Native American Literature

The Trail of Tears
By Brian Childers ©1998
http://users.ap.net/~chenae/natpoem.html

I look to the long road behind
My heart is heavy with my people’s sorrow
Tears of grief I weep - for all that we have lost
As we march ever farther from the land of our birth
On the Trail of Tears

Mile after mile and day after day
Our people are fewer with each rising sun
Disease and starvation they take their terrible toll
And though we suffer still we march on…
On the Trail of Tears

I watch my beloved weaken and fall
Upon the road like so many before…
With tears in my eyes I hold my wife to my breast
And in my arms she breathes her last…
On the Trail of Tears

Mile after mile and day after day
We march to a land promised us for all time
But I know that I can no longer go on
I know that is a land that I shall never see…
On the Trail of Tears

As my body - it falls to embrace the earth
My spirit - it soars to greet the sky
With my dying breath am I finally set free
To begin the very long journey towards home
On the Trail of Tears


Reflection:
Due to the oppression of the Indians by the white man I thought this poem showed how the native people truly suffered as a result of the cruelty. This poem is about the Trail of Tears, which is one of the greatest tragedies in the Native American history. The Trail of Tears is a path in which federal troops marched thousand of men, women, and children across 850 miles to move them to reservations. The poem written by on the travelers depicts the aliment the tribes suffer, which include sickness, death, and loss of famiy. I sympathize with the Indians because due to the white man's greed they were forced to suffer tremendously all because the whites wanted the land they lived on to increase their wealth.

Diary:

16 June 1838

Dear Diary,
Today was our greatest loss yet. As we travel the beaten trails to our new land my people fall to their knees and never stand again. I haven't had a good meal in weeks. Mother saves her rations to give to us, her children, but her face is becoming shallow. I'm afraid she might be the next to fall. Two nights before my little brother passed away in the night. Some claim it a blessing that he shall not have to suffer and can instead live in his real homeland with Great Spirit. Out of the 700 brothers from my tribe we are now only left with 450. The white men do not care. They give us ratty blankets and dirty food yet they guard us while wearing the finest furs and glutonously fill their stomachs. We do not even have time to give our people proper burial we must leave them where they are or else we shall be beaten. What a shame it is that the white men claim America to be free yet we are walking our death sentence.

Essential Question- Native American

The American Dream is not “one size fits all”, the Dream has different meanings to different groups of people but refusal to accept such diversity results in oppression of those minorities. The white mans dream was to become economically wealthy and prosperous. However the dream for Native Americans was to have peace and harmony with each other and nature. The white man destroys the Native Americans dream. He oppresses the natives by taking away their land in order to use it to benefit themselves and their dream. The refusal of the whites to compromise and accept dreams which differs from theirs contradicts their own reasoning for founding America, a place to escape answering to higher authority.

Of Plymouth Plantation

Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford
http://spider.georgetowncollege.edu/english/coke/bradford.htm



"I shall not take upon me exactly to describe their proceedings in these things, because I expect it will be fully done by themselves who best know the carriage and circumstances of things. I shall therefore but touch them in general. From Connecticut, who were most sensible of the hurt sustained and the present danger, they sent out a party of men, and another party met them from the Bay, at Narragansetts, who were to join with them. The Narragansetts were earnest to be gone before the English were well rested and refreshed, especially some of them which came last. It should seem their desire was to come upon the enemy suddenly and undiscovered. There was a bark of this place, newly put in there, which was come from Connecticut, who did encourage them to lay hold of the Indians’ forwardness, and to show as great forwardness as they, for it would encourage them, and expedition might prove to their great advantage. So they went on, and so ordered their march as the Indians brought them to a fort of the enemy’s (in which most of their chief men were) before day. They approached the same with great silence and surrounded it both with English and Indians, that they might not break out; and so assaulted them with great courage, shooting amongst them, and entered the fort with all speed. And those that first entered found sharp resistance from the enemy who both shot at and grappled with them; others ran into their houses and brought out fire and set them on fire, which soon took in their mat; and standing close together, with the wind all was quickly on a flame, and thereby more were burnt to death than was otherwise slain; it burnt their bowstrings and made them unserviceable; those that scraped the fire were slain with the sword, some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so as they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire and the streams of blood quenching the same, and horrible was the stink and scent thereof; but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the praise thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them, thus to enclose their enemies in their hands and give them so speedy a victory over so proud and insulting an enemy."



