Providence in "Of Plymouth Plantation"

Paper Summary:

In "Of Plymouth Plantation," William Bradford writes a detailed account of the Puritan voyage from Southampton, England to Plymouth, Massachusetts on the Mayflower. Upon arriving in the New World, Bradford goes on to report the struggles the Puritans faced including immense physical hardships, as well as, numerous spiritual challenges. The paper shows that William Bradford was a devout, self-educated man who was genuinely dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Puritan religion in the New World. At the heart of the Puritan religion is Providence, the idea that God is involved with creation and involved in human affairs. The paper shows how Bradford emphasizes Providence and piety, obedience of God by following the scripture, throughout "Of Plymouth Plantation" for the express purpose of keeping the Puritan religion alive for future generations to come.

From the Paper:

"This departure from religious persecution to religious freedom is also viewed as 'Puritan Typology,' meaning the Puritans saw their departure from England as a parallel to the Israelites exodus from Egypt. "Neither could they, as it were, go up to the top of Pisgah, to view from this wilderness, a more goodly country to feed their hopes," references Bradford's correlation of the Puritans to the Israelites (169). Pisgah is the mountain from which Moses saw the Promised Land and so was used as a metaphor for the Puritans witnessing the terrain of the New World for the first time."

More papers on Providence in "Of Plymouth Plantation":

• Comparison Essay # 117887 : "Bradford and Winthrop on Providence"
• Analytical Essay # 127211 : "Friendship in "Of Mice and Men"
• Analytical Essay # 127331 : "Loneliness in "Of Mice and Men"

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