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A Comparison between Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley
Docile, quiet, piety, reverent, and ultimately submissive were lists of the characteristics, if one wanted to be the perfect women in the mid-1600’s. Anne Bradstreet is a woman who breaks the mold, and writes defiantly at a time when women were barely allowed to speak, to vote, or even hold leadership positions, therefore finding voice and great audience means great merit. Phillis Wheatley, considered to be one of the great American poets, at the time of the revolution, is a slave who goes beyond slavery to find common ground with even the noblest of men and women. Both women, a 100 or so years apart, both seeking a type of equality and defying the paradigms of the time to become immortalized
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in history as futuristic advocates of society, but which was more influential? From that question, this essay will try to find information, to help guide the reader to a conclusion.
Comparing and contrasting: the time period, the styles, tone, significance of the message, and overall impact on their readers, one can determine that Wheatley may find an edge over her opponent, even though Bradstreet demonstrates sophisticated skill.
The setting in which Ann Bradstreet lived was a “hierarchal Puritan society in, which would appear to allow no room for assertive female activity outside the domestic sphere” (Davis, 49). Preachers of the time period would not encourage women’s freedom to write about any subject, instead they expectant them to write only to “Advance virtue by promoting the fear of God in the female sex” (Davis, 49) consequently not leaving any room for skillful or creative writing. This makes a significant case for Bradstreet as her main focus was not Christ in most of her writing, even though she would seldom discuss religion. Davis also on her work saying that under certain circumstances that woman could write and an example of that is Mary Rowlandson’s Indian captivity narrative. The circumstances are ones in which, Bradstreet, will exploit to gain the trust of the male ego, with much masterful poetic skill enabling her to speak freely. Bradstreet arrived in Massachusetts on the Arbella in addition with the
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famous minister John Winthrop, of which, who had many heated battles with another female writer Ann Hutchinson. Her arrival with the minister puts under the microscope, a different example of woman’s work of the time period on a polar opposite end of Rowlandson’s work as far as being received by the public and a prominent male leader’s disapproval of not holding the standard of female literature. The setting in which, Bradstreet finds herself is a rather peculiar setting, being that she cannot truly freely write and get credit for her writing as a woman, unless she faces scorn or it is just the usual damsel in distress narrative that was expected of female writers. Bradstreet fits in the middle by receiving praise for her work, on being pious enough, but also defiant making what she did at her time a success. John Winthrop, famous figure of the time was not so keen on women saying this about Anne Hopkins’s (another female author) work in his journal “If she had attended her house-hold affairs, and such things as belong to women, and not gone out of her way and calling to meddle in such things as are proper for men, whose minds are stronger & she had kept her wits.”(Ann Stanford, 77). Though this was the popular motif of the day Bradstreet avoided such criticism by doing her duties as a wife and still making time for her poetry. Poetry for Female slaves tended to be on the non-existent side due to the countless obstacles.
Female slave writers could not be accompanied by anything other than that of their master’s endorsement. They faced many challenges when it came to writing, which was done with permission or done in secret, therefore slaves generally had to be educated to be able to read and write. The motif that is present here is that of slavery and their literature in the 18th century to aid the background of what Wheatley had to face when it came to writing. Phillis Wheatley was a very fortunate slave girl who was sympathetically taken in by her owners and taught to read and write, simultaneously while other slaves were living harsher realities. The realities facing slaves were being exploited for work with no pay, being treated like less than property or dirt by being traded at will, and in most cases being abused. This was a time in which plantation owners would try to promote families between the slaves to make them more productive and docile (PBS.org). While creating large connected communities across several plantations by separating the fathers of the families, fathers may live on a farm a mile away and visit once or twice a week. While sons were generally moved and sold immediately for a nice profit and the girls born to mothers would be the “least likely to be disturbed through sale” and even then they could be sold as a concubine or a prostitute. (PBS) Moreover, there is not much a
family man, can do when in it comes to trying to protect his family, because he has no representation in court nor power. In conclusion, the times that both Bradstreet and Wheatley faced were very uncertain and if they approached literature in the incorrect procedure, without wisdom, throwing caution to the wind they would have paid the consequences. Bradstreet as well as Wheatley was blessed with some favorable circumstances that helped them overcome the enormous obstacles of their lives, and the blessing being referred to is that of education. Education is the great equalizer when it comes to rights of oppressed people and when people know what or who truly oppresses them, they can use the traps set by the evildoers against them and overcome.