Reaction:

The passage above describes how the white men joined with a native american tribe, the Narragansetts, to fight against the Pequouts. I liked the above excerpt because I thought it showed that the white men were able to compromise both with themselves and with the Indians. Another state willingly sending men showed that the nation was strong and ready to support itself. The Indians who had agreed to join with the whites is proof that the two groups could participate in one another's life without being soley destructive. I am proud of the settlers because I think this passage shows the growth in which they accomplished. Previously the natives and whites had misunderstandings but now they are able to communicate with each to be helpful in time of need. The passage also shows that the whites were not ignorant to the Indians. The white men knew that the Natives were more familar with the land and tribes so they took in consideratoin any ideas that the had in battle plans.


Diary:

18 November 1624

It is winter once again. Like when we first arrived at our new country. The journey was long and cold. Most of the time the chilled wind cut across our faces while the rain froze. When we first arrived to the land a few men were sent across to explore the land. They found themselves in a battle with the Natives. Since then we have had many battles. Today, however, there are red men in my house talking to Father. My brother tells me they are going to help us fight against another tribe. I am intrigued by the Indians. They do not talk or dress like we do. When the men leave our house they shake hands and my father looks pleased. I ask him why he is so happy. He says that the Natives are our friends and will help us.


20 November 1624

Today we had a war with the Indians. Our village gathered outside and met our Native friends. Armed with weapons the marched quietly into the woods. We did not hear from them for a while until the night lit with fire and smoke. This is when we heard the cries of men. Hours later the men came back bruised, dirty, and tried but they rejoice with their victory andexchange gifts with our Native friends.

Bradstreet's Poems

1. "To My Dear and Loving Husband" by Anne Bradstreet
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bradstreet/bradhyp.htm

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live ever.


Reaction:
It is rare that people truly mean what the say in their vows or marriage commitments. I liked this poem because I thought it showed who loved her husband regardless of the temptations that the world may offer. Often when a partner is a relationship has the oppurtunity they will abandon the other if something greater arrives. However the speaker proclaims in this poem that nothing, including treasure, could change her desire for the man she married. The speaker is sincerely grateful for her blessing from God, her husband. She begins her poem by bragging that she is far more happier than any women but then catches her humanly attitude by praising heaven for her husband. She ends her poem with reference that when they die they shall forever remain which I feel evokes a sense of serenity because it implies that their love will not only flourish on earth but in heaven as well.


Diary:

18 September

My husband has been gone now for two months on business. It kills my heart that I am not able to spend my days with him. I pray each night that he shall return safely and quickly to my arms. Friends stop buy to keep me company but they are nothing compared to my dearest. I wonder if he thinks about me as much as I think about him. I cannot wait til he returns and I am able to feel his hands in mine. He makes me happier than anyone I have ever encountered with his friendly smile and his incredible ability to make me laugh. I would give up all the treasures in the world if it meant he would never have to leave my side. I cannot wait til again I am able to feel his presence in this lonely house in which I sit. However I know that I must not sulk as I would like to because God has chosen to make me feel this way so that I will be even more grateful for his blessings.

Poetry Chart:
http://svaladepoetrycharts.blogspot.com/2008/03/anne-bradstreet_27.html



2. "The Vanity of All Wordly Things" by Anne Bradstreet
18 March, 2008. http://www.annebradstreet.com/the_vanity_of_all_worldly_things.htm

[Excerpt]:
"As he said vanity, so vain say I,
Oh! Vanity, O vain all under sky;
Where is the man can say, "Lo, I have found
On brittle earth a consolation sound"?
What isn't in honor to be set on high?
No, they like beasts and sons of men shall die,
And whilst they live, how oft doth turn their fate;
He's now a captive that was king of late.
What isn't in wealth great treasures to obtain?
No, that's but labor, anxious care, and pain.
He heaps up riches, and he heaps up sorrow,
It's his today, but who's his heir tomorrow?
What then? Content in pleasures canst thou find?
More vain than all, that's but to grasp the wind.
The sensual senses for a time they pleasure,
Meanwhile the conscience rage, who shall appease?
What isn't in beauty? No that's but a snare,
They're foul enough today, that once were fair.
What is't in flow'ring youth, or manly age?
The first is prone to vice, the last to rage.
Where is it then, in wisdom, learning, arts?
Sure if on earth, it must be in those parts;
Yet these the wisest man of men did find
But vanity, vexation of the mind"


