ENG 251 Test 1 Study Guide with
Complete Solutions
According to Cotton Mather, what reasons would the devil have for being interested in
New England and specifically Martha Carrier? What evidence in the text can you find to
support your answer?
How do you think Jonathan Edwards' audience (or readers) is meant to feel? What does
Edwards seem to hope to accomplish with his sermon? Explain. Again, use evidence
from the text to support your answer.
What can we learn from both of these text (for ourselves)? Explain. - Answers-Martha
Carrier alone had been indicted for the bewitching of certain persons. However, she
pleaded not guilty but there were multiple cases where people said she had cast
witchcraft upon them or someone they knew. Mather wrote "Martha Carrier, or her
shape, that grievously tormented them, by biting, pricking, pinching, and choking them"
(325). This was pure evil, and everyone's immediate thought was the devil. People
believed the devil was part of Martha and their town. I cannot say I blame them, if things
like stated in "The Trial of Martha Carrier" were going on I would think the same thing. In
"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," I believe that Edwards wanted his readers to
feel fearful. He wanted readers to truly know how powerful God is, and what can
happen if you are a sinner. Edwards wrote "There is no want of power in God to cast
wicked men into hell at any moment" (391). This quote alone would strike fear into
readers. After reading this, Edwards wants readers to respect God. For now they know
how powerful He is, and what can happen if they do not respect Him. After reading
these two texts we can learn that people have different beliefs. Even if they believe in
the same God, their interpretation may be different. We are so used to our own beliefs
that sometimes we forget that not everyone believes the same things as us. I think that
is something important we can learn and take from these two texts.
Common Sense - Answers-Paine gives his readers a choice
Political essays tone
Hyperbole(overstatement or exaggeration) and analogies
Common Sense popularity - Answers-readership equivalent to the superbowl viewers
Common sense timeline - Answers-April 1775-Lexington and Concord
January 1776- Common Sense published
July 1776-Declaration of Independence
Cotton Mather and "The Wonders of the Invisible World" - Answers-The Puritans
The Witch Trials
Cotton Mather
Themes: Group think/mob mentality
fear and hysteria
the human tendency to be quick to accuse and believe wild accusations
, Describe the character of God, according to Jonathan Edwards. Support your answer
with evidence from the text (with an in-text citation). - Answers-In "Sinners in the Hands
of Angry God," Jonathan Edwards describes the character of God as very powerful yet
angry. He describes God to be angry when those go against him. Edwards wrote "Men's
hands cannot be strong when God rises up. The strongest have no power to resist Him,
nor can any deliver out of His hands" (391). Edwards also makes several efforts to point
out that God can cast anyone to Hell at any time. There is no one more powerful than
God. Not one person stands a chance against him in terms of Edward's writing.
"Sinners in then Hands of an Angry God" seems to be persuasive. Edwards wants to
persuade readers to respect God and live by Him. I believe he intended to cast fear
onto readers by providing plenty of detail about God's vengeance, and what will happen
if one goes against God. Edwards no doubt got his point across in his writing, and left
out no detail.
Discuss your reaction to EACH of Paine's works that we read. What about them
appealed or did not appeal to you? What did you personally think about his writing and
rhetoric style?
Choose ONE of Paine's works and discuss how he employs ethos, logos, and pathos in
it to help strengthen his argument. Make sure to properly quote and cite anything
evidence from the text that you add into your discussion. - Answers-In "Common
Sense," Thomas Paine makes multiple arguments about the importance of
independence from Great Britain. What appealed to me most in this piece of work was
Paine's passion. It was easy to see that he was very passionate and believed strongly
that America needed independence. One of the quotes that stood out to me was "I
challenge the advocate for reconciliation to show a single advantage that this continent
can reap by being connected with Great Britain. I repeat the challenge; not a single
advantage is derived."(686) I feel that this quote shows his anger and passion towards
his argument. In "From The Age of Reason," Thomas Paine attacks traditional
Christianity with his own opinions. From a Christian standpoint, I did not care much for
this writing. However, it was interesting to see how other people think. In "Common
Sense," Thomas Paine uses a lot of pathos. He puts a lot of emotion into this particular
writing, as well as logos and ethos. Paine states "In the following pages I offer nothing
more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense."(683) He uses logic and
facts, or as he says "common sense." His tone in this work gives him credibility. He is
very persuasive and logical throughout his writing. I feel that his tone and use of ethos,
logos, and pathos really make this work passionate.
ethos pathos and logos - Answers-credibility, emotion, logic
How does Cotton Mather describe the location of New England? - Answers-An area that
was once the devil's territories.
How does Rowlandson's reference to specific scriptures of the Bible serve her
narrative? What specific purpose do they serve, in your opinion? Explain, perhaps using
evidence from the text (with an in-text citation). - Answers-Mary Rowlandson's Narrative
Complete Solutions
According to Cotton Mather, what reasons would the devil have for being interested in
New England and specifically Martha Carrier? What evidence in the text can you find to
support your answer?
