Apologetics and Satire in Bradford and Morton

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2021 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, University of Wuppertal, language: English, abstract: It has been argued that the history of the Plymouth Colony is so popular due to its 'number of altogether remarkable writers' whose writing was 'so graphic, so charged with emotions, so alive with homely details of Plymouth's daily life' (Morison 148). In this paper, I would like to pay special attention to two of those writings: Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford and New English Canaan by Thomas Morton, which stand in particular contrast to each other. I will show how these two writers apply literary techniques that correspond to their origins and personal backgrounds. In addition, the contrast and consequent complementarity of the two works will be brought out by contrasting the relevant sections on the same subjects. It will become clear how the respective narrative techniques are used to support one's own point of view and which aspects play into it. The historical background will shortly be outlined before dealing with the question how these two authors made use of these literary techniques to strengthen and defend their position in the ongoing dispute.