After reading the journal entries of John Winthrop and the poems of Anne Bradstreet, I realized that there was a striking difference between their styles. John Winthrop’s journal entries were primarily based upon external conflicts. He wrote about Roger Williams and Mrs. Hutchinson and the trials they endured. We learned specific details about the people present in court and their opinions on the matters at hand. However, as much as John Winthrop tells us of other people’s views, we must guess at his. He says of the charges against Mrs. Hutchinson:
“There was great hope that the late general assembly would have had some good effect in pacifying the troubles and dissensions about matters of religion; but it fell out otherwise. For though Mr. Wheelwright and those of his party had been clearly confuted and confounded in the assembly, yet they persisted in their opinions, and were as busy in nourishing contentions (the principal of them) as before.”
John Winthrop appears to give an objective spin on the events that transpired, He writes from the audience perspective without ever really telling us how he feels. It is as though he is a recorder in the courtroom who is merely documenting the events without offering a subjective opinion of his own. Although, this could be because he knew that his journal would be read.
While John Winthrop writes about external conflicts, Anne Bradstreet writes about internal conflicts. She is fiery and passionate about her writing, even though she had no intention of publishing it. Bradstreet quickly shows her bitterness toward all who deem women who write to be inferior. She says:
“I am obnoxious to each carping tongue
Who says my hand a needle better fits,
A poet’s pen all scorn I should thus wrong,
For such despite they cast on female wits:
If what I do prove well, it won’t advance,
They’ll say it’s stol’n, or else it was by chance.”
Anne Bradstreet shows her vulnerability in her writing as well. Throughout her poems, she reveals personal information about her day to day life. We read about a tragic fire that destroyed her house and saw her faith in the Lord was unshaken. She writes a poem to her husband that was incredibly moving because she openly describes howmuch she loves him. She writes:
“I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense.”
John Winthrop and Anne Bradstreet contrast so noticeably, that I find myself favoring one over the other. I prefer reading about people’s lives and how they are affected by events. As John Winthrop remained aloof of this, I enjoyed reading Anne’s work much more. However, Anne Bradstreet hadn’t known that her poems would ever be published. Had she known this, she may not have been as open with her emotions. Though something about her character makes me think that she would be to a certain degree.
