Les Moments de Style

~This paper will investigate how the third wave feminism is represented through a girl punk band, Bratmobile. An interview with Bratmobile’s vocal, Allison Wolfe, from online magazine becomes a supportive material.

Understanding 3rd Wave Feminism

According to my understanding the third wave feminism have not established a single definition as it has been being formulated and negotiated. In one way, the third wave is understood in academic area but in another case the third wave is considered as a  political movement in which young activism has started to question and further to bring about change to the patriarchal system. Leslie Heywood and Jennifer Drake provide characteristic of the third wave feminism and how it differs from the previous feminism movements.
“We define feminism’s Third Wave as a movement that contains elements of Second Wave critique of beauty culture, sexual abuse, and power structures while it also acknowledges and makes use of the pleasure, danger, and defining power of those structures” (Conrad: 2001)

In this circumstance we may understand that the third wave feminism considers some values of second wave like criticism of how beauty is defined, understanding phenomenon of sexual abuse that still happen to many women and the system power of patriarchal system. But in contrast the third wave feminism also point out that women especially young lady can seek their pleasure for individual expression and thus creating a new power for them. Conrad (2001: 123) evaluates Bust Magazines which describes what third wave looks like. Conrad defines that the third wave feminism movement has theoritical patterns: 1) reaction to, or adoption of, Second Wave feminist theory; 2) multiculturalism; 3) alternative and diverse sexualities; 4) anti-essentialism; 5) individualism; 6) contradiction or contrast; and 7) pastiche  and camp.
 

In relation to second wave, the third wave feminism does both reject and accepts the values of second wave theories as I explain in previous paragraph. Multiculturalism denotes the rejection of the second wave which focuses only in white middle-class woman.  Woman of color, especially black has been taken into consideration in the third wave. Diverse sexualities pattern means that the third wave tries to fight for right for lesbianism which was considered as embarrassment during second wave. Individualism here contributes to understanding that woman has a right for self-expression because as explained before that woman may have a pleasure. Women as sexual object now turns into women as subject who are freely sexualize themselves. This reflects a new power of self-control for them.
 

Punk Feminism

Punk music based on my understanding is genre music that typically contains a protest of current system that many people believe has been corrupted. The band personnel usually come from youth generation—a period of age of questioning rules. They create their own identity in form of subculture.

One event that has marked the third wave feminism is the rise of Riot Grrrl movement or Punk Feminism. Conrad (2001: 14) suggests Riot grrrl as an angry growl woman—seen from the word grrrl, that challenges the system which at that time still hold the belief of how woman should behave. They try to put aside an image of woman as nice, sweet, and unassertive stereotypes of “girls.” This punk feminism begins to form as a “loose network of women from Olympia and Washington D.C. in 1990s,” The riot grrrl movement encouraged third wave artist and musician to define punk and feminism into their own version under male dominated punk movement. Besides, the big project in here is that it empowers many women to fight against misogyny and inequality through positive activities.  In promoting the ideas of woman empowerment, social or political criticism, many activists, artists, or musicians disseminate ‘zines’ with a specific esoteric theme.

So, the values of the third wave in terms of punk feminism here say that every woman has their freedom to define their identity and to express their ideas towards their surroundings. Well, in practice these (young) women have entered the punk music area which is typically dominated by man—to both fight for equality and show their protest of daily life oppression toward woman. Regarding identity these women have consciously possessed their own body. They can make their appearance in so ‘punk’ way as if challenge the traditional beauty ideal. One thing we can notice, sharing ideas by creating music and disseminating zines indicates that these women do want to show their identity in a political way.

“Bratmobile” as a Representation of 3rd Wave Feminism

Bands associated with the movement are Bikini Kill, Jack Off Jill, Bratmobile, Adickdid, Bangs, The Butchies, Calamity Jane, Emily Sassy Line, Fifth Column, etc. From many bands, Bikini Kill has always been mentioned the most. Nevertheless, I want to take one band that is equally popular, Bratmobile, as focus of this paper. One of reasons choosing the band is the vocal, Allison Wolfe. In my opinion an influential personnel can make the band noticeable. Allison Wolfe is a main activist of Riot Grrrl movement, contributor of feminist punk rockers together with Kathleen Hana and Tobi Vail from Bikini Kill, and a zines writer of Girl Germs and Riot Grrrl assisted by the same group personnel, Molly Neuman. Zines, or fanzines, were magazines for fans of a particular performer, group, or form of entertainment that were produced by amateurs. Like Kathleen Hana and Toby Vail, Wolfe and Neuman bring the theme of their zines to music and form Bratmobile in 1991 (Butler, 2010)

Walker (2015) on her artices Bikini Kills and Bratmobile has even interpreted Bratmobile as Brat being what society perceives about feminist and mobile is about getting around. These girls with these bands with stereotypes that society attach to them as being annoying, brat, angry have shown to people how they can be what they wanted to be and make change. This is how punk band is connected to the third wave, as many (young) not only wants to be acknowledged culturally but also politically.

