Blazin Bones
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This thread is for discussing a college students worse enemy, the Paper.
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Desire to be a vessel of honor unto the Lord Jesus Christ?
Join For His Glory for a discussion on how
https://christianforums.net/threads/a-vessel-of-honor.110278/
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Taking the time to pray? Christ is the answer in times of need
https://christianforums.net/threads/psalm-70-1-save-me-o-god-lord-help-me-now.108509/
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Depending upon the Holy Spirit for all you do?
Read through the following study by Tenchi for more on this topic
https://christianforums.net/threads/without-the-holy-spirit-we-can-do-nothing.109419/
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How are famous preachers sometimes effected by sin?
Join Sola Scriptura for a discussion on the subject
https://christianforums.net/threads/anointed-preaching-teaching.109331/#post-1912042
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Aaaahhhhh! I got to write a paper....
- Thread starter Blazin Bones
- Start date
Blazin Bones
Member
I didn't mean I have one to write now. I do have several assigned that aren't due till march though. I have an 5-7 pg exegetical paper due on Mark's interpretation of the Sowers Parable/ Mark 4:1-9. I have another 5-7 pg paper on a Visit I must take to a different church. Then my English teacher told me I'll have my first paper assigned this coming week in there. Sound fun? 8-)
This thread is to discuss the ups and downs Papers. We all hate them, but we can make them easier by sharing the woes together. Plus when the are finished, Post them in the college forum. We may learn something... :wink:
This thread is to discuss the ups and downs Papers. We all hate them, but we can make them easier by sharing the woes together. Plus when the are finished, Post them in the college forum. We may learn something... :wink:
Z
zay
Guest
Hey everyone, this is the paper I said I was going to post. It's an analysis of Anne Bradstreet's eulogies for her grandchildren, Elizabeth, Anne (grandchild named after her), and Simon. I'll post them in the poetry thread so you can read them.
http://www.christianforums.net/viewtopi ... 605#158605
But here's the paper, it's not perfect but I got an A- so it's not too bad. But I guess I could've done better. It might be easier just to copy and paste in a word processor, I tried to break up the paragraphs.
Anne Bradstreet: A Woman of Grace
Anne Bradstreet was a woman who had gone through and seen many things in life. A woman described as a person who “found the a new world and new mannersâ€Â, in which her “heart rose†in resistance. She was later humbled by finding God, and submitted her strong inner will to His. From poised and understanding in her first eulogy to Elizabeth, to understandably grieved in her second to Anne, to completely distraught in her third to Simon. But through it all we see a woman who loves her family and her God, and gains strength from them in every situation.
The tone for Bradstreet’s first eulogy to Elizabeth was one of overall understanding and forgiveness. She seems at ease and able to cope with her loss, and shows more poise through grief. While obviously in pain, she is able to put things in perspective and understand that every being has its time to depart. And while she is definitely hurt and shaken she still firmly believes in God’s will, and understands that He knows best. That human beings often fail to see the ultimate plan or big picture. She shows this theme and others in tone throughout the short but passionate eulogy. One area of support for the tone is the comfort she finds in nature’s cycle of life. While she is hurt and saddened, she understands that everything has its set time to live and time to pass on. Plums and apples ripe so that they can fall, grass grows and must be cut. Different organisms in nature have set cycles, but for human beings its eternity. An eternity that Bradstreet hopes her grandchild Elizabeth enjoys in peace; as she can no longer take care of her. She is definitely saddened by the loss, but she handles it with such poise and understanding.
Her poise and dignity can be seen early on, in the first stanza. Bradstreet in these lines is a grandmother with pain but she can see the light at the end of the tunnel. She tells Elizabeth farewell, the pleasure of her eye, farewell, for she is going to a place of eternal peace. Lines like these reflect the difference of tone and imagery of this eulogy from the others. While the other two show similar characteristics, they aren’t at this level. You will see that the losses become harder and harder for her to deal with and reason becomes harder to find. But through it all she continues to have faith.
In her second eulogy to her grandchild Anne, Bradstreet shows signs of the poise shown in her first grandchild’s death, but the pain is increased compared to the first occurrence. She is battered, emotionally and even spiritually, and the pain is harder to deal with. But while she remains trustful of God’s will, she begins to question why this had to happen; and shows signs of increased grief and sorrow. She feels her life is joy mixed with sorrow or as she said it, “bliss mixed with woe†(268) She had the joy, love, and happiness from a second grandchild, only to be taken away yet again. Again she had the happiness, joy and bliss of a grandparent, taken yet again. But she still shows grace and elegance throughout the situation; through the pain she is still able to carry on. And she says experience has prepared her for this day and occurrence. She tries to understand God’s will once again, and forgive her grandchild being taken away from her. But the pain still lingers.
