SGiannangeli - Homework from "Is America Still Puritan?"

Es. 2

1. What did the first experiment demonstrate about American people?
   The first experiment demonstrated that American people are still influenced by the Calvinist idea of obtaining afterlife salvation through hard work and commitment.
2. How does Puritanism affect the way young Americans see women?
   According to Puritans strict moral values, some American young men could have an extremely tight morality as regards sex and gender’s roles. American young man may give more relevance to modesty and scruple in women because of Puritan influence.
3. What element in the second paragraph makes you think that the author is American?
   The author uses the first-person pronoun “we”.
4. What paradoxical idea is described in the sixth paragraph?
   The author explains that it does not matter what American people’s religious affiliation or level of religious feeling is, it does not matter what they believe in, they are somehow guided by Puritan values through their thought and actions. It is almost paradoxical because Puritanism is linked to Cristian religion, so it seems anomalous that non-religious people follow Puritan precepts and morality. However, Puritanism has influenced the whole society’s moral and legislative apparatus, this is way almost every American is still (sometimes unconsciously) following some Puritan ideas.
5. What influence has New England had on the modern world?
   Since the first founders of North America’s cities were the Puritan “Pilgrim Fathers” they managed to spread their cultural and religious values and to influence America’s ideals. They founded New England: its high-class citizen’s intellectual traditions, religious writings and academic knowledge spread all over the country.