Similarities in Contrasting Worlds : 9/23/10

     Not many similar ideas come to mind when comparing our present-day society with that of the Puritans.  In fact, a stigma seems constantly attached to any mention of the world "puritan."  To most, it seems that the Puritan's actions and lifestyle are almost polar opposites of the lifestyle most Americans live today.  However, after reading William Bradford's, Of Plymouth Plantation: 1620-1647, I have observed two apparent similarities between the Puritan's and our present-day society.  To start, while the Puritans are lost in the wilderness, Bradford's book states, "But at length they found water and refreshed themselves, being the first New England water they drunk of, and was now in great thirst as pleasant unto them as wine or beer had been in foretimes" (73).  Whether Puritans in the 1600's or Americans in the 2000's, we all need the same elements to survive.  The Puritan's needs still match our own as a society today.  The recognition of this fact is powerful and reminds me that we, as humans, are all the same.  Also, Bradford's text mentions God numerous times.  For example, the book reads, "What could now sustain them but the Sprit of God and His grace" (71).  The Puritan society obviously placed God at its center.  He was their most important focus, and he sustained their needs.  Today, many Americans put their trust in God.  While they may not be as focused as the Puritans, God has truly impacted the lives of many people today.  Whoever or whatever it be, spirituality is still a very important aspect of American culture today, just as it was in the Puritan's society many years ago.