The slave narrative

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Excerpt: "While I was on board this ship, my captain and master named me Gustavus Vassa. I at that time began to understand him a little, and refused to be called so, and told him as well as I could that I would be called Jacob; but he said I should not, and still called me Gustavus: and when I refused to answer to my new name, which I at first did, it gained me many a cuff; so at length I submitted, and by which I have been known ever since." (61)


Reflection: I found this narrative particularly interesting because even though it tells the story of how the African people were mistreated it manages to maintain a unbiased attitude and almost 3rd person perspective in order to shed true light upon the situation. I also felt aghast at the actual situation in terms of raw emotion.

Journal: Today I have read Equiano's story. I must confess before now i thought of slaves to be an inferior kind and enslaving them to be the only proper way to get them to work. However after reading this i am indeed convinced that free men might be harder workers and better suited for the job. Also I think that some of the conditions describes are even to cruel for people such as them.

Jonathan Edwards

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Excerpt: You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell, but do not see the hand of God in it; but look at other things, as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation. But indeed these things are nothing; if God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling, than the thin air to hold up a person that is suspended in it.
Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a falling rock. Were it not for the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you one moment; for you are a burden to it; the creation groans with you; the creature is made subject to the bondage of your corruption, not willingly; the sun does not willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan; the earth does not willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts; nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon; the air does not willingly serve you for breath to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you spend your life in the service of God's enemies

Reflection: I was utternly stunned at the almost obscene determination and raw emotion that was clearly seen in Jonathan Edwards speech. I was also awed and impressed while also repulsed at the unyeilding and compelte devotion he had to god. He believes that god is the complete force that rules the earth and everything must be done to serve him and only he is the one keeping us from falling into hell and its by his grace that we are able to live the lives we do. He also seemedto argue that god gives his grace to allow everyone to live while also wanted to punish them. From this it could be reasonably inferd that he allows for free will, but that would also make his previous points null and void so that confused me a bit.

Journal: Today I heard Joanathan Edawrds speak. The man is really a devoute. He has convinced me to attend church again. How one man can inspire such crowds and deeds is truley a sign of god and merly helps me believe what he says even more. We are people of god and we must serve faithfully.

Edward Taylor

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Excerpt:

Then cloath therewith mine Understanding, Will, Affections, Judgment, Conscience, Memory; My Words and Actions, that their shine may fill My wayes with glory and thee glorify. Then mine apparell shall display before yee That I am Cloathd in Holy robes for glory.


Reflection:

In this poem the author uses a meaningfukl analogy that his life is a spinning wheel and he asks god to take control of his life and weave him into something. After that he asks for color to be added which I interpreted to mean that he wanted the lords craft to be easily and publicly displayed. After that talks about how was made for gods glory. I thought that his analogy was able to describe his transformation very well, with the loom at first representing him and then that being used as a means to create his new self, the robes which were then colored to show gods work and then dislpayed to show gods glory.

Journal:

Poems

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