As we know, England during the 1600’s was not the place to be if you practiced a religion that was not tolerated. In the case of Dorothy Waugh, being a Quaker was not the route to take if you wanted to harmoniously live in the English society. During this time, women also did not have the rights that men did. They were still stick in the time when speaking against a husband was a punishable actions.
A Relation Concerning Dorothy Waugh’s Cruel Usage by the Mayor of Carlisle spoke to me. Through her writing about her experiences, I learned far more than I would ever learn by reading a text book. The fact that she was also a woman writer also made her writing more meaningful to me. The way she wrote so descriptively I could really feel for her. Like I said before, I learned a lot from this short personal account. I found it alarming the persecution that Dorothy faced even when she traveled to America. I thought that anyone who moved their life to the new world would be allowed to practice whatever religion they wanted. I thought it to be ironic that even after the Quakers followed the Puritans they were still persecuted.
Dorothy was tortured for her religious views, but also because of the fact that she was a woman. She was put in a torture device used on women who “scolded” their husbands in public. The mayor wanted to make a mockery of her, and her religious views so that no one would follow the same suit. The type of brutality did not promote a very promising life for Quakers, or women during this time period.
What I thought to be disturbing was how this would never have been reported in a newspaper in the 1600’s. Today, even the seemingly miniscule information it published. Dorothy was only published in The Lamb’s Defense Against Lies, which was made up of various accounts of Quakers being mistreated and persecuted.
First person writings are a very effective way of reporting the news and documenting events in history. If during my history classes in grade school, high school, and college we were given this type of information to read, I feel everyone in the class would have gotten more from the curriculum.
Jennah, I agree with a lot of what you say in your rumination. There are few counterpoints however - though first person accounts are generally more real and raw than a narrative told in another person, isn't it also true that they could be clouded by subjectivity or falsities? How easy would it be, for example, for me to write a completely true account of my personal events for the day, but slip in one false line, nothing major, but enough to change the whole tone of the piece I just published? I think when reading first person accounts, it is important to remember that not everyone is a reliable narrator - some events might be downplayed or cast in a different light if they damage a person's reputation, and some trivial events could be expanded to momentous proportions, even if they really were just miniscule happenings. I think the latter is what happened with poor Dorothy's account - no one during that time wanted to hear the truth about women or religious persecution, so her story was pushed out of the spotlight, where such atrocities belong in order to spread awareness.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I love that this was posted at 5:37 am. Oh the early mornings/late nights of a college student! Haha.
I have to agree with Vicki that first person accounts could be bias as you see all the action of the story through the eyes of that single person. But I do also see your point Jennah that first person gives the reader a close, intimate view in the personality and experiences they had, while at the same time spreading a powerful message. I definitely agree with you Jennah that readings such as Dorothy’s opposed to standard textbooks are a good way to broaden your views in school. Fortunately in my high school we had to do Document Base Questions, which included many works of first person accounts.
ReplyDeleteYou are both right. To be honest, I never really questioned the statements made by the writers of the readings. I put too much trust in the writers, which were able to sway me into seeing their way. At the same time though, when reading about history, it is important to hear the first person accounts because whether or not these views opinions or not, they are a part of history.
ReplyDeleteJennah, great rumination! After reading about Dorothy's life and how she was so awfully mistreated, I realized how far women have come in today's society. No one should be treated this way no matter what race, religion, or sex they are. From a teacher perspective, I agree that first person accounts are better than reading straight from the textbook. One, they allow the students to get a more personal, closer, and understandable perspective of the situation. I also think it is more meaningful and interesting for them to read.
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