Through it all she still trusts God’s will, but she is shaken, increasingly so, from her last grandchild’s death. This loss is definitely more difficult. The imagery in this poem supports that. The experience was one that went beyond touching her core. She struggles with her emotions to the point it becomes difficult for her to write, not just of this experience, but write, period. Her spirit is so touched that she can barely pick up a pen. She is understandably shaken to the point she feels Heaven took the joy she had with her grandchild and replaced it with sorrow. A space once reserved for fonder, warmer memories is now complemented with loss.
The fact that her grandchild was expected to die made the pain worse and added to the dramatic irony of yet another heart wrenching experience. It was an experience of joy mixed with sorrow, an irony of life. The past experience from Elizabeth’s death was supposed to be a learning experience for Bradstreet, but death and the pain of loss remained as a stumbling block. And she felt hopeless in putting faith, hope, and love into someone that was never truly hers, only lent for a specific time which she could not predict. Bradstreet knew Anne, her grandchild, was weak and frail, but she loved her unconditionally. She loved her grandchild so dearly that she could not brace herself for the eventual loss. But through all of this pain and emotion she yet again shows the grace and dignity seen before, and puts her faith in God. She places her trust in the fact that her dearly departed is now resting with Him, in a place little Anne will be in bliss forever. And she is left to put her faith in God, that He will give her something that she, her grandmother, could not give her. Peace and everlasting love, that He will give her for all eternity.
Bradstreet’s third poem is yet another eulogy for a grandchild, this time one month old Simon. Unlike the previous two, this loss leaves her completely devastated and forces her to do some soul searching. In addition to yearning for answers she wanted ever since her first grandchild’s loss, a mere four years earlier, the emotional grief is still there for little Anne and Elizabeth, when she has to deal with yet another loss. By this point, sorrow has built upon agony, which built from past pain. She again must deal with loss even as the pain has not healed, and it is apparent in the imagery of her eulogy for Simon.
Her tone in this poem does display grace and elegance to a degree, but less in comparison. Instead, she searches for answers, struggles to keep it together, and openly questions her God’s mercy. The imagery within the eulogy to Simon supports the weakened emotional state of Bradstreet and shows her true feelings. A situation she knows all too well, but has yet learned to handle. A child that left as quickly as he came. But in that span she already loved him dearly, and is emotionally scarred yet again.
She describes her grandchildren’s deaths as three flowers, two of which were scarcely blown, all cropped by God’s good hands. (268) At this point she loves God but truly struggles. This is apparent throughout the poem, especially lines 5 till the end. She speaks of a God with dreadful awe, who has a will not to be disputed. A will not to be questioned, but undertaken. As humble hearts and mouths are put in the dust, He is still merciful and just. That He will return to make up for loss, and smile again even after bitter crosses. That her grandchild will rest with the others twain, and among the blest in endless joys remain. (268) Before, she displayed such poise and understanding, and now she expresses her true feelings. She describes within these lines what she has been taught and what she knows. She lets go of her convictions and speaks her heart. She questions and asks why. But at the same time, while she tests her knowledge, she finds comfort in it. And even while she is still very shaken, hurt and in need of comfort, she rests her faith in God. Pain that she pleads her grandchildren will never have to go through as she questions but trusts God. The last lines of her requiem to Simon that truly speak volumes. A woman who has gone through as much as she has, all in the span of four years. But within this period, so much can be seen. Within a page worth of literature is an entire stage of her life; all the tears, agony, sobs. All of it is there within the total of one page. We see her act with poise and dignity in her first poem, stricken sadness in her next, and finally emotional collapse in her last. It is then that she finally breaks down and asks why.
Even in that moment, she shows grace and trust from her first and second grandchildren’s deaths, a change in Anne from the first requiem to the second. While she was pained in both experiences, it is here within the period of her third grandchild’s death that Anne changes. While she trusts God and remains faithful, we see her ask ‘why’, and we see her come out of the box she was expected to stay inside. As a strict religious woman, she was supposed to stay within a perspective, to never question God and His ways. But in the last poem she comes out of that, and we see true growth out of pain. She lets go and becomes a woman who questions and asks ‘why’ in the midst of her pain.
While she suffers from the inner wails of pain, still loves and trusts her God with utmost dignity and respect. She trusts her well-being, life, and family to Him, the grandchildren she loves so dearly. She loves God even though He took her grandchildren away. The God she trusts will love them in a way she o no other human can. But she still tries, even as they leave. The final two lines of her last eulogy say it all.