In order to find out the representation of the third wave through Bratmobile I also consider an interview conducted by Sally McCallister to Allison Wolfe from an online magazine, The Nerdy Virginias Magazine, posted on August 7th 2013, entitled An interview with former Bratmobile singer Allison Wolfe, Precious Thoughts shared about Riot Grrrls, Feminism, and Art.

The first thing came out was how Wolfe defined Riot Grrrl (punk feminism). She thought that riot grrrl as part of the third wave feminism had made punk rock scenes more feminist and made feminism more punk rock. She saw riot grrrl as feminist cultural activism pertaining the era of early 90’s American independent music scene.

In answering her band and the meaning of feminism, Wolfe explained that Bratmobile was the most popular band for her. She saw her music, performance, and persona had been engaged in feminist cultural activism, with focus on self-esteem issues and how the personal is political. Feminism, in her opinion, was about struggling women values against patriarchal society. When asked about her contribution in the third wave feminism, Wolve expressed her gratitude of being a part of third wave feminism in which she could have spoken out her idea of feminism through music, music about devaluation of women in daily life, self-esteem, and political personal.

Catching idea of Allison Wolfe from the interview we can see the connection of the topic in this discussion, about Bratmobile, punk feminism and the third wave feminism. Wolfe and Bratmobile have represented the values of the third way feminism. Wolfe has decided herself to be a punk girl challenging culture of male-dominated punk. She protests the patriarchal society and devaluation of woman by writing zines and creating songs. Bratmobile as a band formed 1991 in the era of riot grrrl or punk feminism functions as not only a mere ‘entertainment’ but also a political media containing feminism ideas.


Reference
Conrad, Lettie. (2001). Third Wave Feminism A Case Study of BUST Magazine. In California State University. [Online]. Available: grrrlzines.net/writing/Conrad_thesis.pdf [2015, February 15]

Fields, Allison. (2002). Bratmobile Girls Get Busy Lookout!; 2002. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/919-girls-get-busy/ (Accessed on April, 21 2015]
Kloster, Mel. (2014). The Riot Grrrl Manifesto” and “Revolution Girl Style Now.
http://sites.psu.edu/wmnst106behrend/tag/third-wave-of-feminism/feed/ (Accessed on April, 21 2015)

Walker, Marche. (2015). Bikini Kill and Bratmobile. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/919-girls-get-busy/ (Accessed on April, 21 2015)

Introduction

Normal (2009)

 

Normal is produced under HBO films based on the play by Jane Anderson, Looking for Normal starring Jessica Lange (Irma) and Tom Wilkinson (Roy/Ruth). The movie gives a spotlight to a married couple life, Irma and Roy, after they celebrate their 25th Anniversary. The surprise is when Roy admits to pastor and Irma that he wants to be a woman. He has considered it for a long time that he is born woman but trapped in a man’s body. After his decision, Roy faces difficulties, firstly of course from Irma, his son, Wayne, pastor and fellowship of the church congregation, and work colleagues. Roy has a few people to lean on.
After its release, Normal has been nominated for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress in Golden Globes, USA 2004 and in Primetime Emmy Award 2003 it has been nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress, Outstanding Made for Television Movie, Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special, and won for Outstanding in Main Title Design and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Movie, and etc. (www.imdb.com)
 

Objective
This movie is worth analyzing. In this paper I would like to discuss Roy’s effort in revising his identity. To help me develop this essay I am considering some gender theories, like queer, performativity, mind/body dualism, and posthumanism body.
 

Discussion

In The Wrong Body

Body/mind dualism in Bordo’s essay emphasizes that the construction of the body is apart from the true self (3) Body is considered as the prison of the mind, even body suggests negativity. Bordo says that the culture has created dualism in which describes man as active and woman as passive, man is represented as day and woman as night, man is created powerful and woman is powerless, man as the mind and woman as the body. As mentioned, if body suggests negativity it means woman as source of all bad things (4). Bordo adds that the feeling of uneasy and self loathing suffered by many women because of the culture makes them feel that they might have been in the wrong body. In the movie I watch the situation goes the other way around. Different from Bordo’s example, it is not about the woman under patriarchy system, but rather focuses on mind that has been considered as separate or different thing with body.
In Normal, Roy has admitted to pastor along with his wife, Irma, that he has been a woman for so long time born and trapped in a man’s body. His marriage with Irma has already turned 25th year and Irma has given birth to a son and a daughter. The movie has depicted enough how culture shape what both men and women should do and what should not do in a society. And feeling of living in a wrong body causes Roy in a stressful condition that he wants to perform the genital surgery in order to make him complete. The desire to reach completeness in here suggests Roy’s mind that contradicts with the existing body. As the story goes, this film not only gives Roy a spotlight, but also his daughter, Patty-Ann. Patty-Ann is a way opposite of her father. Although given in small scenes, Patty-Ann complains about being a woman, having vagina and breasts instead of penis. She does not like how she feels during period and gets angry putting herself a bra. When going to school she prefers something unusual.

