Within the larger context of history, however--both American and World--individualism is a baby of a concept, and for most of history the notion of individuality would have been a head-scratcher and often downright subversive. In a future post I will delve more into the Age of Reason and how that particular period in history fundamentally manifested and codified the concept of the individual. For this post, however, I will dwell on the earliest perceptions of individuality in our literature as they get played out in an historical event that inspired Hawthorne's "The May-Pole of Merrymount:" the confrontation between the Puritans and Thomas Morton of Merrymount.
One point to keep in mind when reading the two different and competing narratives that Morton was not a Puritan, yet the Puritan leadership felt no hesitation about attempting to bring him in line. A major reason for that would be that Bradford and the Puritans perceived Morton and his shenanigans as a threat to the community.
Also keep in mind that as a writer, Morton had more options about how he told the story than Bradford did. As I indicated in earlier posts, the Puritans had very clear ideas and restrictions about the role of the writer. Morton operated under no such restrictions. Morton could engage in satire and mockery, modes of discourse not available to Bradford.
The maypole, which was a centerpiece of the dispute, was a longstanding English tradition, but one which the Puritans banned. You can imagine then how immigrants from England, completely disconnected from everything they knew and loved, would take this effort to forbid a tradition that would connect them to home. Yet somehow the individualistic behavior of Morton, and the symbolic power of the maypole, were seen as dire enough threats to warrant clamping down on Morton and his activities.
So in what ways do you think Morton presented a threat to the Puritans? And in what ways would the maypole present a threat to that community?
I found the stories of the Maypole incident from two diverse perspectives, as well as two entirely different writing styles, to be quite interesting. While Bradford’s “plaine stile” seemed more straightforward, it was undoubtedly influenced by his Puritan beliefs. Morton’s tale was more amusing but his perspective was likewise shaped by his own beliefs and probably just as subjective as Bradford’s.
ReplyDeleteThe Puritans were probably justified in fearing the revelry and activities surrounding the Maypole because of their strong principle of community. As they fought hard to survive the hardships in their new homeland, they knew it was crucial to remain united. The Puritans believed in human weakness and in all probability felt it necessary to remove temptation in order to keep their members on the straight and narrow. The idea of having a little fun could have been especially appealing to some of the young adults and teens so the threat had to be eliminated. Also the Maypole was a symbol of the life the Puritans had left behind and there was no room for it in the new world.
Cheryl, you seem to be delicately hinting that part of the problem with the maypole ritual was its implications of sexuality (which in fact was one of the symbolic functions of the maypole itself). Now, the Puritans were not asexual, and they did not perceive sexuality as being intrinsically wrong. Nevertheless, I think you have a point. So for you and anyone, what problems might the Puritans have had with the sexual implications in this context?
ReplyDeleteBradford, I believe, sums up why Morton poses a threat to the Puritans when he writes "... and all the scum of the country or any discontents would flock to him..." (p. 336) If those who were attracted by Morton's "excesses" begin a slow, steady exodus from the Puritan community, the "city on the hill" that they are trying to build will be destroyed and God will not look with favor on them. Morton represents the traditional -- Church of England, the universities, the society the Puritans fled in order to establish a community where they could practice their own beliefs. Vestiges of that old life that they'd renounced -- like the maypole, with its pagan associations -- threatened to undermine the focus on God and community. Befriending the Indians could lead not only to the natives' empowerment through weaponry and in sharing the maypole (fertility) ritual, to the mixing of Indian and white blood and absorption of the Indians' belief in the importance of the natural world. If one of Morton's followers wanted a wife, and didn't want to wait for one to come from England, or to go back and fetch one himself, what would stop him from taking one of the Indian women? The Puritans may have wanted to coexist with the Indians but not necessarily to breed with them; they wanted to convert the Indians to Puritanism, not see them drawn in to Morton's viewpoint through old English traditions.
ReplyDeleteTwo points in Teri's comment to note. First, the notion of "excesses." Because of common misperceptions about the Puritans, we often assume that they did not approve of anything that smacked of secularity. But for the Puritans, the issues weren't so much ones of pleasure or even indulgence, but more of an excess of them. Excess and control are crucial principles here (and would become crucial to the struggle with the concept of individualism).
ReplyDeleteA second point has to do with the comment about intermixing of the races (what would have been called miscegenation). That indeed would have been a big concern--any thoughts or speculations as to why?