“Go pretty babe, go rest with sisters twain;
Among the blest in endless joy remain†(268)"
http://www.christianforums.net/viewtopi ... 605#158605
But here's the paper, it's not perfect but I got an A- so it's not too bad. But I guess I could've done better. It might be easier just to copy and paste in a word processor, I tried to break up the paragraphs.
Anne Bradstreet: A Woman of Grace
Anne Bradstreet was a woman who had gone through and seen many things in life. A woman described as a person who “found the a new world and new mannersâ€Â, in which her “heart rose†in resistance. She was later humbled by finding God, and submitted her strong inner will to His. From poised and understanding in her first eulogy to Elizabeth, to understandably grieved in her second to Anne, to completely distraught in her third to Simon. But through it all we see a woman who loves her family and her God, and gains strength from them in every situation.
The tone for Bradstreet’s first eulogy to Elizabeth was one of overall understanding and forgiveness. She seems at ease and able to cope with her loss, and shows more poise through grief. While obviously in pain, she is able to put things in perspective and understand that every being has its time to depart. And while she is definitely hurt and shaken she still firmly believes in God’s will, and understands that He knows best. That human beings often fail to see the ultimate plan or big picture. She shows this theme and others in tone throughout the short but passionate eulogy. One area of support for the tone is the comfort she finds in nature’s cycle of life. While she is hurt and saddened, she understands that everything has its set time to live and time to pass on. Plums and apples ripe so that they can fall, grass grows and must be cut. Different organisms in nature have set cycles, but for human beings its eternity. An eternity that Bradstreet hopes her grandchild Elizabeth enjoys in peace; as she can no longer take care of her. She is definitely saddened by the loss, but she handles it with such poise and understanding.
Her poise and dignity can be seen early on, in the first stanza. Bradstreet in these lines is a grandmother with pain but she can see the light at the end of the tunnel. She tells Elizabeth farewell, the pleasure of her eye, farewell, for she is going to a place of eternal peace. Lines like these reflect the difference of tone and imagery of this eulogy from the others. While the other two show similar characteristics, they aren’t at this level. You will see that the losses become harder and harder for her to deal with and reason becomes harder to find. But through it all she continues to have faith.
In her second eulogy to her grandchild Anne, Bradstreet shows signs of the poise shown in her first grandchild’s death, but the pain is increased compared to the first occurrence. She is battered, emotionally and even spiritually, and the pain is harder to deal with. But while she remains trustful of God’s will, she begins to question why this had to happen; and shows signs of increased grief and sorrow. She feels her life is joy mixed with sorrow or as she said it, “bliss mixed with woe†(268) She had the joy, love, and happiness from a second grandchild, only to be taken away yet again. Again she had the happiness, joy and bliss of a grandparent, taken yet again. But she still shows grace and elegance throughout the situation; through the pain she is still able to carry on. And she says experience has prepared her for this day and occurrence. She tries to understand God’s will once again, and forgive her grandchild being taken away from her. But the pain still lingers.
Through it all she still trusts God’s will, but she is shaken, increasingly so, from her last grandchild’s death. This loss is definitely more difficult. The imagery in this poem supports that. The experience was one that went beyond touching her core. She struggles with her emotions to the point it becomes difficult for her to write, not just of this experience, but write, period. Her spirit is so touched that she can barely pick up a pen. She is understandably shaken to the point she feels Heaven took the joy she had with her grandchild and replaced it with sorrow. A space once reserved for fonder, warmer memories is now complemented with loss.
The fact that her grandchild was expected to die made the pain worse and added to the dramatic irony of yet another heart wrenching experience. It was an experience of joy mixed with sorrow, an irony of life. The past experience from Elizabeth’s death was supposed to be a learning experience for Bradstreet, but death and the pain of loss remained as a stumbling block. And she felt hopeless in putting faith, hope, and love into someone that was never truly hers, only lent for a specific time which she could not predict. Bradstreet knew Anne, her grandchild, was weak and frail, but she loved her unconditionally. She loved her grandchild so dearly that she could not brace herself for the eventual loss. But through all of this pain and emotion she yet again shows the grace and dignity seen before, and puts her faith in God. She places her trust in the fact that her dearly departed is now resting with Him, in a place little Anne will be in bliss forever. And she is left to put her faith in God, that He will give her something that she, her grandmother, could not give her. Peace and everlasting love, that He will give her for all eternity.
Bradstreet’s third poem is yet another eulogy for a grandchild, this time one month old Simon. Unlike the previous two, this loss leaves her completely devastated and forces her to do some soul searching. In addition to yearning for answers she wanted ever since her first grandchild’s loss, a mere four years earlier, the emotional grief is still there for little Anne and Elizabeth, when she has to deal with yet another loss. By this point, sorrow has built upon agony, which built from past pain. She again must deal with loss even as the pain has not healed, and it is apparent in the imagery of her eulogy for Simon.
