Blog:3 Puritans at Play

Daniels attempts to give a historical account of how the puritans played. Do you feel like Daniels is successful with his work? 

A: Yes, he explains what was going on, the changes that are being made, and what time period things are taking place. By doing all of these things I find that Daniels is successful with his work.

In Section Four, Men and Women Frolic Together, Daniels covers topics such as puritans and dance, romance, sex, and alcohol (pages 109 – 159). Did anything from this section surprise you? Explain. What motivated puritans to engage or not engage in the above list?

A: After reading pages 109-159 of Puritans at Play by Bruce C. Daniels, I found that the Puritans lives were constantly changing with the times. This fact is still true because cultures all over the world have been and continue to change with time. Thus it did not surprise me when Daniels comments on how the Puritans began living less restricted lifestyles and instead began to imbibe in romance, sex, dance, and alcohol. Puritans were motivated to engage in these activities in the same way people today are, in that the urge to perform these activities is a part of human nature. Although in modern day we have become quite lenient with these activities. The Puritans however were lenient, but to lenient so as to disrupt others who discouraged these activities. Puritans engaged in sex, romance, dancing, and alcohol, but they did so in a more religious and mild manner than we do in modern times.

Do you feel that he gives an accurate account? If not, expand on what is missing (and/or faulty).

A: Bruce C. Daniels does give an accurate account to a degree, in that he explains how things were happening from the side of the people reforming. I do feel however, that Daniels fails to write from the perspective of the Puritans who disapproved of these actions and in doing so, Daniels write a rather one-sided version of what took place.

Comparing the cultural atmosphere you grew up within and the puritan world Daniels describes, what are some of the differences/similarities of opinion on topics such as dance, romance, sex, and alcohol?  Do you think there has been a progression of ideals or not? Explain.

A: When one looks at the society described by Daniels in his book Puritans at Play, and compares it to the cultural atmosphere of today many similarities and some differences can be seen. On the topics of dance, romance, and sex, there has most definitely been a progression of ideals and freedoms. Dancing is viewed all over the world and is not considered scandalous in most scenarios, minus adult dancing. And the topics of romance and sex are discussed on TV, radio, and the internet all the time. Not to mention the fact that books have been written based entirely on romance and sex and have sold millions even if they were pieces of crap (cough...Twilight...cough..). Although romance, dance, and sex have progressed in modern society, alcohol can still be seen as somewhat restricted. For instance, one could argue that the U.S. government deciding the age 21 is appropriate for alcohol consumption, is more restrictive than the Puritans of the past who could be seen allowing their "women, children, and even ministers to drink". So, although the cultural atmosphere of today is more lenient in most ways, one can still see a case where Puritan beliefs were held with less restriction than those of today when looking at alcohol.