This week we are going to look at another opinion question, but I am going to ask you to practice developing support for your answer from the texts we are going to read. Some of you are reading three texts (Bradford, Morton and Hawthorne) about the Merrymount incident, and some of you are reading two texts (Bradford and Morton).
One of the strains that might be interesting to consider in relation to these texts is who you think, based on the texts and the author motivations discussed in class, might be the least biased observer. Bradford, with his desire to tell the unvarnished truth? Morton, with his nothing-to-lose attitude? Hawthorne who is wrestling with the legacy of his family and his Puritan heritage?
Another strain that you might consider is the following question. What is it that makes people want to write accounts of their experiences such as Bradford and Morton did? Do people write such accounts today? If so, for what purpose? If you were going to write such an account, what would you consider important enough to use as your theme?
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To interpert the pieces, as well as to judge bias one way or the other I try to start with an open mind but, I feel each of these three writings are bias, some more than others. For Bradford, I feel his account most accurately depicts the actual event, but to what degree? Is there any way to know? Are there accounts coming from outside parties? Morton is an opposite view. Morton's I believe contains the most bias, by his use of particular language (Captain Shrimp), and also by such good things said about himself, by tring to show an innocence that to me, seems rather unrealistic. I think Hawthorne although struggling with his own Puritan Heritage, shows points of fault within both parties, showing less bias, but if I he has many of feelings that are in the writing.
I think that Morton and Bradford wrote accounts of there history and lives to get there point across, to let people see their views. I think Morton in part tries to be slightly persuasive in writing. I think that Bradford is more factual. People that write their accounts now are just the same. Some write for different reasons but mostly they just want every one to hear their voice.
People write accounts about their personal experiences to remember and to be remembered. If I were to write an account about my life experiences my main focus would be to show people that life and time is to short to take it for granted. I would want to show people that each moment expressed in my writings, was a moment that mattered to me and a moment that should be remembered forever. I would want to show people how to learn from my mistakes and help myself remember the lessons I've learned.
We see people expressing their lives, their experiences everyday through poetry, novels, songs, plays, etc. Each time someone writes something, a little bit of themselves goes into it. A little bit of their lives, their hopes, their dreams. Even though it can be said that people dont go the extent as Bradford or Morton did, it doesn't mean such literature isn't out there waiting to be read, waiting to be remembered.
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