The American culture has been greatly affected by the Puritans in very many aspects. It is important to understand who they were and why they are a force to reckon with especially when looking at the formative years of the United States. Puritans were English Protestants that wanted only to reform the Church of England but then carried their cultures to the United States when they immigrated. Long after their very existence, the mythology they created has continued to influence the ways of thinking of the current generation Americans. It is highly likely that even future generations will be positively affected by Puritan culture. The Puritans wanted to enact the story of the Israelites as told in the book of Exodus and that set the precedent for thinking that the United States is a country of the liberated that were running away from persecutions experienced back in England. Up until now, America stands aside as a nation that is chosen to fulfill a special story in the story of humanity and that is one of the notions that shaped Puritan ideals, if Americans look at the Puritan literature from that perspective then they will be living up to the desires of Puritan fundamental beliefs.
One of the most important lessons that present-day Americans can learn from the Puritan literature is the way they lived with each other in harmony despite their position in the English society as outcasts who led their lives quarreling with the authority (Baym et al. 34). Not much was expected of them in as far as peace and stability were concerned. That is so because, despite their shortcomings, it becomes clear that they embraced faith and religion upon which their beliefs were to be based. Theirs was a life that was to be lived to the glory of God just like Winthrop says, and it is because of that they defied all odds and proved their critics wrong by living a life that embraced spiritual obligation to God and fellow human beings. Perhaps, his writings, Mode of Christian Charity can serve as the best example to show God could become honored in a variety of ways. The same way, Americans can learn from that and lead lives that uphold the religious teachings that have been held as paramount through the years.
Under the leadership of John Winthrop, the Puritans stayed true to their beliefs and performed their duties and obligations perfectly well. And some of the principles they believed in are the very ones Americans live by in this day and age. They wanted freedom and hoped for a bright future. That is the very thing that is happening in the United States of today and especially when looking at the country as the epitome of democracy and freedom in the world. In their literature, they wrote in a realistic way about their ways of life as well as their religious inclinations (Johnson 46). These writings were purely based on the doctrinal values they lived by, and that was meant to show how much they were willing to go to live up to the expectations of Christianity. It is through these writings that this generation and future ones should see how the Puritans were committed to living up to their religious beliefs some of which the nation is founded.
Americans should see Puritans as pillars of the Christian faith that taught them to be true to what they believed. That is especially true when one chooses to look at them as people who led simple lives that were governed by religious laws. Present day America is founded on principles and laws that are all inclusive and accommodating. There is always an open philosophy of the country embracing all immigrants because the country was founded by the very first people who moved into the “New England.” The Puritans and their literature demonstrate that people can choose to live by and abide by what they believe and remain truthful to that despite how other people might view them (Johnson 64). It is imperative to note that the Puritans sought to remain firm in their faith, and that is one thing that makes them a very special community.
The Americans of today can learn from the Puritans and emulate their determination to embrace and live by the fundamental principles that shaped their very existence. America today is sinking into ethnic polarization whereby people look at each other from an ethnic or religious perspective. It is sad that the country is founded on the principles of all inclusiveness, yet so much hatred exists between people belonging to different social groups. Today, it is easier for African Americans to take pride in the fundamental beliefs of the American Constitution because African Americans have become recognized as equal to other people belonging to other ethnic groups. But that cannot be compared to what is happening to the believers of Islam, who have become subjects of religious intolerance in the midst of the war on terrorism. It is only right that Americans borrowed from the Puritan writings because they show a kind of determinism by a people on how to lead their lives just like it was stipulated in the Christian teachings that governed them.
Puritan writing also purposed to provide a forum for self-reflection and examination. Writers or authors were expected to write about their daily experiences and fiction was discouraged. That gave everyone room to express themselves truthfully. The diaries and journals they wrote were able to give a clear reflection of their daily experienced and how much religion influenced their daily lives. Americans should, therefore, see Puritans as a group of people who had nothing to hide and had to lead their lives as an open book for all to read. These writings were especially good because they could be used for self-examination and also a blueprint for society’s functionality. By the mere fact that fiction was not encouraged, it becomes clear that theirs was a way of writing that discouraged creativity and encouraged truthfulness.
Puritan writings show or represent a double reality because they reflected natural happenings or phenomena in their natural state as well as the hand of God in the background. There was not much difference between church, state and personal interests because their experiences in England had influenced their thinking on the levels of embracing Christianity in totality (Johnson 79). Their role in New England was to make life better than it was back at home and it is because of that they were at the forefront of ensuring there was peace. They formulated laws that formed the political background that ensured peace and stability. Americans can learn a lot from this experience because Puritans used what was at their disposal to show their values. Americans can learn from these values and the commitment to live by the values that one purports to uphold because that only shows their commitment to their belief system.
Puritan literature was not in any way focused on worldly things or merriment, but rather focused on logic and reasoning. Religious beliefs that is ingrained in the fundamental principles that establish any religion on reasoning and logic. Puritans were not writing for the sake of it but rather focused on the teachings that could have an impact on the lives of everyone in a religious way (Johnson 138). In fact, religious teachings are said to be focused on the subject or genre that is philosophical and any decisions made by an individual should be logically informed. The same way, Americans should look at life from a logical perspective in their quest to live up to the expectations of the constitutions. That way it will be easier to know the right thing to do in as far as being a good citizen is concerned.
It is equally good to acknowledge the role played by the Puritans in putting up some of the foundations upon which the American society functions. Americans should appreciate the Puritans and their literature because it reflects their beliefs. Puritans held a firm conviction that success leads to heavenly bliss just like Americans believe in the American dream and the joy and success that comes with it. Puritans put a lot of emphasis on hard work and democracy because that is what they went out to look for in the New England. Every American wants to be successful, affluent and wealthy. If only Americans saw the Puritans as the very people who sowed the seeds that have led to the fruition of democracy, independence and the spirit of hard work in their pursuit of the American dream.
Works Cited
Baym, Nina., Levine, Robert S., Frankline, Wayne., Gura, Philip F., Klinkowitz, Jerome., Krupat, Arnold., Loeffelholz, Mary., Reesman, Campbell J. & Wallace, Patricia B. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 8/e. New York: W. W. Norton, 2011. Print.
Johnson, Ellwood. The Goodly Word: The Puritan Influence in American Literature. Toronto: Clements Publishing Group, 2005. Print
