is about the clash between two cultures. The only clash of cultures I could think of is when my grandpa came over from Sweden to America. He was only nine years old at the time.  In this instance the clash is between Swedish culture and American culture. My grandpa knew very little English when he came over. He had an exceptionally hard time learning the language. The kids he went to school with bullied him for the way he looked, how he spoke, and he was constantly bombarded with racist jokes. One day at school, he stood up for himself and punched his main offender in the face. My grandpa described it as one of his most proud moments. The kids at school begun to leave him alone and it was clear sailing from then on out. He had made countless friends, and his confidence built through out the end of elementary school. Upon his graduation of eighth grade, he could speak English fluently. His grades showed a promising future. He continued his academic success all through out high school. My grandpa and his family had adapted to the American culture at last. At home his family still made him carry out some Swedish traditions but these were forgotten over time. As he moved on into collage he developed a small business called, safety products. He made school supplies and over time he acquired multiple patents. My grandpa managed this business till he was 65 when he sold the company. He now resides in Hawaii living the dream. His success proves that he endured the clash between two cultures and made a legacy for himself here in America.

Me

Hello fellow classmates my name is Spencer. I am five feet eight inches tall, enjoy scuba diving, and love eating McDonalds. I have always dreamed of becoming a successful basketball player but this dream eludes my grasp because the only other sport I have attempted other then swimming is T ball. After getting accepted into Whitney Young on principle digression for swimming I have decided to stick with swimming. Currently, my favorite class at Whitney is either World Studies or Chemistry. Some of my interests out of school include photography, biking, paintballing, and graffiti art. Currently I take photos for my swim team and publish them on the team website. I enjoy more architectural photography, but taking photos in general is fun. I have been on a paintball travel team for 3 years now. My team and I compete in different tournaments all across Illinois for money and prizes. It’s extremely painful but fun. Feel free to comment or ask any questions below.