Culture Depicted In William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation

During the Civil War in the United States, the nation was separated into the North and the South. This took place in the late 1800s, but the separation of cultures and beliefs in these regions began about three centuries before. Explorer John Smith, author of The General History of Virginia, and seeker of religious freedom William Bradford, author of Of Plymouth Plantation, both wrote vastly different essays depicting their experiences while they explored and settled on land that would become America two centuries later. John Smith settled in the South while Bradford resided in the North, and in these essays, the differences in culture are demonstrated several times. Through analysis of religious influence and self-reflection in these narratives, …show more content…
John Smith uses this point of view to reference himself as “Captain Smith, who by his own example, good words, and fair promises… ” (2) and as seen in the quote, he builds himself up considerably using quality characteristics to describe himself. The lack of humility in the diction of Smith’s narrative reveals a more pompous tone in his writing. In Smith’s piece, his references to himself expose the rawness of the attitude of the South in terms of personal reflection, which brings to light the individualistic attitude in this region. William Bradford’s use of the third person is vastly different as he rarely refers to himself, and often uses syntax such as “Especially when they (The Indians) saw their men (The English) run out…” (6), the author uses the two groups of people in the same sentence without making one seem better than the other, revealing the humble tone in his piece. Bradford’s use of plural pronouns when speaking in the third person rather than his own name gives a more self-effacing tone to his narrative. In this author’s piece, the lack of credit he gives to himself establishes the deferential attitude of the