Her tone in this poem does display grace and elegance to a degree, but less in comparison. Instead, she searches for answers, struggles to keep it together, and openly questions her God’s mercy. The imagery within the eulogy to Simon supports the weakened emotional state of Bradstreet and shows her true feelings. A situation she knows all too well, but has yet learned to handle. A child that left as quickly as he came. But in that span she already loved him dearly, and is emotionally scarred yet again.
She describes her grandchildren’s deaths as three flowers, two of which were scarcely blown, all cropped by God’s good hands. (268) At this point she loves God but truly struggles. This is apparent throughout the poem, especially lines 5 till the end. She speaks of a God with dreadful awe, who has a will not to be disputed. A will not to be questioned, but undertaken. As humble hearts and mouths are put in the dust, He is still merciful and just. That He will return to make up for loss, and smile again even after bitter crosses. That her grandchild will rest with the others twain, and among the blest in endless joys remain. (268) Before, she displayed such poise and understanding, and now she expresses her true feelings. She describes within these lines what she has been taught and what she knows. She lets go of her convictions and speaks her heart. She questions and asks why. But at the same time, while she tests her knowledge, she finds comfort in it. And even while she is still very shaken, hurt and in need of comfort, she rests her faith in God. Pain that she pleads her grandchildren will never have to go through as she questions but trusts God. The last lines of her requiem to Simon that truly speak volumes. A woman who has gone through as much as she has, all in the span of four years. But within this period, so much can be seen. Within a page worth of literature is an entire stage of her life; all the tears, agony, sobs. All of it is there within the total of one page. We see her act with poise and dignity in her first poem, stricken sadness in her next, and finally emotional collapse in her last. It is then that she finally breaks down and asks why.
Even in that moment, she shows grace and trust from her first and second grandchildren’s deaths, a change in Anne from the first requiem to the second. While she was pained in both experiences, it is here within the period of her third grandchild’s death that Anne changes. While she trusts God and remains faithful, we see her ask ‘why’, and we see her come out of the box she was expected to stay inside. As a strict religious woman, she was supposed to stay within a perspective, to never question God and His ways. But in the last poem she comes out of that, and we see true growth out of pain. She lets go and becomes a woman who questions and asks ‘why’ in the midst of her pain.
While she suffers from the inner wails of pain, still loves and trusts her God with utmost dignity and respect. She trusts her well-being, life, and family to Him, the grandchildren she loves so dearly. She loves God even though He took her grandchildren away. The God she trusts will love them in a way she o no other human can. But she still tries, even as they leave. The final two lines of her last eulogy say it all.
“Go pretty babe, go rest with sisters twain;
Among the blest in endless joy remain†(268)"
Blazin Bones
Member
http://www.christianforums.net/viewtopi ... 147#162147
I posted my world religions paper in world religions. Go read it if you'd like.
I posted my world religions paper in world religions. Go read it if you'd like.
M
Mac0486
Guest
Brutus/HisCatalyst said:
oh! so thats what class u'r world religions paper was due in. i thought it was for World Civ! :D
Blazin Bones
Member
If it was world civ, you'd have a paper due too. :wink:
N
Nocturnal_Principal_X
Guest
Just thought I would give everyone a simple, but very effective, tip for increasing the length of a paper (if length is a factor).
Block quotes...use block quotes. Why you might ask, simple they take up a lot of space and you can take up even more space explaining the block quote.
Well I hope that helps all you college people out there...it sure helped me. :D
Block quotes...use block quotes. Why you might ask, simple they take up a lot of space and you can take up even more space explaining the block quote.
Well I hope that helps all you college people out there...it sure helped me. :D
Blazin Bones
Member
C
cly
Guest
Okay, this may sound a bit stupid coming from a creative writing major, but is a literary analysis paper basically the same thing as three-point enumeration essay only longer and more in-depth? I have one due in a week in my modern American lit. class, and I don't even have a topic yet. So any knowledge or advice anyone could give me would be greatly appreciated.
K
KnarfKS
Guest
Sorry to say this, but your in trouble...These papers worked in high school very well, but in college they are ripped apart by instructors. Or at least they are in my school. Everything has to have a flow to it, the 3 point sort of doesn't due to the intro and conclusion abruptness. I hate writing and I'm not really good at it, but my composition class did teach me a few things.
Blazin Bones
Member
I'd use a style you're comfortable with, but it doesn't hurt to ask the professor what kind of paper they'd like.
C
cly
Guest
I'll keep those things in mind. Thanks guys!
I
itoldyounoalready
Guest
UMMM... while on the topics of papers, my extremely almost ungodly habit of procrastination has knocked me to the floor and stepped on me once again. 
