Power Shift in Salem Post

Before the panic about witchcraft in Salem, all of the power was in the hands of the men who were elected by other men to lead the town such as Reverend Parris. The women in Salem were second class citizens, and their opinions usually mattered very little. The men were the ones who made all the decisions about the town, and the church was also fully lead by men. The church had a powerful influence on people during that time. When fear of unholy witches became widespread, the church's influence increased even more. It began to seem like the town was run by a theocracy.

After the incident in which Betty apparently became possessed by the Devil, she, Abigail, and the rest of the girls who danced had the power to accuse any woman in Salem of being a witch. The church went from being directed by holy Reverends to being used as a means for a bunch of newly empowered women of the town to hang whoever they wished. Eventually, the greatly respected Reverend Hale withdrew his support for the witch hunting, but by then powerful members of the government were already fully convinced that the Devil was loose in Salem. After being repressed for so long, a small group of woman who finally had some power and influence unfortunately decided to abuse it.

Sinners Modern Day Post

I think that if Edwards had delivered the speech in a fiery, fist shaking, shouting manner then in modern day he would be dismissed as a fool and possibly insane. However, because he delivered it so calmly as if it was a matter of fact it probably would have still had some impact today. It still would have likely caused many religious people to be somewhat alarmed and possibly shake their faith. But today most people are not as religious as the majority of the populace was back then. It is doubtful that the sermon would have had nearly as much impact now as it did then.

"Sinners in the hands of an angry God" Post

This video initially describes how disturbing and graphic the sermon of Jonathan Edwards was, and then proceeds to give some background on the sermon giver himself. Edwards was living in colonial America when he gave the sermon, and it was so powerful that it started a religious movement in the colonies, giving them further motivation to break their ties with Europe. Because of this, one name given to his sermon was “The sermon New England never forgave him for”. Although many people made out Edwards to be a very cold and loveless man, in reality he was apparently very warm, sensitive, and a loving father. His sermon became known as the most important religious speech ever given on American soil.

Judging by what the video had to tell me, it seems like Edwards described in detail what horrible fates awaited sinners in Hell in order to further frighten his listeners. It also seemed like he dismissed the notion of a merciful god and made God out to be more than willing to punish his subjects. That would certainly put a scare into his colonial listeners. In order to make his sermon more powerful, Edwards likely had to be very specific in what punishments awaited sinners in order to make it more frightening. He also would have had to make it seem like he knew everything there is to know about heaven and hell, more than the priests even. This would have made his sermon even more convincing, because people will always be willing to listen to a self proclaimed expert.

Descriptive Post

http://crackedillusion.wordpress.com/2010/08/17/a-dark-and-quiet-place/ 

Tall pillars of darkness rise up out of the ground, blocking the light of the stars. The only light strong enough to penetrate their branches at night is that of the full moon overhead. Beams of light from the moon illuminate a carpet of fallen leaves and a small stream of dark water flowing over darker rock. The moonlight also reveals the trees around to be mostly dead and barren of leaves, giving the place a slight aura of menace. The trees are tightly packed enough to shroud much of the ground in shadow despite the moonlight. Faint wisps of mist rise up from the running water, further obscuring vision. The darkness limits eyesight enough to make it seem as if the dark forest goes on forever. It appears as if the forest is devoid of living things except for some small plant life. Overall the place exudes an atmosphere of mystery and shadow.

About Me

My name is Grant Hudson, and I moved to Grosse Pointe about four years ago. I am part of a family of five. I live with my brother, stepbrother, mom, and stepdad. Most of my family and friends tell me that i can be a very quiet, pensive person. Apparently I can also be very sarcastic and have a good sense of humor. Some of my interests are hanging out with my friends, listening to music, playing videogames and reading.

In my past school years I have usually enjoyed my english classes becuase of my interest in reading and sometimes writing. I often read books on my own time outside of school. Another thing I really enjoy is listening to my music. The genres I generally listen to are death metal and dubstep. A fun thing I did this summer was a lot of traveling with my family. My favorite vacation was when we went out of the country to Costa Rica. I was able to practice my spanish and learn a bit about a foreign culture.

As I become exhausted staying up trying to finish this assignment, I am reminded that another activity I love is sleeping. Usually the only way i can keep myself awake in first hour is if I get my cup of coffee in in the morning. I am also reminded of the fact that I should probably try to get my homework done earlier in the day than this. I guess I should try harder to keep my old habit of procrastination in check.

Expectations Essay

Being honors students at one of the finest public high schools in the country, an obvious expectation would be a certain a mount of capability. Students coming into an honors class should have a good amount of vocabulary and writing skills already mastered. Students will be expcted to be able to keep up with the pace of work and reading, and to do so without too much complaint. Punctuality is also important. It will be necessary to show up on time for class and to turn in assignments on time. Some enthusiasm is also expected. Honors students should at least somewhat enjoy the work they are doing.

In the classroom, it is expected that students remain attentive to the teacher. This is a good way of showing respect, as well as getting a good grade. Giving proper respect to things in the classroom like the computers and other students is also a good idea. A good skill to have in the classroom is the ability to work well with other people. Getting along well with your classmates can help make a harmonious working environment. It is likely that later on in the year, group work will occur. At that time especially it will be necessary to show respect to fellow students and their ideas.

Good work habits are another obvious expectation of an Honors American Literature class. Students are expected to work quickly and efficiently, both in school and out. They are also expected to manage their time responsibly. This means that assignments must be turned in on time, students will not be tardy, and appropriate amounts of time will be set aside for studying. Lack of studying is unacceptable for honors students. Students will be expected to study often, because that is the only way to do well on tests and quizzes.