The Wordy Shipmates Critical Review free essay sample

In The Wordy Shipmates, author Sarah Vowell talks about the Puritans and different aspects of the formation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Vowell makes a vague thesis about how the Puritans were a writing based group of people. Their lives were influenced by all forms of writing whether it is pamphlets, literature, or the bible. The Wordy Shipmates starts off with Vowell stating, â€Å"The only thing more dangerous than an idea is a belief. And by dangerous I don’t mean thought-provoking. I mean: might get people killed. † Vowell supports this statement throughout her The Wordy Shipmates as she heavily explains how religion plays an important role in every part of the Puritan lifestyle during this time. When Vowell talks about the Puritan lifestyle back then, the main focus is politic, economic and social events that took place, not descriptions of their everyday lives. Some Puritans were most definitely more religious than others and Vowell does a good said at explaining both points of view while still proving a point she is trying to make Vowell talks the Salem Witch Trials, the â€Å"A Model of Christian Charity† speech and people such as Anne Hutchinson or the Pequot tribe to defend her opening statement about beliefs. We will write a custom essay sample on The Wordy Shipmates Critical Review or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The emphasis that was put on religion by the Puritans would lead to events that are still relevant to America today. By writing The Wordy Shipmates, Vowell provides a more in depth look at the Puritans that would not be the focus point in a history class. Although Vowell may seem to point more toward the biased side at some points, she does a pretty good job of staying on the â€Å"middle ground† through The Wordy Shipmates. Although The Wordy Shipmates was not the worst book ever written, it was, in my opinion, definitely not the best. When I first started reading the novel, I wasn’t really sure on which direction Vowell was attempting to take this book. Even as I read a little further into the book her thesis was no clear to me. The lack of chapters in The Wordy Shipmates makes it hard to keep track of what Vowell is talking about or to even see where she will be going next. On top of the lack of defined chapters, Vowell’s almost constant rants make it hard to keeps the events lined up or even follow what she is going on and on about. If you can get past the disorganization or the frequent rants that Vowell seems to have, the actual vocabulary used in The Wordy Shipmates is not anything crazy or complex. The Puritans are not the most exciting group of people to read about but Vowell’s references to pop culture and other more modern events make the history in the novel easier to understand. Vowell goes into detail about almost every person or topic she brings up in The Wordy Shipmates, which could be both a good thing and a bad thing. The good part is that it really shows her understanding of the events that are taking place and she tends to stay unbiased as she goes into detail. The bad part is that her insane amount of details makes the book boring at times when she tends to be detailed about things that would be equally understood if she were to just make a general statement. Vowell has a unique way of looking at things which does make her book somewhat enjoyable to read. Vowell talks about history in a more â€Å"not so serious† tone which makes The Wordy Shipmates differ greatly from other history books on the same topic. There are things in The Wordy Shipmates that are interesting to read about because Vowell doesn’t only mention the typical events that seemed to be constantly talked about when it comes the Puritans and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. If you want a less typical way of learning about the Puritans in the colonies then The Wordy Shipmates really is not all that of a book. The Wordy Shipmates is not a book that is targeted so anyone who can get past the lack of chapters and Vowell’s constant rants has a chance at enjoying this book. The Wordy Shipmates might not be my first pick when it comes to reading a book but it definitely has a different way of looking at the Puritan colonists and how their actions still affect life in America today.