Over the centuries, writing has changed, and it is still changing today. There are also many different types of writing that are taught and studied. Three major types are considered the classics. Those three categories are poetry, drama, and prose. Throughout history, writers have stood out from other in their time. The three that will be the focus of the analyzation and comparison are Anne Bradstreet, Thomas Paine, and Phillis Wheatley. All of them have different backgrounds, different styles but have one thing in common. They are all are writers who are considers major contributors to the classics.
James, Edward, Janet James, and Paul Boyer. Notable American Women, 1607-1950. Volume III: P-Z. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971. Print.
Anne Bradstreet’s inability to perfect her work before it was released frustrated her to the point where she internalizes the book’s imperfections as a reflection of herself. Bradstreet uses an extended metaphor of a mother and a child to compare the relationship between herself as the author and her book. Rather than investing her spirit in God, she repeatedly focuses on trying to improve the quality of her writing with no success, “I washed thy face, but more defects I saw” (Bradstreet 13). Like a mother protecting her child, Bradstreet’s attempts to prevent critics from negatively analyzing her work of art (20). Her continuous obsession about people’s opinions consumed in the Earthly world and essentially distracted her from developing a spiritual relationship with God. Bradstreet was enveloped by her dissatisfaction with her to the point of ridiculing herself, “Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble mind” (1). It was obvious that her mind and spiritual
Wheatley was born in West Africa around 1750, and was captured when she was 7. John Wheatley purchased Phillis for his wife, Susanna; together they taught Phillis how to read and write, and as early as 12, Phillis was writing poetry and her first poem had been published. Wheatley’s poems implicitly advocated for racial equality, while condemning slavery. Her work received some negative feedback from political figureheads, such as Thomas Jefferson. White America classified a human as having the ability to read, write, and reason; therefore, leaving no room for the uneducated Africans, seeing Africans as nonhuman. Jefferson claimed Wheatley’s work was not literature because the moment he admitted Wheatley’s work was indeed literature, he would have had to admit she was a human being. The way Phillis Wheatley handled the adversity she faced is admirable. Wheatley definitely impacted American history, and “owes her place in history to advocates of inequality” (Young 1999
Readers unfamiliar with Phillis Wheatley may wonder of her background and who she was in particular to be able to gain rights to be mentioned in early American literature. Wheatley was born in 1753 and was captured by Africans, and sold to an American family known as the Wheatley’s. She quickly became a member of the Wheatley family, living in the home, and being tutored on reading and writing.
As a final point, Phillis Wheatley may have been bought a slave but she never lost faith and ended up being one of the best known poets in the early nineteenth century. This poem illustrates how she was living in darkness in Senegal, West Africa and because of slavery she was bought and brought to America. In this poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” Wheatley uses poetic devices such as similes, metaphors, hyperboles to illustrate color and darkness, multiple meanings of words, and the relationship between skin tone and salvation. This poem seems to be a narrative of her life and how slavery might have been the best thing that happened to her.
In “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson,” Mary Rowlandson, a Puritan mother from Lancaster, Massachusetts, recounts the invasion of her town by Indians in 1676 during “King Philip’s War,” when the Indians attempted to regain their tribal lands. She describes the period of time where she is held under captivity by the Indians, and the dire circumstances under which she lives. During these terrible weeks, Mary Rowlandson deals with the death of her youngest child, the absence of her Christian family and friends, the terrible conditions that she must survive, and her struggle to maintain her faith in God. She also learns how to cope with the Indians amongst whom she lives, which causes her attitude towards them to undergo several changes. At first, she is utterly appalled by their lifestyle and actions, but as time passes she grows dependent upon them, and by the end of her captivity, she almost admires their ability to survive the harshest times with a very minimal amount of possessions and resources. Despite her growing awe of the Indian lifestyle, her attitude towards them always maintains a view that they are the “enemy.”