Reaction:
Due to society's high regard for beauty and wealth, it is often forgotten that material things do not provide satiable happiness. I thought this poem did an exceptional job at conveying the vanity in which we suffer. The point of this poem is that beauty and wealth and material things consume our lives rather than virtues such as family and faith. Even today we see advertisments on television, billboards, and magazine about the latest trends but it is rare to find stories that are not centered on diet fads or get rich quick schemes. My favorite part of the poem is the line which states "But vanity, vexation of the mind". I thought this line profoundly summarized everything about vanity, that it clouds your vision to see the important things in life. Keeping in regard to the Puritan way of life, it was a sin to think of materials as wealth greater than a relationship with God. Anne Bradstreet writes this poem with a full understanding that material treasures diminish in time but God is an everlasting luxury.

Diary:

14 August

Today my sister walked with me into town. She shared with me her joyful news of her recent engagement. However as she chatters about the decorations and guests I scold her for not being appreciative of her greatest gift, her husband. As we walk past the many shops I am angered by her gawking at the dresses hanging in the windows. She should be grateful of God's blessing not anxious about how her ceremony will look. I myself own many nice things but I do not flaunt them as she does. I am content with knowing I have them to wear when I like but my poor sister insists on wearing her nicest garments all of the time. Her future husband is from a wealthy family and it makes me wonder if my sister is in love with him or his extravagances. I would miserable living with someone who I don't love but only enjoy. But I know that God must have a reason for being so naive and in time he will show her what true wealth is.

Poetry Chart:
http://svaladepoetrycharts.blogspot.com/2008/03/vanity-of-all-worldly-things.html



3. "From Contemplations" By Anne Bradstreet
http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/bradstr1.html

WHEN I behold the heavens as in their prime,
And then the earth, though old, still clad in green,
The stones and trees insensible of time,
Nor age nor wrinkle on their front are seen;
If winter come, and greenness then doth fade,
A spring returns, and they're more youthful made.
But man grows old, lies down, remains where once he's laid.
By birth more noble than those creatures all,
Yet seems by nature and by custom cursed--
No sooner born but grief and care make fall
That state obliterate he had at first;
Nor youth, nor strength, nor wisdom spring again,
Nor habitations long their names retain,
But in oblivion to the final day remain.
Shall I then praise the heavens, the trees, the earth,
Because their beauty and their strength last longer?
Shall I wish there or never to had birth,
Because they're bigger and their bodies stronger?
Nay, they shall darken, perish, fade, and die,
And when unmade so ever shall they lie;
But man was made for endless immortality."


Reaction:
In this poem Bradstreet compares the death of nature, which continuously restores itself in the spring, to the death of man, who remains dead. The relationship between man and nature is shown in this poem as the author compares and contrasts their abilities to be reborn. She states that nature does not pocess features in which to tell age in contrast to man who develops wrinkles and withering bodies. A sense of jealously is developed nature because it is blessed with an everlasting life on earth but then regains contentment by reassuring herself that she is blessed with an everlasting life with God. Overall I feel there is a sense of serenity in this poem because it does not view death harshly but rather in an enlightened state of rebirth.

Diary:

6 June

This morning I walked in the garden while the dew was still fresh. As I sat to say morning prayers I begin to ponder about the flowers. Each winter they die but in the spring they are miraculously reborn. How great it would be if men could also rebirth themselves. Once a human dies he is laid into the earth and there he shall forever lay. However flowers shrivel and dissappear into the earth but once the sun rises and the days are longer the flowers once again appear more vibrant the ever. Not only do the flowers have the ability to return to life, a gift greater than any person could imagine, but also to remain forever youthful and beautiful. In time our bodies begin to wither and we become fragile with sickness and old age. This is not the case for nature, for it retains all of its strength. I daydream about returning to earth renewed each year but I know that life would have no meaning if I was not capable of living with God when it ended. Nature is blessed but not as blessed as I for God has the ability to renew my soul in eternal life.