: I need to write a reserch paper on the historical context and blah ..blah .blah in the Da Vinci code but I have no idea what I'm doing
Should I write on the topic of Jesus' divinity, is this even relating to the topic the professor gave me, HELP
I promise after this I shall procrastinate no more(I think this is the way you say it,hey I'm not an English major, nowhere near it)
: I need to write a reserch paper on the historical context and blah ..blah .blah in the Da Vinci code but I have no idea what I'm doingShould I write on the topic of Jesus' divinity, is this even relating to the topic the professor gave me, HELP
I promise after this I shall procrastinate no more(I think this is the way you say it,hey I'm not an English major, nowhere near it)
M
matt
Guest
itoldyounoalready said:UMMM... while on the topics of papers, my extremely almost ungodly habit of procrastination has knocked me to the floor and stepped on me once again.
Should I write on the topic of Jesus' divinity, is this even relating to the topic the professor gave me, HELP
I promise after this I shall procrastinate no more(I think this is the way you say it,hey I'm not an English major, nowhere near it)
Don't make promises you can't keep.......
At least you're actually doing the paper. I always just copied one from the internet.
: I wasn't walking with the Lord needless to say.
C
cly
Guest
Well, here it is, my literary analyisis paper for modern American literature. It took me about a week to write this thing, hopefully it is good. It's incredible how short this thing looks when it's not in MLA fomat...
*********
Sarah Penn and the New Testament Saints: A Comparison
In “The Revolt of ‘Mother’†by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, the character Sarah Penn is likened unto a New Testament saint several times, and indeed she does have similar attributes as those who were among the first to spread the gospel. Sarah’s love for her family and her determination to do good by them is expressed with zeal and fervor. She strongly, yet calmly, expresses her opinions and thoughts about matters without worrying about how others will think of her. Sarah only desires the best that is possible for her family, and she does everything in her power to make that happen.
Sarah’s love for her family is shown in how she cares for the house and for the family, and she shows that love to the best of her ability, which is what Paul commands in 1 Corinthians 16:14 when he says to “Do everything in love.†One of the best ways that Sarah shows her love for her family is in how she treats Nanny. Nanny is not a strong, healthy girl. She cannot do many of the regular household chores that are expected of women. “[Nanny’s] mother came promptly out of the pantry, and shoved [Nanny] aside. ‘You wipe ’em,’ said she; ‘I’ll wash. There’s a good many this mornin’’ (724).†Sarah, knowing of her daughter’s delicacy, does not force Nanny to do the things she cannot. Sarah just takes up the slack without complaint. “I’ve always took the heft of everything off her, an’ she ain’t fit to keep house an’ do everything herself. She’ll be all worn out inside of a year (727).†Sarah worries that Nanny will not be able to keep her house properly cared for after she is married. Later in the story while Nanny is sewing, Sarah takes special notice of how her daughter is feeling and inquires about it. It is Sarah’s love for Nanny that allows her to accept the girl’s weak and frail body. It is her love for Nanny that keeps her expectations at a minimum rather than having them rise into the impossible.
Housecleaning is something else that Sarah has in common with the saints. It is difficult to manage an unclean and disorganized house. 1 Timothy, chapter three gives detailed instructions on how to choose the leaders of a church and how the hierarchy of the leaders should be organized. Paul includes this information so that the church can function properly. In disorganized and dirty houses, one can find nothing, and even if something is found, then it cannot be used because it is unclean. “[Sarah] swept, and there seemed to be no dirt to go before the broom; she cleaned, and one could see no difference (725).†For her, keeping the house in order is her way of expressing how much she loves her family. She finds a fulfillment and pride in keeping the house clean and in its best working order. She makes managing her family easier by having a well-kept house.
Everything Sarah does, she does to make Adoniram, Nanny, and Sammy’s lives better, even if it means telling them that they are in the wrong. Similarly, New Testament saints often admonish their converts for immoral behavior, but it is only done to help the people grow spiritually and to help them lead better lives. In their letters, the saints tell the members of the churches this. In Ephesians 4:17-18, 22-24, Paul sums up the idea.
********
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of their ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts…You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in the true righteousness and holiness.
********
In many of the final passages of Ephesians, Paul gives exact examples of what, and what not, to do. The rules to Christian living may have offended many of the early Christians, as they still do today, but they were, and still are, necessary. Sarah enforces this idea of loving admonition to both Nanny and Adoniram when she points out that one should count his blessings and that one cannot deny the sins he has committed.