Speculation as to why -- because "savages" would be considered to be Godless? Or because the King and the rest of England (Europe?) would then consider the Puritans to be savage -- and less of a people, in a sense? Or again, because they would then not be favored by god?
ReplyDeleteMorton harshly criticized the pilgrims by using obscure biblical references in his writing. Consider the title of Morton's work about his experiences in New England, New English Canaan. With it he satirizes the Puritans' habit of perceiving themselves and the New World in terms of the tribulations of the Israelites in the Old Testament. Morton sees New England as a promised land that may even surpass that of the Israelites and ironically, to be sure, but also seriously dubs it "Canaan," while Bradford heroically insists that the wilderness presents the greatest challenge in human history for God's chosen people.
ReplyDeleteMorton drew the anger of the nearby Puritans because his abounding, easygoing colony attracted escapees from the harsh regime of the Plymouth plantation. Morton had no issues in trading guns to his Indian friends, whom the Puritans viewed as hostile savages. They resented Morton's intellectual scorn for their fundamentalism, which he thought simply masked their stupidity and greed. (Morton made up mocking names for the Puritan leaders – Miles Standish he called "Captain Shrimp," and John Endicott he dismissed as "that great swelling fellow, Captain Littleworth.") The Puritans condemned Morton as an immoral, drunken philanderer whose – worst sin of all – consorted with the native women and encouraged his men to do so, too (mix white blood with native blood how could they?).
The final straw for the Puritans came when Morton erected his great Maypole, renamed his colony (from Mt. Wollaston to "Merrymount") and threw a merry old pagan May Day party to help woo Indian wives for his young single colonial men. Morton penned a poem for the occasion full of references to Greek mythology and gods and goddesses which although it were made according to the traditions of the time, he later wrote, "puzzled the Separatists most pitifully to expound it.”
Morton and his hedonistic colony so angered the Separtists that they cut down the May Pole and arrested Morton. What would they think of New England today??
I think Puritans would approve of sex only as long as it existed within the boundaries of marriage. Since Puritans believed they had a moral obligation to their fellow man, then it would be their duty to intervene in the Maypole rituals and stop any behavior they felt was depraved or sinful.
ReplyDeleteI think the Separatists had trouble understanding Morton’s nature and desire for fun. In New English Canaan, the main character is an “honest man,” but Bradford claims that Morton has “more craft than honesty” (page 334). Morton was giving a bad name to the Separatists and acting irresponsibly. The maypole was a symbol of the care-free, drunken manner in which Morton and his men conducted themselves daily. While intended as “harmless mirth” (page 303), the Puritans “rebuked them for their profaneness and admonished them” (page 335). The maypole and Morton himself were constant reminders of what, I believe, the Separatists considered an embarrassment. Because the “lawless” Morton traded with the Indians, he caused tumult with the Separatists. They planned “to prevent the further growth of this mischief, and suppress Morton and his consorts before they grew to further head and strength” (page 336). I think they were afraid of his growing power and prominence.
ReplyDeleteI think that just the way that he refers to the Puritans is a threat. He comments on their way of life and how he refers to them. The maypole was just a way for the Puritans to express themselves and have a good time. It could have been a threat to the community because of all the drunken men that could have possibly gotten out of hand and caused chaos.
ReplyDeleteClearly, I believe that Morton presented a threat to the Puritans in a way that would be looked at as uncivil. A lot of Morton's actions were based off of the idea of nothing more than mischief and trying to stir up problems within the Puritan community. Coming from the Puritans' point of view, they were looked at as more orderly and civil, and with someone like Morton, he could have been viewed as nothing more than a nuisance that probably would have got in the way of what the Puritans believed in.
ReplyDeleteBradford believed that Morton couldn't be trusted. "Amongst whom was one Mr. Morton, who it should seem had some small adventure of his own" (334). He couldn't have been more perfect in his prediction and feelings. Morton not only disrupted the community, but became the threat Bradford had predicted. "After this they fell to great licentiousness and he led a dissolute life putting out themselves into all profaneness" (334).
Also, I believe that the maypole presented a threat to the Puritan community because when John Endecott arrived, he rebuked them for their profaneness towards the maypole, but I originally thought that it was their way to of viewing life and the maypole did become a key symbol for the Puritans.