Poetry Charts:
http://svaladepoetrycharts.blogspot.com/2008/03/contemplations.html

Huswifery

Huswifery by Edward Taylor

Make me, O Lord, thy Spinning Wheele compleat;
Thy Holy Worde my Distaff make for mee.
Make mine Affections thy Swift Flyers neate,
And make my Soule thy holy Spoole to bee.
My Conversation make to be thy Reele,
And reele the yarn thereon spun of thy Wheele.

Make me thy Loome then, knit therein this Twine:
And make thy Holy Spirit, Lord, winde quills:
Then weave the Web thyselfe. The yarn is fine.
Thine Ordinances make my Fulling Mills.
Then dy the same in Heavenly Colours Choice,
All pinkt with Varnish't Flowers of Paradise.

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.


Reaction:
In this poem the speaker compares himself to the necessary tools needed to construct a sweater and compares the weaver to God. The spinning wheel, the main piece of equipment, he compares to himself. The distaff is God's Holy words, the speaker's belife system. The flyers, the needles, are the emotions of the speaker. The spool, the thread, represent the soul of the speaker. The reel, which pulls the thread spool, is his conversation with God. I thought the metaphor the author used showed how a sweater which is clothing and a necessity was woven by God therefore conveying that God's presence in life is also essential to live. This poem represents Puritan literature because it metaphorically relates a simple task, such as weaving, to God, who is the focal point in their lifestyle and belief system. By worshiping God, he would weave his glory into their earthly life and weave them eternal life when they die.


Diary:

24 May

I honor my God more so than anything. Each morning before I rise I recite scripture along with each meal of the day and before I lay my head to rest. We must remain humble for there is nothing we could do that would ever amount to the perfection of Him. I owe every achievement to His Holiness and even when He spills mishaps into my life it is because I deserve them or there is a greater blessing to be revealed.

Jonathan Edwards

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Johnathan Edwards
http://www.piney.com/JonEdwSinHands.html

"They are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell. They do not only justly deserve to be cast down thither, but the sentence of the law of God, that eternal and immutable rule of righteousness that God has fixed between him and mankind, is gone out against them, and stands against them; so that they are bound over already to hell. John 3:18. "He that believeth not is condemned already." So that every unconverted man properly belongs to hell; that is his place; from thence he is, John 8:23. "Ye are from beneath:" And thither he is bound; it is the place that justice, and God's word, and the sentence of his unchangeable law assign to him."

Reaction:
The speaker of this sermon feels that all who are non believers in God are condemned to hell. He believes that all wicked men will fall to destruction and their souls will perish when God decides it is time for them to do so. However I feel that this is ignorant and that the speaker is not being acceptant of others who may have different ideas about faith than he does. I understand that this sermon is a reflection of the speakers own opinions but with all the different cultures and religions it seems as though he is being narrow minded. There is anger evoked in this sermon because the speaker feels that all men should bow to the power of God. I agree with the speaker in the sense that people often consider themselves supreme to others and provide to themselves a false sense of confidence, wisdom, and power.


Diary:

8 October

Today is Sunday. I went to the church to listen to father preach. He becomes a different man in the church than he is at home. When he begins to talk about those in our town who have chosen to not convert themselves to Christ it makes his face turn red with anger. Their is no doubt in his mind that all of the people who have not accepted the Lord will perish. Some people applaud others shout amen. I sit quietly in the pew and listen to Father. Sometime I do not agree with his remarks but I shall never let him know. He constantly preaches that the Lord is going to bring the destruction upon of all the non believers and that they are wicked people who will go to hell. If I ever hinted that I do not believe what he preaches I should probably never be allowed to return home. I have heard of the countries across the sea, across europe who have different cultures than us in America. They dont believe in God however they are not wicked people.