Sarah believes in counting one’s blessings, which is something that the saints are often seen doing in the New Testament Epistles. In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, Paul expresses it this way, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.†Here he is proving that how blessed one is, is often determined by how one looks at life. If one looks for the bad, he will find it, but the blessings are there if one looks for them too. Sarah does much the same thing when she is speaking to Nanny and says, “Well, I don’t think you’d better [complain], a good father an’ a good home as you’ve got (725).†She is telling her daughter to count her blessings and be thankful rather than focus on the things she does not have. Sarah even points out several of the things that Nanny has that not all girls have, thereby proving that Nanny is indeed blessed. Later in the story, when speaking to Adoniram, Sarah says, “Now father…I want to know if you think you’re doin’ right an’ accordin’ to what you profess…you promised me faithful that we should have a new house built in that lot over in the field… (727).†Sarah reminds Adoniram of his promise and proves that he is a liar because he never fulfilled that promise. Her point is valid, and she knows it. Therefore, she runs with it by later telling Adoniram it is not that he will not say anything, it is that he cannot say anything because he cannot deny the truth. Lying is something that Paul also warns people about in Ephesians 4:25a when he says, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor...â€Â
The saints often preached that each person has a job to do, and that the person should do the job diligently and to the best of their ability. This is expressed in Colossians 3:23, which says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.†Likewise, Sarah is a housewife, and she does her job because it is her job. Even when she is angry with her husband, she still makes him his favorite food. Several times within the story Sarah is seen kneading dough, shelling peas, or doing some other household chore. Her job is to also keep the family clothed, and she does this as well. Right after pleading her case about having a new house to Adoniram and losing the argument, she still brings out “unbleached cotton cloth†and a shirt pattern to make some new shirts for Adoniram (728). Sarah does it because it is her job, not because she wants to thank Adoniram for the new barn. She has also provided Nanny with the resources necessary for her to make herself a wedding gown. She wants her daughter to look nice, and has provided a way for that to happen.
At one point, Sarah is even described as appearing to look like a “New Testament saint†(725). The saints often told their churches that they should be meek, yet respectful and determined. In 2 Corinthians 10:1, Paul even describes himself as being meek. “By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you – I, Paul, who am ‘timid’ when face to face with you, but ‘bold’ when away!†Sarah has this look of meek determination. Several times in the story, it is stated that Sarah has not complained about her life with Adoniram. She has always done her duties as a wife and mother, but when she does speak out on this one matter, she does so respectfully and calmly. However, she does not back down from her point. The “saintly expression†(731) that appears on Sarah’s face when she is visited by the minister is a physical portrayal of her belief that she is right in her undertakings. When Adoniram comes home from his trip, Sarah does not create a fuss, but she does tell him that they will be living in the barn from then on and that he will have to put up “some windows and partitions†so they can live there properly. Later when Adoniram is weeping on the doorstep, she quietly supports and comforts him (733). In these scenes, Sarah expresses a determination for her children to have the best that she can give, and she also shows her respect, love, and concern for her husband.
New Testament saints such as Paul, Peter, John, and Timothy are often remembered for their zealous love and beliefs in Jesus Christ. These saints were often viewed as radical in their actions and speech. Acts 4:2 says, “They [the Jewish leaders] were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.†In the same way, Sarah speaks “real plain†(726) to Adoniram about the house that was never built and the barn that is going up in the place of it. At a time where women are expected to keep their opinions to themselves, Sarah goes against the current, just as the New Testament saints, and she speaks boldly of what she believes should be built on the land. When she does move into the new barn, the people of the area think she has gone crazy or is being rebellious. When she is questioned by Mr. Hersey, Sarah simply tells him that she is neither and that what she does is no business of the general populace (731,732). She believes that what she has done is right, and she also believes that it is what God would have her do. She even calls the possibility of her being able to move because Adoniram is away, “a providence (729).â€Â
Another quality that the saints and Sarah share, which ties in with speaking the truth simply because it must be heard, is bravery. In Ephesians 6:20b, Paul writes, “…Pray that I may declare [the gospel] fearlessly, as I should.†The saints needed bravery to face the persecution they encountered for going out and boldly declaring the gospel. Sarah also shows bravery when she moves into the barn. “It took no more genius and audacity of bravery for Wolfe to cheer his wondering soldiers up those steep precipices…than for Sarah Penn…to move all their little household goods into the new barn while her husband was away (730, 731).†Here Sarah steps out and does something bold. She does it because it is right, and because she is entitled to it. She does not let fear or anyone else’s words stop her. She makes up her mind and does what she has to do regardless of people’s reactions.