How do you think Jonathan Edwards' audience (or readers) is meant to feel? What does
Edwards seem to hope to accomplish with his sermon? Explain. Again, use evidence
from the text to support your answer.
What can we learn from both of these text (for ourselves)? Explain. - Answers-Martha
Carrier alone had been indicted for the bewitching of certain persons. However, she
pleaded not guilty but there were multiple cases where people said she had cast
witchcraft upon them or someone they knew. Mather wrote "Martha Carrier, or her
shape, that grievously tormented them, by biting, pricking, pinching, and choking them"
(325). This was pure evil, and everyone's immediate thought was the devil. People
believed the devil was part of Martha and their town. I cannot say I blame them, if things
like stated in "The Trial of Martha Carrier" were going on I would think the same thing. In
"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," I believe that Edwards wanted his readers to
feel fearful. He wanted readers to truly know how powerful God is, and what can
happen if you are a sinner. Edwards wrote "There is no want of power in God to cast
wicked men into hell at any moment" (391). This quote alone would strike fear into
readers. After reading this, Edwards wants readers to respect God. For now they know
how powerful He is, and what can happen if they do not respect Him. After reading
these two texts we can learn that people have different beliefs. Even if they believe in
the same God, their interpretation may be different. We are so used to our own beliefs
that sometimes we forget that not everyone believes the same things as us. I think that
is something important we can learn and take from these two texts.
Common Sense - Answers-Paine gives his readers a choice
Political essays tone
Hyperbole(overstatement or exaggeration) and analogies
Common Sense popularity - Answers-readership equivalent to the superbowl viewers
Common sense timeline - Answers-April 1775-Lexington and Concord
January 1776- Common Sense published
July 1776-Declaration of Independence
Cotton Mather and "The Wonders of the Invisible World" - Answers-The Puritans
The Witch Trials
Cotton Mather
Themes: Group think/mob mentality
fear and hysteria
the human tendency to be quick to accuse and believe wild accusations
, Describe the character of God, according to Jonathan Edwards. Support your answer
with evidence from the text (with an in-text citation). - Answers-In "Sinners in the Hands
of Angry God," Jonathan Edwards describes the character of God as very powerful yet
angry. He describes God to be angry when those go against him. Edwards wrote "Men's
hands cannot be strong when God rises up. The strongest have no power to resist Him,
nor can any deliver out of His hands" (391). Edwards also makes several efforts to point
out that God can cast anyone to Hell at any time. There is no one more powerful than
God. Not one person stands a chance against him in terms of Edward's writing.
"Sinners in then Hands of an Angry God" seems to be persuasive. Edwards wants to
persuade readers to respect God and live by Him. I believe he intended to cast fear
onto readers by providing plenty of detail about God's vengeance, and what will happen
if one goes against God. Edwards no doubt got his point across in his writing, and left
out no detail.
Discuss your reaction to EACH of Paine's works that we read. What about them
appealed or did not appeal to you? What did you personally think about his writing and
rhetoric style?
Choose ONE of Paine's works and discuss how he employs ethos, logos, and pathos in
it to help strengthen his argument. Make sure to properly quote and cite anything
evidence from the text that you add into your discussion. - Answers-In "Common
Sense," Thomas Paine makes multiple arguments about the importance of
independence from Great Britain. What appealed to me most in this piece of work was
Paine's passion. It was easy to see that he was very passionate and believed strongly
that America needed independence. One of the quotes that stood out to me was "I
challenge the advocate for reconciliation to show a single advantage that this continent
can reap by being connected with Great Britain. I repeat the challenge; not a single
advantage is derived."(686) I feel that this quote shows his anger and passion towards
his argument. In "From The Age of Reason," Thomas Paine attacks traditional
Christianity with his own opinions. From a Christian standpoint, I did not care much for
this writing. However, it was interesting to see how other people think. In "Common
Sense," Thomas Paine uses a lot of pathos. He puts a lot of emotion into this particular
writing, as well as logos and ethos. Paine states "In the following pages I offer nothing
more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense."(683) He uses logic and
facts, or as he says "common sense." His tone in this work gives him credibility. He is
very persuasive and logical throughout his writing. I feel that his tone and use of ethos,
logos, and pathos really make this work passionate.
ethos pathos and logos - Answers-credibility, emotion, logic
How does Cotton Mather describe the location of New England? - Answers-An area that
was once the devil's territories.
How does Rowlandson's reference to specific scriptures of the Bible serve her
narrative? What specific purpose do they serve, in your opinion? Explain, perhaps using
evidence from the text (with an in-text citation). - Answers-Mary Rowlandson's Narrative