Essential Question - Puritan

Unlike the American dream of becoming economically sound, Puritans look down upon such vanity as money and material goods. The goal of the Puritans was to be satisfied with life and to achieve God’s grace. They strived for religious perfection of ridding their minds of humanly wants and replacing those thoughts with God’s benevolence. Their belief system was that every action was an act of God’s will. The puritans were extremely dogmatic about their faith and refused to accept any person or other religion which did not parallel their belief system.

Slave Narrative

Olidah Equiano's account of the MiddlePassage
http://www.princeton.edu/~howarth/304.Projects/Erera/Pages/Background.htm

" 'The first object which saluted my eyes when I arrived on the coast, was the sea, and a slave ship, which was then riding at anchor, and waiting for its cargo. These filled me with astonishment, which was soon converted into terror, when I was carried on board. I was immediately handled, and tossed up to see if I were sound, by some of the crew; and I was now persuaded that I had gotten into a world of bad spirits, and that they were going to kill me. Their complexions, too, differing so much from ours, their long hair, and the language they spoke (which was very different from any I had ever heard), united to confirm me in this belief. Indeed, such were the horrors of my views and fears at the moment, that, if ten thousand worlds had been my own, I would have freely parted with them all to have exchanged my condition with the meanest slave in my own country.' (53-54)"

Reaction:
The author of the narrative is Olidah Equiano who had been a slave since child hood but explains that in his culture slavery is very different than that of the europeans. The passage above explains the reactions of Equiano's first impressions of the whites. I sympathize with Equiano because he is taken as a slave by the whites, who do not speak the same language as him nor has he ever encountered whites. It must have been hard to understand the chaos which surrounded him at that time. I feel like the Europeans should have had at least brought aboard a translator who could have helped the slaves because if would have lessened the confusion and made the journey easier because both parties would be able to understand each other rather than instilling fear.


Diary:

4 August

Right now I am sitting the in the cago hold of a ship along with 300 other slaves. Today I was brought to the coast for the first time. After looking past the crowds of people and ships the horizon was nothing but blue ocean. When I arrived I looked for familiar faces but I have yet to find one. The white men look so different from me. They have skin the color of sand with long hair that gets pushed around by the wind. I do not understand their language nor do they understand mine. The only way we can communicate is through various hand motions. They cargo hold in which I have been thrown is cramped. There is hardley any light or openings for air. We are allowed only on deck for five minutes a day. Many people get sea sick and our area becomes covered in filth with an awful sting. More and more people get sick everyday from these bad conditions. I hope I stay strong.

Essential Question - Slave Narrative

Originally the American dream was not supposed to be segregated however with time the white men became oppressive to minorities who did not favor their dream. In order to greedily increase their wealth white men began to buy slaves from across the ocean, Africa. Each time a slave was caught he was separated from his family, thrown into dire living conditions, thrown into chaos. The treatment the white men imposed on the slaves created a segregation of the races. This further corrupts the original goal of the American dream because the white men become a higher authority in which the slaves must give up all their freedom.

Patrick Henry

"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry
http://www.liberty-page.com/foundingdocs/givemeliberty/main.html

"Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope.

We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the numbers of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it."

Logos
Ethos
Pathos


Reaction:
I particularly favored the excerpt above because Patrick Henry deliberately states that America is in denial of its surroundings and it most open its eyes to the adversity. In his speech he proclaims that war is inevitable because all other attempts to compromise with Britain has failed. He profoundly says that the country will only fail in war if it does not take action and retreats into submission. His keen awareness of apathy in the country makes me feel proud that there are such leaders as he who acknowledge truth and attempt to mend faults rather than ignore them. Henry's speech evokes patriotism because it recognizes that one country should not be spoiled as a result of another country's action therefore any means, even war, is acceptable if it declares justice. He uses rhetorical question, connotation, and metaphors to appeal to the emotions of the public to persuade them to join the fight.

Diary:
I am aware of the future, and the future holds war. Most would like to blindly wish things would repair themselves, but this is false hope. For years we have suffered unjust treatment for a tyrant. Let them hear us once and for all that we will not be named their subjects any longer. War is on the rise. Again and again we tried peaceful negotiations with petitions but each attempt ended the same, with disregard. Watch us disregard them now as we fire our cannons! War will shed a new light it which we shall prevail. Our distain will not be fixed until all issues are heard and respected. There shall be no peace until we are granted our freedom.

