How Early Literature Compares to America Today.

Based on all the readings that were studied throughout the first half of the semester, I think there are many similarities and differences in the values that were strong back then and in comparison to values that are still strong now. The most important value that I think has been kept throughout a long period of time is religion and beliefs. This value is important because it began with the belief of how people were created in the Creation Stories of the Pima people to the Puritans that believe solely in God for everything in their lives. This is a similarity because people today still believe in God and how they were created by him and are blessed because of him. Although there are people who believe in God in today’s society, there are also people who do not believe in God. I think that is a difference from the values in the early days because it was not normal for people to not believe in God. Beliefs have changed in today’s society because people are exposed to science and create their own values and beliefs that are not based on God.

Besides the values of religion that are similar to society today, I believe religion is a strong concept that has lasted from the beginning. Religion has lasted a long time and will continue to because of the faith and dedication that people put into it. As history is looked backed upon and events such as wars and natural disasters have occurred, people have nothing else to help them believe that a life full of hope and joy is still possible. For example, in William Bradford’s, Of Plymouth Plantation, Bradford tells tales of the voyage to the new land and the storms that they endured. Although this was devastation, Bradford and the Puritans believe that God has helped them through the horrid weather conditions and had brought them to their new land. Overall, I believe that religion is the most important concept that has truly survived and is still strong today.

Studying early texts can help people understand American life today in many ways. From early texts such as The First Thanksgiving, which includes traditions that are still practiced today when people celebrate Thanksgiving to the draft of the Declaration of Independence which was written by Thomas Jefferson and gives us an American holiday such as the 4^th of July to celebrate. These early texts are important to study because readers can get a first hand experience from the author who wrote these documents to further understand what they were thinking when they wrote it.

Reference: The Norton Anthology of American Literature