Throughout this quarter I have learned many things that will stick with me through my life time; yet, the three learning outcomes that will stick with me the most are 8.Develop knowledge and understanding of other expressions of diversity such as class, gender, and/or religion in/through early American literature;9.Listen to and understand individuals and respond respectfully to their points of view;
and 10.Enjoy reading and learning about the various incarnations of early American Literature and early America.
By reading Sarah Knight, Harriot Ann Jacobs, and Walt Whitman I have been most impacted in learning how to understand the expresssions of diverse classess, cultures, religions, genders, etc. that lived throughout the early years of American Literature. Sarah Knight's old english writting is a very prominant tone and mixed with her sense of humore; Sarah is an author I could never forget. The most memorable quote will be the one on page 589, "I ask thy Aid, O Potent Rum! To charm these wrangling Topers Dum" Sarah Knights humor and frankness showed me that not all women in the old days were truely shy and timid women inside. This is also true for Harriot Ann Jacobs whoe dedicated her life to fighting for independence for herself and even more importantly, her children. Even though Harriot seemed semi-restricted in her writings due to the community morals and ethics of the time (showed by her constant apologizing to the reader for her words of honesty about her mistress and master, etc.). Yet, her honesty and bluntness for me was a great virtue that taught me just how emotionally recking living as a slave was in the old American days. "I would ten thousand times rather that my children should be half-starved paupers of Ireland than to be the most pampered among slves of America." (p. 2,033). At one point in her life Jacobs even said she, "prayed to die," (p. 2,040). And lastly, the everlasting insperational views of Walt Whitman helped secure the learning outcome's idea of remembering to take in every different view point. "You shall no longer take the things at second or third hand...the eyes of the dead...nor feed on spectres in books, You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me, You shall listen to all sides and filter them from yourself." (p.2,938)
The learning outcome number Nine will stay with me for every because of the memorable diversity of thought that we had in class. Each person in our class seemed to have a different view or idea when reffereing to religion, world views, and even down to our favorite foods and days of the week. As well, many authors like Benjamin Franklin and Thoreau were ver impacting for me in the religious views of the world. Benjamin Franklin was a very religious man and also a very logical and reasonable being as it seemed in his readings. "I do not think as you do; for it I thought what you call a sin was really such, I could not presumptiously commit it," (p.816). As for Thoreau, he will stick with me beacuse of how diverse he was in his writings. He studied many religions throughout his life and referred to many religions such as Christian, Confucius, and many others. Thoreau was really a Unitarian; but he subjectively used different points of views to show different sides of the story to the reader so that they could decide what they believed for themselves.
And lastly, learning outcomes numer Ten is also one that I may take with me forever. I dearly enjoyed the writings of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin which gave me great insight in to the minds of our some of our founding fathers. The ideas that Thomas Jefferson is the reason that America is stil holding strong today as an indepent country. "The error seems not sufficiently eradicted, that the operations of the mind, as well as the acts of the body, are subject to the coercion of the laws. But out rulers can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of the conscience we never submitted, we could not submit." Thomas Jefferson was all about having individual freedom and natural rights, which will remind me every day why I have the right to choose my destiny in America. As for Benjamin Franklin, his qoute in the last paragraph shows his modern thought that he had. Both of these men's philosophical explinations lead me to really enjoy the assigned worksand discussions. One other author I loved reading what Edgar Allen Poe, but wish we read a little more of him. He is such an interesting person at large and a very creative writer that entices me.