Heterosexual Contract, Performativity, & Social Sanction

In such situation I connect it with Judith Butler theory of performativity. In her essay it is stated that “Gender identity is a performative accomplishment compelled by social sanction and taboo” (520). In short, gender is a social construction, result of performative acts which survives from generation to generation. Social sanction and taboo says that those who fail to perform to what is right will end up being punished.
The movie tells us that Roy has been a man performing masculinity. Roy has been obeying what Butler calls as heterosexuality contract. He works in a man field, married to a woman for 25 years, and has children. Reproduction in heteronormativity is said to be a compulsory matter in family to extend kinship system (524). Moreover, sex, gender, and heterosexuality have been explained as historical products which are considered as natural for years. Gender is not a mere an individual choice but like an actor with a script ready to perform. But in case of transvestites, punishment will play its role again. Butler insists that gender has been made to adjust with a model of truth and false and to serve social policy and control. Those who fail to perform gender will be punished but those who do well only suggest the essentialism of gender identity.
After the admittance Roy faces many social sanctions. He gets bullied by men in his work station, gets his car written you are not normal, gets expelled from congregation which holds strongly a Christian conservatism, and fought with his own son.
The story has been somehow set in a heteronormativity way. Irma as a woman deals with her domestic job, being a housewife instead of working outside, doing house chores, wearing dresses, putting some make up on, etc. Roy is working with men dealing with machines, which stresses man things, Roy’s son, Wayne, makes a music band, travels around, grows himself beard, and portrayed having sex with some chicks. During thanksgiving visit, he enjoys watching football with Roy—although Roy has started changing a little bit at that time. Even, Irma insists Wayne to carve the turkey which suggests making him a man as a head of the table, Roy’s daughter, Patty-Ann, always gets scolded by Irma if she starts acting like a boy and behaving what a girl should not behave.
After deciding what he wants to be, Roy starts to perform his (new) gender step by step, acting what woman (in society) will typically do; gets dressed, puts make-up on, wears jewelry, wants cooking job, and so on. He firstly goes to the store buying some dresses and woman’s stuffs. Although still dressed like a man, he tries to wear perfume and a pair of earrings to work which absolutely causes a fight. In the movie Roy has insisted Irma to let him do house chores. Gradually, Roy starts wearing a cardigan and takes estrogen pills, and grows himself breasts. At work, Roy does not even complain, being grateful instead, he accepts working in the desk. His also changes into Ruth.  

Becoming Queer

Roy in my opinion is a queer. In my understanding, queer people freely define who they are, what they want to be. They are able to define themselves as straight today, bisexual tomorrow, or gay in the following days. In the article entitled Queer and Heteronormativiy, the term ‘queer’ develops from crazy and deviant to a theory, it also defines people of LGBT and those who live outside social norms. Queer time and space by Judith Halberstam helps me understand Roy’s identity as a queer.
Queer time is defined as a term for specific models of temporality within postmodernism, once someone goes outside frame of bourgeois. In Western culture, Bourgeois somehow rules the time for reproduction, time for family and time for inheritance and makes those times sounds desirable. People who walk out the rules are considered as immature, dangerous, and pathologized. On the other hands, Queer space is defined as how those queer people create their own space in which normative people will not use that space because as we know that queer people are mostly not welcome and really take time to adjust themselves to get admittance in the normative time and space. (6)
Roy himself has bought the time for reproduction, for family, and for inheritance. But, after playing all the rules for a long time Roy prefers to walk out the frame. He has grown hair, dressed like a woman, and put some make up on. His decision makes him prohibited to attend the church although trying to sit in the very back row. Society seems not ready to accept such thing. In terms of space Roy does search for church that will accept him for the way he is and he agrees to move his job back in the desk. However, Roy still embraces heteronormativity value as he still decides to be husband and father but furnished with domestic job.
I also consider two things. First, the movie DVD cover written “Noᴙmal” with letter R faces backward and second, the movie introduction shows the original title “Looking for Normal” with italized letter N in word Normal. For me they suggest an idea of being normal in different way. In seeking the right body, Roy believes that changing sex to a woman’s body is something to do—in deeper understanding it is normal thing to do than living in an unwanted body.  Back to opinion on freedom to define identity, Roy still defines him normal after performing sex change operation although society thinks the opposite.
 

