Experimenting and risking can teach us a lot about ourselves. Through experimenting we learn our boundaries, and risking allows us to expand our boundaries. Experimenting can be applied to every aspect of our lives, whether it is over small matters or larger scale issues. We can experiment with completely new ideas or investigate things we already know further. For most of us having just become students at college we are experimenting with the whole living on our own things as well as just figuring out who we are now. We are now having to make our own decisions, so many are experimenting with the whole figuring out what life style we want to live. And there are those who are experimenting with smaller things like cooking. We often smell how that is going while walking down the halls. Then there is the idea of risks. Risk can be a positive of negative thing depending on the situation. Risk can either lead to success or a bad situation. We individually have to decide what kind of risks we are willing to take or if we are going to at all. Its possible for some to never risk anything. The definition of a risk is putting something on the line to further investigate the potential of a given situation. There are some people who will not ever risk anything they play it safe. I feel that without risk a person will die in the same exact place where they started. Life involves risk. A person had to give up some in order to continue exploring his potential.
September 2, 2008
reading response
Introduction to American literature
p. 150
The introduction to American literature is basically about the changes taking place in the world that lead to changes in the way people viewed the world. The section explains the historical events taking place at the time when American literature first emerges. Knowing the historical events allows for a better understanding of the world view and mind set the writers of the time had. This section also explains the ideas presented in the enlightenment, and how they changed from the previous ideas about religion. Deism is introduced helping further explain the reasons the writers of the time write the way they do. The political upsets of the time are also presented in this section. Many of the writers during this time wrote about and in reaction to the political upsets. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense is discussed as is Crevecoeur’s works. This section also discusses the diversity of the writers of the time period and their contribution to American literature.
Sarah Kemble Knight
This section first introduces Sarah Kemble knight. The section explains where she started and her personal life. Its interesting how some of her personal information is not certain. For example in the book it does not say for certain what happens to her husband. The writer assumes that he has passed away because of his absence in Sarah Kemble’s writing after a certain date. The section then goes into parts of Sarah Kemble’s journals. In the pages provided Sarah tells of her journey to New York, and of the things she sees on the way. Sarah also gives her views on the natives and what she thinks about New York. Sarah sees the natives as savages because of their customs and while she likes New York she does not feel it adequately compares to Boston. She had business to conduct on while the corresponding party was late she waited and finished the business she had set out to do. So she then returns to Boston.
Benjamin Franklin
Like the other sections this section first introduces Benjamin Franklin, explaining personal life. This, again, helps to explain why he writes the way he does. The first work of franklins that is presented is The Way to Wealth . The way to Wealth is basically going through how the information in Poor Richards Almanac is used and has been evident in everyday events and conversations. The next work presented is Franklin’s view on the natives. Franklins view on the natives is positive unlike Kemble’s. Franklin speaks of the natives ways of living as well as their forms of self government. He also explains how they are mannered in speech and conduct. The next piece presented is franklins Autobiography which is self explanatory. Though its interesting how he viewed the events taking place at the time. One of the more interesting things included in Franklin’s autobiography is his attempts to eliminate all things he considers a negative. His attempts to put everything in order is also interesting. Especially because he actually developed systems to try and achieve ultimately perfection.
Thomas Jefferson
Logan
Logan is about Cayuga Indian who’s family was lost in the yellow creek massacre though there is evidence against the truth in these claims. Who Logan is and his relevance is then introduced. The main reason he is brought up is because he is mentioned in Jefferson’s Note on the State Of Virginia. Some of the information Jefferson presents contradicts the Truth. The autobiography of Jefferson is also included in the readings. The autobiography specifically is about the Declaration of Independence. Within the work Jefferson explains the difficulties with the wording of the document and the different thoughts put into the document.
