The Modern Puritan

When we think about Puritan towns, we think about how strict they were. In our modern day society, it’s a little harder to pinpoint large groups or societies that are very passionate about their beliefs in a way that it is to the expense of those they believe are in the wrong.

One modern day Puritan that comes to mind is ‘The Plastics’ from the movie Mean Girls. It may not seem like it, but they fit the criteria: they are exclusive, strict, and unforgiving.

Exclusive: These three young girls are close “friends” who befriended each other and formed their clique because they shared similar qualities; they were pretty, fit, rich and coldhearted. They won’t befriend others if they don’t have these traits, expect for coldhearted (they can change that) and being rich is a flexible concept. ‘The Plastics’ hold the qualities highly, and do not just allow anyone who is pretty join their clique, but only the ones who are new (so they can change them to be just as they are, without a guilty conscience), and strongly possess these traits.

Strict: These girls have rules that are set in stone and enforced. If one girl is to break these rules then she cannot sit with the rest of the girls during lunch. It may not seem like much, but if not with ‘The Plastics,’ where are these girls to sit? Some rules the girls have: on Wednesday they wear pink, you can’t wear a tank top two days in a row, you can only wear a ponytail once a week, and sweat pants and jeans are only worn on Fridays.

Unforgiving: If you mess up, these girls can ruin you. It can start with kicking you out of their table, and, because girls fight emotionally rather than physically, can lead to them spreading rumors. It can get to the point where the girl feels compelled to cut off all of her hair and transfer schools.

In these ways, ‘The Plastics’, and many cliques, are just like the Puritans. They are, indeed, the modern Puritans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akbCmxb_w8s 

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

John Proctor changes throughout The Crucible. We first see him as a man who has sinned and only cares about himself and his wife. We later know he cares about his friends, the truth, and justice. At the end of the play, John Proctor is hanged for taking back his confession or dealing with the Devil, even if it was really all lies. So the question is: Was John Proctor a hero? Or a stooge? I believe John Proctor was a hero; someone who was noble and honest, even when death was staring at him in the face.

John Proctor was a sinner, who committed adultery and only his wife, Abigail, and he knew of this. With his wife's life on the line, he confessed to the court. He could have remained silent, and kept a good image, but in order to prove that Abigail had also committed adultery, and thus showing she was capable of lying, he confessed. At first, it seemed he had doomed himself, but also Abigail, and there was hope she would no longer be believed. Unfortunately, this backfired when Elizabeth, John Proctor's wife, lied and said she knew nothing of John and Abigail, showing that Elizabeth was a liar, and making John look dubious. To confess to adultery in a Puritan town for the greater good is heroic act, and quite selfless.

Towards the end of the play, John Proctor falsely confesses to “signing the Devil’s book”, but takes it back, leading to his execution. Since he had already confessed, and was already considered a sinner, he could have kept to his confession and been allowed to live, but he knew it was a lie, and he couldn’t about this just so he could be kept alive. John Proctor had to be honest, and be on the side of justice. He had found his “good” and even though he knew he had sinned before, he still did not want to betray the Lord once more.

A number of people had falsely confessed at this time just so that they may continue living their lives, but John Proctor, and others, stayed truthful and faithful. Considering the views of the town, this isn’t foolish, but an act of righteousness. These people were heroes, not stooges. 

Arrivals... There Goes The Neighborhood

In history there are numerous examples of settlers moving into an area a group of humans already inhabited. The new group often has an effect on the original group’s environment, ways of life, and perceptive, although they are often resistant to the change of their culture. This idea of arrivals and change is a constant theme in life; it can be applied to many famous stories, or daily life. We all know how explorers come to the New World, and found Native Americans living here in harmony with nature in an old fashioned manner, if not more primitive and savage like. The explorers changed their way of life, and founded what we now called The United States of America.

While that particular example had a big historical affect, there are more common local examples to examine. America is a good example of this constant change, since its population is made up of immigrants from all over the world. There are times in history when one culture was more popular than another. This merger of cultures has helped the United States be the place it is today.

My community is also known as one of the most diverse in Chicago, since Chicago is very segregated. While we are very diverse, there has been more of an African American population moving in. My community was never exactly safe all the time, but there is more resistance to carelessly be on the streets late at night due to the growing teenagers hanging out, not guarding, but being the ones one must guard themselves against. It’s not because of their heritage that many feel this way, since many young Hispanic boys join them, but because of the way they present themselves; they wear saggy pants, often exposing their underwear, snapbacks, sometimes they wear shirts, and they always occupy the entire sidewalk hanging out, without a motive, or on their bikes, making it awkward to pass by them, stepping on lawns, or pass through them. This is changing my community by the way many perceive it, and how safe they feel on the streets, at any time of the day.

-Little Miss Writer