In the Salem, Massachusetts, the year of 1692 women were “puritans”. They dressed very modestly, kept their hair hidden, and were loyal to their husbands. The majority were stay at home wives. The young women would work for the older women and would get paid. Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Mary Warren each did one of those things. These women represent the archetypes of this story.
Phillis Wheatley overcame extreme obstacles, such as racism and sexism, to become one of the most acclaimed poets in the 18th Century. Her works are characterized by religious and moral backgrounds, which are due to the extensive education of religion she received. In this sense, her poems also fit into American Poetry. However, she differs in the way that she is a black woman whose writings tackle greater subjects while incorporating her moral standpoint. By developing her writing, she began speaking out against injustices that she faced and, consequently, gave way to authors such as Gwendolyn Brooks and Countee Cullen.
Women have faced oppression in the literary community throughout history. Whether they are seen as hysterical or unreliable, women writers seem to be faulted no matter the topics of their literature. However, Anne Bradstreet and Margaret Fuller faced their critics head-on. Whether it was Bradstreet questioning her religion or Fuller discussing gender fluidity, these two women did not water down their opinions to please others. Through their writings, Bradstreet and Fuller made great strides for not just women writers, but all women.
The components of marriage, family and loss has played a big role in Anne Bradstreet’s writing of “Before the birth of One of Her Children”, “In Memory of Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet”, and Edward Taylor’s “Upon Wedlock and the Death of Children.” In, these writings both authors Puritan culture and their faith plays a big role. In these poems one author starts questioning their God and the other to take honor in their God throughout their grieving process, while both showing different aspects of their everlasting union with their spouse, and the love for their children.
Phillis Wheatley was an African-born slave in the last quarter of the eighteenth-century in New England. She was born in West Africa and brought to America on the slave ship Phillis. She was, however, much more than chattel-she was a poet. Phillis was the first African American to have a book published. In a time when women were not expected to be able to read or write, and when teaching an African American to be literate was frowned upon, Phillis Wheatley became educated in Latin and English literature. The education of Phillis Wheatley was, for the most part, for the intent of training "a servant and would-be companion for domestic utility," in which they undoubtedly succeeded. However, they "got an intellectual adornment" who, with her knowledge of the poems of Alexander Pope, the "Puritanical whiteness of her thoughts," and ability to write poems, soon became a celebrity among Boston?s social elite (Richmond 18,19).
Anne Bradstreet’s poetry resembles a quiet pond. Her quiet puritan thinking acts as the calm surface that bears a resemblance to her natural values and religious beliefs. Underneath the pond there is an abundance of activity comparable to her becoming the first notable poet in American Literature. Anne Bradstreet did not obtain the first notable poet’s title very easily; she endured sickness, lack of food, and primitive living conditions during her time in the New World. Despite these misfortunes she used her emotions and strong educational background to write extraordinarily well for a woman in that time.
Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor are two of the most recognizable poets from early American History; they were also both American Puritans, who changed the world with their poetry. We can see many similarities in their poetry when it comes to the importance of religion and also on having children and losing children. There are however differences in the audience of their poetry and their personal views on marriage. Bradstreet and Taylor both came over to America in the 17th century and settled in New England. Though Taylor came years later we can see the similarities through their poetry.
Feminism today remains prominent because even while women’s rights are very strong, women are still fighting for equality every day. In the time of Anne Bradstreet, women had few rights and they were seen as inferior to men. Anne lived among the puritans whom ruled her everyday life. Although it was against the puritan code for women to receive an education, Bradstreet’s father, Thomas Dudley, loved his daughter dearly and made sure that she was well educated which shows in her works. Anne Bradstreet’s literature became well known only because her family published her works under a male name. This was done because writing poetry was a serious offense to the puritans since poetry was considered creative and the only creating that was done was by God. In the works of Anne Bradstreet, she conveys a feminist attitude, and could very well be one of the first American Feminists.