House of the Seven Gables

When I hear the word Salem, I think of Puritans. When I hear the word Puritans I think of the witch trails. Salem is related to Puritans because the were a big religion there and because they are really important. They are important because they were the cause of the Salem witch trails. They were the ones that accused people of being witches causing them to die. And because so many people were accused and when they said they were not witches the judges didn't believe them they still got killed. Also if they use evidence like other people's word those people would get accused of being a witch too. In The House of the Seven Gables there is a reference to the witch trails when he says Colonel Pyncheon accused Matthew Maule of witchcraft to get his piece of land. That means Nathaniel Hawthorne had based that part of the book on real life.Nathaniel Hawthorne also had an experience with the witch trails. His great-great-great grandfather and great-great grandfather were judges during the Salem witch trails and because he probably didn't want to be associated with them he changed his name from Nathaniel Hathorne to Nathaniel Hawthorne adding a w in his name.

The Moment I Knew I was an American

First of all we need to know the meaning of an American. To me an American is somebody that has American thoughts and beliefs and acts like an American. I wasn't born in America but in China, but I moved here when I was three so I think I am more American than Chinese because I was affect by my surroundings making me an American. My parents were the typical Chinese parents trying to make me into a more Chinese person. The moment I became an American I think was when I started going to school. I think that because I started getting affected because my surroundings all had American ways. Even though at home my parents would be teaching me Chinese ways I would get taught American way at school and ever time I went out I would be affected by all the American thoughts and beliefs so in the end I still had became an American. I think that even if I had tried to not become an American I still would have because I believe a person is affected by their surroundings and everything that I have seen has contributed to making me into the person I am now.

Us vs. Them ... Us and Them

There is always going to us vs. them because there is always going to be conflict in the world. But I don't know if some conflicts really need people dying. Most conflicts can be solved but some cannot. Even now there are conflicts causing deaths like how wars are started. It is usually because people's opinion or thoughts on something don't quite match. But wars still end either by making a treaty that fulfills everybody's wants or one side looses which is like the winning side of the war wins the argument. Some times conflicts can be solved by voting which is majority over minority. In The Crucible it is like that most of Salem believes there are witches and only a few people don't believe in them but they are outmatch by the people that believe in them. Most of the people that are accused are not accused because they were thought to be witches but because people didn't like them or they had something people wanted. Like how some people got accused as witches because they had land or money. Even now things are like this people still accuse other people because they want more power, money, etc. This shows how some people are greedy and all they want is to benefit themselves.

John Proctor, Hero or Stooge

In the beginning I though he was a stooge because he had a affair with Abigal then his wife found out and he treid to hid it from everybody else in the town because he wanted to save his name and reputation. But I changed my mind and now think John Proctor is a hero. He is a hero because he tried to save his wife because Abigal accused her of being a witch. He also told the town that he had a affair with Abigal which I think is really brave because that would ruin his name and reputation. He might have cause Abigal to accuse his wife by having the affair in the first place but him telling about his affair makes up for him having the affair in the first place because I know it is really hard to admit to something that you did when it could hurt you and even the people around you. Also he didn't believe in witchcraft in the beginning and in the end. Maybe he didn't believe in witchcraft to save his wife but I still think he is a hero because he had to sacrifice himself to save his wife.