Of Plymoth Plantation

Bradford, William. "Of Plymoth Plantation"
19 March 2008. <http://spider.georgetowncollege.edu/english/coke/bradford.htm>

Reflection:
No doubt the story is about the pilgrims' first encounter with this so called "New World". However, it is a much darker version than the children's tales of Elizabeth Hopkins and her Indian friends. On their voyage, the inhabitants of the ship still segregate themselves from the people with money and the dirt poor. Although they have one thing in common, their belief that God is the ultimate navigator on this journey. It was apparent that every act was God's will, every life lost, was God's decision. Some very sick and poor people were thrown into the ocean just because people concurred that God wanted it to be done. As this story progresses, it seems that this "act of God" becomes an excuse for any wrong-doing the pilgrims commit. Upon their arrival on Cape Cod, the pilgrims discover native inhabitants. We all know how this turns out, and no, not the children's version. Instead of bartering or negotiating, they immediately decide the Pequot are a threat to their existence and must be obliterated. The Indians must have felt similar mistrust when they first saw the camps thinking, "What right do they have on our land?" The Pequot felt intimidated of such an invasion. Yet it is the pilgrims that sought to destroy anyone or anything that they felt was not worthy of their standards, or more importantly, God's. It is no more different than a holocaust.
On a personal note, I once felt a similar irritation. About a while back, I went to open a bank account with my mother, since I got tired of caring wads of cash in my room without spending the money for some odd months straight. And as were sitting down and talking about the different types of accounts, the manager asked, "Is your son legal?" I can assure you my mother wanted to raise hell after that meeting, but I was not angry. It seemed to me as if someone walked up to me and asked, "Is that dog, not a cat?" As the manager could plainly see, my mother is as white as a ghost. If he had taken a minute to realize that she is an American citizen, then I, her son, would be an American citizen before I would be born. I'm not exactly sure why he would ask such a question, just like the Pequot must have thought, what right does anyone have to invade someone else?

Diary:
According to the Captain, we are on the second half of our journey. I can't stand how people are already separating themselves into groups and causing feuds amongst each other. What's the point? Where all here for the same reason, free land. So why bother fighting? It disgusts me that some people throw others off board, and just say, "For God's grace". Especially that one boy who is a little younger than me, that started suggesting we should toss over the ill since this voyage has no mercy for the weak. I don't remember God choosing him to suggest such things. I'd like to have a whack at him. I have kept myself silent so far and I don't want to end up like the others in the ocean. Before we hit Cape Cod or this "New World" I need to set plans for our settlement with father. Ethan and Elliot are not even big enough to grasp a musket, so my parents are counting on me. The big question is though, what does this "New World" look like? Could it really be different than Britain? Our family has not even traveled beyond our town, since were not rich. At least I'm not that poor to throw off board.