All in all, I don't think that these readings will be among my favorites of the year. However, I do think that they did a great job setting us up for what to come. It gave us a good history and background of what went on towards the beginning of American history. The readings gave us a few different views, opinions, and types of writings. My favorite was Mrs. Rowlandson's excerpt, and I think this was because of how personal she made it seem. She put real feeling into her writing that was easily understood and comprehended by the reader. The Puritan readings seemed to have had a reoccuring theme of courage. The first reading showed us how brave the first Puritans were to start fresh in a new area and build on it. Mrs. Rowlandson showed the reader her courage throughout her entire story, particularly standing up to the Indians and not giving up. While the sermon was, as agreed by all, a little over the top, it took Edwards a lot of courage to say the things he said, because he was so sure of the opinions he had. He must've known what the reaction to his sermon would be, but he did it anyway. I think that the theme of courage will be constant throughout American Literature. Although these readings didn't interest me entirely, I think that with this "backbone" of history and a general understanding of the time, American Literature should come easier.