Motivation

A similarity between "The Burning of My House", "World, in Hounding me" and the Scarlet Letter is that all three of them are written in a puritan's point of view. Puritans have strict religious rules and most are extremely pious, therefore the religion play a major role in the characters' actions and thoughts. When misfortune happens to them, like in "The Burning of My House", they attribute it to God's will. When people commit crimes, like adultery in the Scarlet Letter, the puritans take strong actions to condemn the "sinner" and make a show of the harsh consequences. This is caused by their belief that people are evil by nature. They seem to care little about earthly matters, putting all their hopes in the afterlives that "[lie] above". They believe, to an extreme point, that taking materialistic good too seriously is bad for the soul. For them, to enjoy materials on earth is to "throw [your] life away on vanity". Religion and God is the motivation source and reason to almost everything they do.

I, however, have very different motivations. Right now, I do not believe in any certain religion. My motivation come mainly from my future. I strive to create a future that would allow me to have better opportunities and a better life. Plainly stated, I work hard to go into a good school that would help me lead a better life. In a way, this motivation has some similarities with the Puritan's view. For me, I hope to be successful when I grow up, while for the Puritans they wish to go to heaven, which is also the future. I believe that all motivations come from a desire for a better future.