Just as the New Testament saints ushered in a new era in religion by introducing Christianity, Sarah Penn ushers in a new era of womanhood in America. Through her intrepid boldness, unwavering love, fierce determination, hard-working hands, resolute decisions, and stead-fast beliefs, Sarah proves that women can be stay-at-home others and housewives and yet also be as intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually strong as a New Testament saint. Her saintly qualities allow her to decide what she wants and then to do everything in her power to acquire that want. By standing up to the opposition yet showing respect and care, Sarah proves her own strength and that she deserves her request.
Works Cited
Freeman, Mary E. Wilkins. “The Revolt of ‘Mother.’†Ed. Paul Lauter. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. 723-733.
The New Student Bible. New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House. 1992.
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Sarah Penn and the New Testament Saints: A Comparison
In “The Revolt of ‘Mother’†by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, the character Sarah Penn is likened unto a New Testament saint several times, and indeed she does have similar attributes as those who were among the first to spread the gospel. Sarah’s love for her family and her determination to do good by them is expressed with zeal and fervor. She strongly, yet calmly, expresses her opinions and thoughts about matters without worrying about how others will think of her. Sarah only desires the best that is possible for her family, and she does everything in her power to make that happen.
Sarah’s love for her family is shown in how she cares for the house and for the family, and she shows that love to the best of her ability, which is what Paul commands in 1 Corinthians 16:14 when he says to “Do everything in love.†One of the best ways that Sarah shows her love for her family is in how she treats Nanny. Nanny is not a strong, healthy girl. She cannot do many of the regular household chores that are expected of women. “[Nanny’s] mother came promptly out of the pantry, and shoved [Nanny] aside. ‘You wipe ’em,’ said she; ‘I’ll wash. There’s a good many this mornin’’ (724).†Sarah, knowing of her daughter’s delicacy, does not force Nanny to do the things she cannot. Sarah just takes up the slack without complaint. “I’ve always took the heft of everything off her, an’ she ain’t fit to keep house an’ do everything herself. She’ll be all worn out inside of a year (727).†Sarah worries that Nanny will not be able to keep her house properly cared for after she is married. Later in the story while Nanny is sewing, Sarah takes special notice of how her daughter is feeling and inquires about it. It is Sarah’s love for Nanny that allows her to accept the girl’s weak and frail body. It is her love for Nanny that keeps her expectations at a minimum rather than having them rise into the impossible.
Housecleaning is something else that Sarah has in common with the saints. It is difficult to manage an unclean and disorganized house. 1 Timothy, chapter three gives detailed instructions on how to choose the leaders of a church and how the hierarchy of the leaders should be organized. Paul includes this information so that the church can function properly. In disorganized and dirty houses, one can find nothing, and even if something is found, then it cannot be used because it is unclean. “[Sarah] swept, and there seemed to be no dirt to go before the broom; she cleaned, and one could see no difference (725).†For her, keeping the house in order is her way of expressing how much she loves her family. She finds a fulfillment and pride in keeping the house clean and in its best working order. She makes managing her family easier by having a well-kept house.
Everything Sarah does, she does to make Adoniram, Nanny, and Sammy’s lives better, even if it means telling them that they are in the wrong. Similarly, New Testament saints often admonish their converts for immoral behavior, but it is only done to help the people grow spiritually and to help them lead better lives. In their letters, the saints tell the members of the churches this. In Ephesians 4:17-18, 22-24, Paul sums up the idea.
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So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of their ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts…You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in the true righteousness and holiness.
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In many of the final passages of Ephesians, Paul gives exact examples of what, and what not, to do. The rules to Christian living may have offended many of the early Christians, as they still do today, but they were, and still are, necessary. Sarah enforces this idea of loving admonition to both Nanny and Adoniram when she points out that one should count his blessings and that one cannot deny the sins he has committed.
Sarah believes in counting one’s blessings, which is something that the saints are often seen doing in the New Testament Epistles. In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, Paul expresses it this way, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.†Here he is proving that how blessed one is, is often determined by how one looks at life. If one looks for the bad, he will find it, but the blessings are there if one looks for them too. Sarah does much the same thing when she is speaking to Nanny and says, “Well, I don’t think you’d better [complain], a good father an’ a good home as you’ve got (725).†She is telling her daughter to count her blessings and be thankful rather than focus on the things she does not have. Sarah even points out several of the things that Nanny has that not all girls have, thereby proving that Nanny is indeed blessed. Later in the story, when speaking to Adoniram, Sarah says, “Now father…I want to know if you think you’re doin’ right an’ accordin’ to what you profess…you promised me faithful that we should have a new house built in that lot over in the field… (727).†Sarah reminds Adoniram of his promise and proves that he is a liar because he never fulfilled that promise. Her point is valid, and she knows it. Therefore, she runs with it by later telling Adoniram it is not that he will not say anything, it is that he cannot say anything because he cannot deny the truth. Lying is something that Paul also warns people about in Ephesians 4:25a when he says, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor...â€Â
The saints often preached that each person has a job to do, and that the person should do the job diligently and to the best of their ability. This is expressed in Colossians 3:23, which says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.†Likewise, Sarah is a housewife, and she does her job because it is her job. Even when she is angry with her husband, she still makes him his favorite food. Several times within the story Sarah is seen kneading dough, shelling peas, or doing some other household chore. Her job is to also keep the family clothed, and she does this as well. Right after pleading her case about having a new house to Adoniram and losing the argument, she still brings out “unbleached cotton cloth†and a shirt pattern to make some new shirts for Adoniram (728). Sarah does it because it is her job, not because she wants to thank Adoniram for the new barn. She has also provided Nanny with the resources necessary for her to make herself a wedding gown. She wants her daughter to look nice, and has provided a way for that to happen.
