The Modern Puritan

Harsh judgment and merciless ridicule swirled their heads to conjugate cruel assessments, but the sad thing is that to them, they are not harsh, merciless, nor cruel.  The reaction to that which is unfamiliar is a common attitude in their bleak lives of minimal variation. The paradox reoccurring throughout Puritans is the consistent growth in pretentious mindsets. Even though criticism is directly against the beliefs and morals held by these people, it is often seen that through their endeavors to better themselves to perfection, slowly they retain a false sense of flawlessness causing brash assumptions about other's character and quick judgment based off minor actions. Represented by the sneering gossips in the second chapter of the Scarlet Letter, it is also evident that false claims of insufficiency are made up due to jealousy. People are supposed to behave and react to a certain set of morals but these morals are instead disregarded due to hostility towards others in a community. And worst of all, it sees that those who prevail are not those who abide by these unreasonably strict ideals, but instead those who are so far from these morals that they know how to manipulate and lie to appear innocent.

These contradictory ideas have been adapted, not only in one group in particular, but in most beliefs of modern society. Western standards for what is acceptable are extremely skewed, that they become impossible to uphold, whether it be the amount of technology to be owned, or the body shape of an individual. Seen prevalently in feminine ideals; many people are held to ridiculously unobtainable standards and condemned when they fall short. People preach the importance of loving who you are and individuality, but are when this becomes reality, they are rejected due to jealousy or the simple imprint of human nature to shun all of what is unusual. People in modern culture advocate the goodness of human kind but when morals of kindness are exemplified, they are viewed as “uncool”.  It is also evident that those who succeed in our society are the opportunistic who know how to undermine the laws typically applicable to others whether they be of state or of humanity.  

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge

The night wind pressed forth on my window. Previously this occurrence would cause me to leap to prayer, but now only brings sorrow and guilt to my heart. Guilt that treads so heavily inside me is brought not only by the idea that I once believed, truly, in a church that became so corrupted, but also the sentiment that the commence of this horrific tragedy could be attributed to my appearance in that town. The only comfort I can bring myself is with the notion that I believed myself helping to remove the devil, but only now do I realize the devil was deep inside each of their heart in the form of vengeance and pride. Try as I might, I cannot forget the monstrosities I have aided in, but mostly the injustice I have brought to one family in particular, the Proctors.

John Proctor's fate had been sealed the moment Abigail was entrusted with power and only now do I realize the flaw in our previous reasoning. For it was preceding sins that condemned him when the foes he had made in his community gained the ability to persecute him. A flawed hero, he faced not only the physical adversaries accusing him of blasphemy, but also his inner battle with guilt and unworthiness. But, it is not the sins that damn a person, but instead whether or not he repents and proceeds in the doing of Gods will after he seeks salvation. John clearly exemplified the idea of Christianity through his loyalty to his fellow neighbors and clairvoyance throughout the madness. The extent of pride and self-centered characteristics represented by the leaders of the providence was appalling and in comparison depicts john proctor to be saint-like. I pray God forgive me for urging a good man to turn to sin but under circumstances so extreme, no other solution seemed to appear. Though I would not have it be as it is, I understand why John must have done what he did. Be it pride or not, a man’s name is the only thing he has once he has endured betrayal and torture. Therefore, in his final acts, John not only protected his sons however best he could, but also saved the lives of many for hanging.

I have refrained from interaction as best as possible until my judgment recovers form these happenings, though I fear they never will. I know not of the happenings in Salem now but I hope they have come to Gods light.

New Arrivals... There Goes the Neighborhood

The autumn air was brisk and gusty. Fallen leaves spiraled into micro tornadoes in the wind. Enveloped in a layer of clouds, the sky was cast in a shade of pale grey. The dreary weather accommodated the feeling of uncertainty he felt. Forced to leave his home for 'better opportunities', his entire family left to endure months of sickening waters alongside other traders on a small ship called the Fortune. Relief had filled each and every person when they had finally reached land. This sentiment, however, was ill felt due to the bittersweet terms of their arrival. Talk of supply strain was overheard by both newcomers and previous settlers. This of course was because, as he later found out, their journey hadn't exactly been expected. On top of this, the land that had been promised to give new fortune had the appearance of being bleak and barren. The rocky cliffs and tough soil hardly seemed welcoming, at least not in his eyes.

            This knowledge put him on edge. Having the feeling of undesirability, he felt paranoid over, possibly inexistent, eyes following his figure as he passed by. Attitudes felt hostile towards him. The feeling of judgment never ceased to leave his side. Their placement of blame was not incorrect, however. He understood their rations were scarce to start of with and now the arrival of 35 newcomers would be sure to tax everyone’s famine. Knowing it wasn’t unreasonable; he still somehow felt their allegation was hypocritical, for he had heard the older men in taverns talk of native savages before the first settlement. This thought angered him, for they knew how it felt to be unwelcome. They should understand that he was not responsible for what his community had done, or not done. He wished they saw the similarities in their situations over their differences, as he did.

Still, he felt the eyes follow and inhospitable conversations lined his ambivalent days. Slowly, the trees grew bare and fallen leaves degenerated, creating a perfect metaphor for the colony’s state of being. As autumn faded to winter, he watched the town officials, perplexed over the ration shortage dilemma, scramble to fathom a resolution, however desolate the chances seemed.

Introduction

   During the short fourteen years of my life, I have been called a “walking dictionary”, “Little Delgado” (given to me by the constant association to my older sister), and “Lauren Actually” (a pun on my actual name, Lauren Ashley, due to my extensive use of the word actually at the age of 3). While each of these nicknames provides a somewhat relative description of me; my favorite is still the portrayal of Renaissance woman, as I was called by a colleague of my father’s. I believe this is specifically well suited due to my well-rounded personality. Though I am not typically exceptional at any one thing in particular, I enjoy music of all sorts, ranging from classical to contemporary, and play both violin and viola. I have played soccer, basketball, and softball. I enjoy writing and reading extensively, as well as drawing and painting. Unfortunately this leads to the predicament of self definition, or lack of it. With a logical and analytical mind, I often found myself listening and observing behavior of those around me, which in turn lead to others confiding in me, even if we are not well acquainted. Aside from that, I have a great love for science and the study of the natural world. One of my earliest memories is of my comprehension of relativity of time after reading a children’s biography on Einstein. Independence has also been a theme of my memories, whether it was wandering off at daycare, or finishing activities without the aid of other peers or teachers. This was not so much due to an introverted mindset but more dependant on a curiosity and excitement from discovering something new. Sometimes, I am unfortunately described as hardheaded when coming to meeting and exceeding the expectations I hold for myself. On a lighter note, I enjoy anything that involves humor.