Thomas Paine

"The Crisis" by Thomas Paine
http://www.puc.edu/Faculty/Rosemary_Dibben/English11/NewNation/PaineCrisis1.pdf

"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER," and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God. Whether the independence of the continent was declared too soon, or delayed too long, I will not now enter into as an argument; my own simple opinion is, that had it been eight months earlier, it would have been much better. We did not make a proper use of last winter, neither could we, while we were in a dependent state. However, the fault, if it were one, was all our own*; we have none to blame but ourselves. But no great deal is lost yet. All that Howe has been doing for this month past, is rather a ravage than a conquest, which the spirit of the Jerseys, a year ago, would have quickly repulsed, and which time and a little resolution will soon recover."

Logos
Ethos
Pathos


Reaction:
Thomas Paine's main point in the article is that America has become a slave to Britan. We are bound to them and in order to free ourselves we must revolt. He states that only God should have unlimited power. He raises the moral of the reader by giving them faith in war by saying, "God will not give up people to military destruction." This encourages that not all wil be loss due to war, that even though bad things may happen good things will be achieved. He is aware that all countries endure some kind of panic and fear of another. However be proclaims that such panic sheds light on issues that otherwise may be disregarded. War exposes the hidden thoughts of a man. Although he is offensive to war due to the murder it causes he declares that no man nor country should have to suffer as a result of someone else.


Diary:
I refuse to be held as a slave. For the purpose of government should be to help the welfare of the people not to destroy it. A king should not have the same power as God; therefore I am no subject to him. We are the settlers; we have founded this colony and suffered through the turmoil and hardship. The Parliament has no right to tax us for the things that they have not even seen with there own eyes. Most of the members have never crossed that wicked ocean. It is time to declare independence! We the people must create our own government in which we can prosper from. I will no longer tolerate being bound to a King who demands nothing but money. War is the answer. It shall not be praised but it is the light that will guide us to our freedom.

Essential Question - Revolutionary

America was founded so that people could escape having to answer to a tyrant government. As people began to settle in the colonies they were seperated by a vast ocean. The settlers no longer wished to be bound by taxes and government policies when they were not in the same country. The British american dream was to expand their empire while the settlers' dream was to create a country of their own.

Interviews

"Have you lived the American Dream?"

Kris Stevens, Aunt
"I think I have achieved the American dream but not in the same respect as maybe a business man would consider. I don't have six figure job or belong to a country club but I am truly happy with what I have accomplished in my life so far. Growing up at Wrightsville Beach I learned that the simplest things have the most impact. I have almost paid off both my cars and my house and I am not in debt. I consider this to be very successful. I'm content with not owning all the latest luxuries because I know that money does not grow on trees and prices are higher than ever. Most people measure success in the type of car they own or how big there house is. Money can buy almost anything but it cannot purchase memories, family, or friends. When I wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night I am truly happy, thats how I know I'm successful."


Anne Theilmier, Aunt
"Yes. I have fulfilled the American Dream in all ways possible. I worked by way through college and it paid off. I have a job where I am high on the corporate ladder and make the deserving pay as well. I work virtually from home where I'm also able to take care of my family. I am able to buy and own a numerous of nice things, properties, and memberships without worrying about cost. I think that also benefits my family because I am able to send my children to the best schools and allow them to engage in many extracurricular activities. I consider the American Dream to have a stable job that provides money in order to support a family and I have accomplished that."


Reaction:
In these two interviews I received two extreme reactions. Anne implied that the reason she was successful was because of her material wealth while Kris stated her success derived from things other than money.

