Student Work

The Refrigerator Door - Student Samples

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Jennifer Tedora

Another tenet of Puritanism which the works of Bradford and Wigglesworth exhibit is the belief in a vengeful God.<<<GOOD IDEA FOR A FOCUS If Bradford and Wigglesworth attended a church service in 2011, they would not recognize the loving, forgiving God that is celebrated from the pulpit<<<NICE GENERALIZATION TO SET UP PARAGRAPH. The Puritan God wielded a fierce power over all creatures, as demonstrated when Bradford tells the tale of the “lusty” seaman who mistreated the passengers who were ill on the voyage to America (114). The seaman dies in a “desperate manner” (114), which was perceived to be “the just hand of God upon him” (114). Bradford’s God is clearly vengeful; He<<LOWER CASE strikes down the seaman because he deserves it, and the Puritans shake<<<NOD? their head in agreement and understanding. God takes out his vengeance on the people who deserve it. This God seems to wield illness as justice, as demonstrated when Bradford writes about the high mortality of the Indians and that “it pleased God to visit these Indians with a great sickness” (131). The use of the word “pleased” gives the reader the impression that God was happy to wield his power for the good of the Puritans. The choice of the phrase “these Indians” is not an accident; it is chosen to tell the reader that God does not see the Indians as equals of the Puritans, but as a people deserving of lesser treatment than the “chosen” people of God. <<<NICE JOB OF ISOLATING INDIVIDUAL WORDS AND EXPLAINING HOW THEY PROVE YOUR POINT.

In his poem, “The Day of Doom,” Michael Wigglesworth describes Judgment Day in graphic and horrific detail, with a vengeful God as the star. The popularity of this poem is testament to the common Puritan belief in God as fearsome and terrible<<<CITE SOURCE -- INTRO IN TEXTBOOK. Wigglesworth describes the arrival of God when he writes; “With mighty voice, and hideous noise, / more terrible than thunder “ (lines 51-52), which gives the reader a chill and sets the stage for the terrible events that follow. Wigglesworth goes on to describe in graphic detail the horrible events that take place at the hands of God; babies are condemned, the hypocrites and liars are all forsaken. <<<TRANSITION NEEDED HERE>>There is always a feeling of agreement running through the work, the belief that the ‘chosen” people are validated in their belief in God’s justice. This idea is clear when Wigglesworth writes; “Vain hopes are cropped, all mouths are stopped,/ sinners have naught to say,/ But that tis just, and equal most/ they should be damned for ay” (lines 1453 ā€“ 1456). The reader can almost picture the Puritans standing by in their dark, plain clothes nodding their head in agreement as God strikes down those who deserve it. These Puritans would be as uncomfortable in a modern church as a modern Minister would be in a Puritan church.

Bradford, William. "Of Plymouth Plantation."<<<ITALICS INSTEAD OF QUOTATION MARKS -- AND FROM NEEDS TO BE ADDED B/C IT'S NOT THE ENTIRE WORK. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Volume A. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. 105-137. Print.

Wigglesworth, Michael. "The Day of Doom." Baym 218-234.<<FULL CITATION NEEDED

FINE WORK TO START THE SEMESTER MS. TEDORA.

Melissa Lombardi

Another tenet of Puritanism which the works of Bradford and Wigglesworth exhibit is limited atonement. Both authors support the idea that being good is not considered enough to be close to God and to become “chosen”. The theory of limited atonement suggests that those chosen for that ticket to heaven were chosen before they were even born; God knew who would be at his “right hand”. <<<PERIOD GOES INSIDE QUOTE -- NICE JOB OF DEFINING YOUR TERM BEFORE BEGINNING ARGUMENT. Wigglesworth <<<GIVEN ORDER OF TOPIC SENTENCE, BRADFORD SHOULD BE DISCUSSED FIRST. demonstrates this idea in his work “The Day of Doom”<<ITALICS; this poem strongly represents his idea of judgment day<<NOT NEEDED -- INSTEAD, PREPARE READER FOR QUOTE OR CONNECT TO IDEA OF ATONEMENT. Wigglesworth refers to limited atonement when he states, “These men be those my father chose, before the world’s foundation,” (225)<<< DENOTE LINE BREAKS WITH A SLASH / AND WHEN CITING POETRY, PUT THE LINE NUMBER IN THE PARENTHESIS INSTEAD OF THE PAGE NUMBER. CITATION SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS (Line 34).

. In the above quote Wigglesworth is referring to the men at “Gods right hand” the men that were chosen to go to heaven. Wigglesworth states that these men were chosen by God “before the world’s foundation”. This relates to limited atonement where God already knew who would be chosen to be with him.<<<EXPLAIN THE TIME -- EVEN BEFORE EARTH WAS CREATED, GOD HAD SELECTED THE CHOSEN. Additionally, Bradford also supports the idea of limited atonement in his work “Of Plymouth Plantation”. Several times throughout the passage Bradford talked of God’s providence whether it is an act of good or bad it was always an act of God. For instance Bradford states in his work, “But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, in which he died in a desperate mannerā€¦” (114). Although the death of this young sailor was an unfortunate event, it was still looked at as an act of God; God has already chosen those who will be at his right hand. Therefore, any act of good or bad luck that occurs, the Puritans have to accept it as his providence.<<<GOOD EXPLANATION HERE Overall, both authors absolutely demonstrate the Puritan theology of limited atonement; despite the good that you do God has already chosen who will be at his “right hand”, even “before the world’s foundation”.

STRONG START FOR THE SEMESTER MS. LOMBARDI. WORK ON TIGHTENING YOUR WORDING AND EXPANDING YOUR ARGUMENTS TO INCLUDE ANALOGIES.

REMEMBER TO INCLUDE A WORKS CITED ENTRY

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Two pages of a chapter of my dissertation -- in various states of revision. I offer this to demonstrate how even experienced writers go through extensive revision in an effort to find out what they're trying to say.