Modern Puritans
I think that there are several ways we can see examples of Puritan culture in our modern society. Even though the values and ideas of the Puritans way seem extreme, or outdated the core of these beliefs can still be found in our culture. One way the Puritan beliefs live on in modern times are groups like the Amish. These people have strict religous beliefs and codes of conduct. They are very minimalistic in the way they dress and are not at all materialistic, like the Puritans. The Amish culture is very religiously based, and the rules they follow are governed by their religion. This is something that is shown in the society in "The Scarlet Letter", the laws and rules are based off the ten commandments. Apart from religion and theocracy, there are also other examples of Puritan beliefs in modern society. One of the most important factors of Puritan culture, as well as other theocracies, is conformity. I think everyone today, especially teenagers, can relate to this aspect of Puritan belief. There is always pressure to fit in, whether it be in school, with your family, or in your community. It's human nature to want to belong to a group and fit in with your peers, this human quality is something that exists in any society or time period. Even though the consequences for nonconformity were much more extreme in Puritan societies, people can still be looked down upon or deemed outcasts if they choose not to follow their community's social norms, like Hester in "The Scarlet Letter."

John Proctor: hero or stooge?

          I think that John Proctor would be described as a hero. A hero, to me, is someone who puts others before themselves, has strong beliefs, and will stand up for those beliefs and what they think is right. For most of the play, and especially the end, John Proctor does just this. I am not saying that he was always a good Christian and acted like a hero. In the beginning of the play, John was portrayed very differently. He had a moment of weakness and lapse in judgment in his affair with Abigail. However, I don't think that this made him a stooge.

             Throughout the whole play, John was one of the only people who wasn't afraid to stand up for what he thinks is right. Proctor didn't give into the peer pressure, he knew that Abigail and the girls were sending innocent people to their deaths, and he had enough courage and sense of morality to take a stand. Even apart from his morality, Proctor was also the most sensible and rational character. He could step back see the flaws in the way the trials were being handled. Other characters, like Danforth, were too proud and couldn’t see through to the truth. Even if Abigail hadn’t told John that there was no witchcraft, I think he still would have had the sense and awareness to question the girls’ motives.

            John’s admirable behavior is especially visible towards the end of the play. Even when Proctor himself is being accused of witchcraft, he doesn’t cave. He could have turned in another innocent person to save himself, but he didn’t, and that is what makes John Proctor a hero.

           

           

"There goes the neighborhood..." 

I think that the idea of two cultures clashing with each other is something that has been around as long as we have. As humans, I think we feel safe and comfortable with sameness and familiarity. When something, or someone,  new and different is introduced, it might seem strange or threatening.  This can lead to conflict. We have looked at several examples of this throughout history from our readings so far this year. The best example, in my opinion, is the clash of the Native Americans and the explorers from Europe. I think that the cause of this lack of harmony between the native people and the newcomers was not necessarily because they hated each other. They were such a different culture than the explorers had ever known, that the Europeans jumped to conclusions, seeing them as uncivilized, before even getting to know the native people. In this way, it wasn't really hate that caused the two societies to argue and fight, it was fear and lack of knowledge. If The new explorers had taken time to understand and learn about the native people, maybe they would have found that their values and ways of life really weren't that different after all. The story, "The General History of Virginia", relates to the "there goes the neighborhood" idea. The way John Smith describes the Native Americans is rude and demeaning, calling them "barbarians" and "savages". The settlers only saw the native people as a lesser society than theirs, one that needed to be more like them. They didn't take the time to understand or appreciate their culture. Looking back, if both sides had more of an open minded approach, and could have communicated with one another better, there could have been less violence and adversity.