Mimicry

It was almost dawn was we reached our new home in Santa Barbra, California. The sky was no longer black liquid with flecks of diamonds, now burned crimson as the sun began to rise in the east. I cannot remember the exact arrival at our new home for the soothing hum of the train’s engine had put me to a well deserved sleep.
“Wake Catalina,” spoke the warm smooth voice of my Mother. As I opened my eyes the rays of the early afternoon sun crept through the window and filled the room with a soft light that swept across my mother’s face. “It is half past noon, you must come meet this new country,” she said as she walked towards the door.
Finally rising, I peered around my new room. It was smaller than the one I had in Mexico. The floor was hard and cracked and looked as though it would be cold to the touch if the sunshine had not already warmed it. The walls were painted a pale gray the color of the thunder clouds that are so common in the summer. After dressing I followed the sounds of my mother to the kitchen where she had started on lunch. Our house was no longer made of slabs of clay the color of sunsets but instead a mixture of dark brick cut into perfect little rectangles and planks of wood. Before our windows and doors had simply been cut out of the clay but now there were actual fixtures with hinges and knobs. The most peculiar yet fascinating thing of our new home was running water. There was now no need to hike along the dusty road to the public wells where I would have before pumped water into buckets and then balanced them back home. Our water was in our house. All I had to do was turn the faucet and after a few moments a steady stream of clear liquid would fall into the basin.
My mother was a tall woman whose brown eyes were as bright like that of the winter water. Her skin was leathered from the sun yet she still radiated a youthful glow. She loved to spend her time in the garden and baking in the kitchen. My father was also similar in appearance, tall and spare, however his eyes were dim yet full of wonder. My father told me of the ocean and that I should go with him after we ate so I could see it and the town.
Soon after lunch I found myself walking down a cracked paved road. All the houses on our street were similar, small and rusty but as we reached the ocean all the streets were lined with house so magnificent in size and manner that they could be seen for miles. As we walked along the boardwalk and distinct yet sweet smell of salt filled my nostrils. The wind pushed my hair back as is wrapped itself around my body and clung to me like small child holds its mother. The sand was tan and when it was wet almost matched the color of my skin. All along the beach jagged rocks dotted the horizon. The waves rolled in and their crashing drowned out all other sound except for the occasional squawk of the seagulls which constantly hovered in the clouds.
On the way home we stumbled upon a family who lived along the beach. Their house probably one of the most glorious I had ever seen. It was painted white which gleamed brilliantly in the afternoon sun. It had huge columns that showed just how great it was in size. The stained glassed windows had brilliant colors of blues, greens, and reds which reflected light like water does on clear summer days. All along the perimeter it was decorated with flower gardens whose blooms were in full effect. In the yard was a boy whom I heard his mother call Noah. His hair was blond like the cornfields of my hometown and his light blue eyes could only be compared to artic ice.

"Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

"To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child. The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood. His intercourse with heaven and earth, becomes part of his daily food. In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows. Nature says, -- he is my creature, and maugre all his impertinent griefs, he shall be glad with me. Not the sun or the summer alone, but every hour and season yields its tribute of delight; for every hour and change corresponds to and authorizes a different state of the mind, from breathless noon to grimmest midnight."


Reflection:

Reflecting on the passage it makes me feel almost envious of a child. The innocence they possess enable them to see the world in a light of wonder and awe. As Emerson says it is true that adult cannot see the world in such a way as a child does because they let their knowledge hinder them from appreciation nature. For example an adult knows that the plants are green because of photosynthesis but a child does ponder about how but instead appreciates it just as it is. However those adults who are connected with nature become spiritually enthralled with nature so much so that it becomes a desire. Those who are transcendentalist are able to embrace nature at anytime of the day and at any season and still feel the same appreciation and amazement.

Diary:

It is mid September and I sit on the golden shores of wrightsville beach. I let the sun warm my back and as I stare into the endless cycle of the waves slapping the shore. The overwhelming sensation of warmth from the sun and the peaceful droning of the waves puts me into a languid mood. The warm breeze stirs blows my hair across my face and seagrass effortlessly dances in the wind. I am iridescently happy. I am scared that I will never be able to feel as content as I am in these moments.

"Self Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Transparent Eyeball

Lines Written in Early Spring
By William Wordsworth

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ‘tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure –
But the least motion which they made,
It seemed a thrill of please.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there pleasure was there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?



Daffodils (I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud)
By William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never ending line
Along the margin of a bay;
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in a sprightly dace.

The ways beside them danced; but they
Out did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed – and gazed – but little thought:
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.