At one point, Sarah is even described as appearing to look like a “New Testament saint†(725). The saints often told their churches that they should be meek, yet respectful and determined. In 2 Corinthians 10:1, Paul even describes himself as being meek. “By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you – I, Paul, who am ‘timid’ when face to face with you, but ‘bold’ when away!†Sarah has this look of meek determination. Several times in the story, it is stated that Sarah has not complained about her life with Adoniram. She has always done her duties as a wife and mother, but when she does speak out on this one matter, she does so respectfully and calmly. However, she does not back down from her point. The “saintly expression†(731) that appears on Sarah’s face when she is visited by the minister is a physical portrayal of her belief that she is right in her undertakings. When Adoniram comes home from his trip, Sarah does not create a fuss, but she does tell him that they will be living in the barn from then on and that he will have to put up “some windows and partitions†so they can live there properly. Later when Adoniram is weeping on the doorstep, she quietly supports and comforts him (733). In these scenes, Sarah expresses a determination for her children to have the best that she can give, and she also shows her respect, love, and concern for her husband.
New Testament saints such as Paul, Peter, John, and Timothy are often remembered for their zealous love and beliefs in Jesus Christ. These saints were often viewed as radical in their actions and speech. Acts 4:2 says, “They [the Jewish leaders] were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.†In the same way, Sarah speaks “real plain†(726) to Adoniram about the house that was never built and the barn that is going up in the place of it. At a time where women are expected to keep their opinions to themselves, Sarah goes against the current, just as the New Testament saints, and she speaks boldly of what she believes should be built on the land. When she does move into the new barn, the people of the area think she has gone crazy or is being rebellious. When she is questioned by Mr. Hersey, Sarah simply tells him that she is neither and that what she does is no business of the general populace (731,732). She believes that what she has done is right, and she also believes that it is what God would have her do. She even calls the possibility of her being able to move because Adoniram is away, “a providence (729).â€Â
Another quality that the saints and Sarah share, which ties in with speaking the truth simply because it must be heard, is bravery. In Ephesians 6:20b, Paul writes, “…Pray that I may declare [the gospel] fearlessly, as I should.†The saints needed bravery to face the persecution they encountered for going out and boldly declaring the gospel. Sarah also shows bravery when she moves into the barn. “It took no more genius and audacity of bravery for Wolfe to cheer his wondering soldiers up those steep precipices…than for Sarah Penn…to move all their little household goods into the new barn while her husband was away (730, 731).†Here Sarah steps out and does something bold. She does it because it is right, and because she is entitled to it. She does not let fear or anyone else’s words stop her. She makes up her mind and does what she has to do regardless of people’s reactions.
Just as the New Testament saints ushered in a new era in religion by introducing Christianity, Sarah Penn ushers in a new era of womanhood in America. Through her intrepid boldness, unwavering love, fierce determination, hard-working hands, resolute decisions, and stead-fast beliefs, Sarah proves that women can be stay-at-home others and housewives and yet also be as intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually strong as a New Testament saint. Her saintly qualities allow her to decide what she wants and then to do everything in her power to acquire that want. By standing up to the opposition yet showing respect and care, Sarah proves her own strength and that she deserves her request.
Works Cited
Freeman, Mary E. Wilkins. “The Revolt of ‘Mother.’†Ed. Paul Lauter. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. 723-733.
The New Student Bible. New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House. 1992.
I
itoldyounoalready
Guest
My brain hurts! ow,ow,ow, severe strain,ow,ow.
C
cly
Guest
itoldyounoalready said:
Yeah. Papers can do that to you. You'll survive, though; I have confidence. :D
I
itoldyounoalready
Guest
Hopefully,though not for long, I have to write a paper on the deity of Christ it involves the Da Vinci Code, ironically I don't know where to start I know the propmt is a statement like this ...The greatest secret of the past 2000 years,prove it's historical or isn't.