American Literature I

Short Essay about William Bradoford’s “ The history of Plymouth Plantation”

Professor Michela

Felipe Luccas Rosas Dre: 105038172

The excerpt of William Bradford’s The History of Plymouth Plantation describes

some aspects of the arrival on the undiscovered land then called Cape God, wherein
a colony would be settled later, aspects such as the landscape, the native,
adventures, fear, life risking, homesickness, seasickness and most definetely the
role of faith and God in all these matters thereof.

Bradford narrates the troubled trip through “fierce storms” and “ cross winds”, in an
attempt to broadcast the adventures of the crew in the search of new and
unexploited lands. Among the several challenges the seamen had to face, he
mentions fatal diseases contracted aboard and the storms and winds which smote
the ship, keeping it always on the edge of a wreck. Sometimes the men would have
consultations about whether to keep going and risking their lives in the wrath of the
sea or return. Fear was a constant and everyday their resistance was put to test.

After coming through so many perils, the crew reaches the land then called Cape
God, which happened to be as safe and comfortable as the tempests they had been
through. It was winter, there was no food, water or shelter, besides, they would be
under attack from the so-called barbarians, according to William’s depiction for the
native. The dwellers are depicted as violent and the land as wild and desert: “what
could they see but hideous and desolate wilderness full of wild beasts and wild
men”.

There’s a sentment of man pride, patriotism and faith in god embedded all over the
text, as the author highlights the trials the shipmen overcame to step on the
wilderness hopeful of a better future, for example in the quote: “ may not and ought
not he children of these fathers rightly say: Our fathers were English men which
came over this great ocean, and were to perish in this wilderness but they cried
unto the Lord, and He heard their voice and looked on their adversity”.

Lord God is viewed as the ruler of the success of failure of the errand and every
single man’s life, as well as their courage and faith. “God’s providence” provided
the survival in the face of so many challenges and risks. The author even talks
about a certain man who was considered “profane”, that is, disrespectful of God,
and cursed and execrate the ill, very much willingful to cast everybody overboard.
When he died of a dreadful sickness himself and was thrown to the sea, the author
ascribes this fact to “the hand of god upon him”. The “will of god” kept the sailors
alive and is the reason underlying the success of that expedition, therefore being
faith held responsible for the positive outcome for that company.