Burkhalter1

CheyBurkhalter
Ms.Albrecht
AdvancedComposition
Thursday,October2,2014
FlippingWilliamtheByrd
OnewasaPuritanwhoenduredthehardshipsofthePilgrims,andtheotherwasawell
educated,richplantationownerfromtheearly1700s,buttheyrebothwritingonthesamesubject:life
intheearlyAmericas.ThesetwoauthorsareWilliamBradfordandWilliamByrd.Bradfordsstyleis
veryserious,credible,andisfromafirsthandaccountinhisbookOfPlymouthPlantation.Onthe
otherhand,ByrdsdescriptioninTheStoryoftheDividingLineissatirical,hiscredibilityisabit
lacking,andhisstyleisverysubjective.
FromBradfordsaccount,thePilgrimswerehardworking,caring,problemsolving,Christian
individuals,andhisstylewasobjectiveconsideringheusedtheyinsteadofwe.Hisaccountwaslist
offacts,andthatsallhereallywanted.HishopewastoinspirefuturegenerationswiththePilgrims
hardships.WhilethePilgrimswerentveryknowledgeableaboutlifeintheirnewland,theydidthebest
theycouldwithwhatlittletheyhad,andlearnedasquicklyaspossible.Thankfully,theyhadtheaidof
theAmericanIndians.Withwhom,afterfriendlyentertainmentandsomegiftsgivenhim,themade
peacewithhim.[Squanto]But,themostprominentpartofBradfordswritingswastofocusonthe
sicknessandsadnessthatthePilgrimshadtosuffer.InTheStarvingTimepassage,Bradfordsays,..
.Thatwhichwasmostsad...wasthatintwoorthreemonthstimehalfoftheircompanydied,
especiallyinJanuaryandFebruary.(Bradford124)Bygivingthisexample,Bradfordistryingto
highlighthowtragictheirexperiencesintheNewWorldwere.
Byrd,ontheotherhand,wroteaverysubjective,satiricaltextbashingallsettlers.Inhiswriting,
hecallsalloftheearlysettlerslazyalcoholics,orbadpeoplefromgoodfamilies,tobeblunt....
Where,liketrueEnglishmen,theybuiltachurchthatcostnomorethanfiftypounds,andatavernthat

Burkhalter2
CheyBurkhalter
Ms.Albrecht
AdvancedComposition
Thursday,October2,2014
costover500pounds.(Byrd133)Which,insomecaseswastrue.Forexample,thefirstsettlersof
Jamestownweremercenarieswhoonlyknewhowtokillanddrink.Now,ifByrdwouldhaveused
specificexamplesinsteadgeneralizinggenerationsofsettlers,maybehewouldhavebeenmorecredible.

Intheend,Bradfordwasmorecredibleconsideringhewasactuallythere.Ifyouwant
somethingtoreadthatsmorehistoricallyaccurate,readBradford.Ifyouwanttoanalyzeapretentious
richkidfromtheearly1700sthenreadByrd.Bradfordwaswritingforapurpose,andByrdwas
writingtoshowoffhisintelligence.Itsobviousfromthecollegiatewordsheuses.ReadBradfordifyou
wantfacts,andreadByrdifyouwant...well,IdontknowwhatyoudwantifyoureadByrd.