Posthuman Body and Cyborg

  

Several weeks ago, there was this posthuman body discussion which gave me an insight about what posthuman body means. It was said that posthuman body refers to the situation of body that has no longer function as it did before. It does not have history as it is a new construction because of power and pleasure. Human with the rise of technology can modify their body as they please.
In the introduction of posthuman body by Judith Halberstam and Ira Livingston, The posthuman body is a technology, a screen, a projected image; it is a body under the sign of AIDS, a contaminated body, a deadly body, a techno-body; it is, as we shall see, a queer body (3). Technology makes the body queer. Besides, it is also said that queer itself in American has been part of posthumanism agenda. People can gain multiple identities yet this situation does not make a culture. Posthumanity is not about making an authentic culture or an organic community but about multiple viabilities (18) The posthuman consists of many things such as Queer, cyborg, metametazoan, hybrid, PWA; bodies-without-organs, bodies-in-process, virtual bodies and etc.
Besides a queer, Roy represents a cyborg as well. Donna Haraway says that humans are all chimeras, hybrid of machine and organism; humans are becoming cyborg (1). In the late 20th century the emergence of machines confuse the natural (organism) and superficial (machine), mind and body, human and animal, nature and culture. Modern medicine is one of example that makes human cyborg.
Before performing sex change surgery Roy has been consuming tablet of estrogen and testosterone blocker even it is scheduled along with Irma with her progesterone. Gradually Roy grows breast and becomes sensitive once his breast touched. In the movie Roy has been reported to be too sensitive and get angry very often. The hormone makes his hand smoother and in one scene it is sliced just because he wants to open a jam bottle-like. The nature of his body has been contaminated with chemical so it causes changing in his hormonal system.   
Conclusion
This movie portrays gender issues suffered by Roy/Ruth who wants to perform genital surgery because he thinks that he lives in the wrong body. He has been living for so long time playing all the rules of heteronormativity. Jane Anderson seems to underline Butler’s theory of performativity that gender is mere social construction. In the movie Roy/Ruth tries to play role as male and as female at the same time. In my opinion he is a queer as he freely defines his identity although social values or society gives him hard days; quarrel with Irma and Wayne, bullied by colleagues, banned to attend church by fellowship in the congregation. The gender issue in this movie can be a representation of defining identity in the postmodern era. Besides, the movie also presents the posthumanism—when humans are dependent with technology, they can modify their own body as they please, and turn into cyborg.







REFERENCE

Anderson, Jane. (2013). Normal. United States: HBO Film.
Bordo, Susan. (1993). Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture and the Body. California: University of California Press.
Butler, Judith. (1988). Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory in Theatre Journal. The Johns Hopkins University Press (available on: http://links.jstor.org)
Halberstam, Judith. (2005) “Queer Temporality and Postmodern Geographies,” in a Queer Time and Place: Transgender Bodies, Subcultural Lives. New York: New York University Press
Halberstam, Judith and Ira Livingston. (1995). Posthuman Bodies. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Haraway, Donna. (1991). “A cyborg manifesto: Science, technology, and socialist-feminism in the late twentieth century.” in Simians, cyborgs, and women: The reinvention of nature. New York: Routledge.

A.    Background

Early 20th century is considered important in American development because of many alterations within American society influenced by modern thought. Twenties era (1920-1930) becomes significant in the history because in those years a number of intellectual movements emerged and affected the popular thinking of the times (Horton & Edwards, 1967: 331). Among the movements, there is Freudianism which impressed American society with its new perspective on sexuality and psychology. Freud’s theory comes up on the right times when American society was amazed and overwhelmed by the new way of life which was far away from the old tradition, including the flappers and hedonism as the result of post World War I (Horton & Edwards, 331).

Sigmund Freud has been interested to romantic literature in the earlier nineteenth since he was in high school and it seems that his interest contributes a lot in his theory which merely discuss about the importance of love and sexual origin acceptance in human relationships (Horton & Edwards, 332). Freud also divides human psyche into the conscious as the part related to the external world and the unconscious which is more of instinctual drives and repressed wishes (Storey, 2008: 91). This elaboration of his theory explains that sexual is the most important instinctual drives.

When we talk about sexuality and Freud’s idea of sexuality affections towards human’s psychology, we cannot put aside the existence of woman whom has been the object of sexuality for man. Even in getting the control over their body and sexual desires, women need to struggle to get their basic rights. That is why this paper is made to explain more about Freud’s opinion in seeing women and how his theory affects women movements.

B.    Discussion

The social condition at the time Freudianism arrived among the society of America enables to be accepted, especially within the youth society, although they only take the surface of Freud’s idea about sexual looseness. As the previous generation considers sexual desire is taboo and should not be expressed publicly, Freud’s theory gives an excuse to them to do it in the other way. A group of American young intellectuals, Greenwich Village in New York, is interested in Freud’s psychology system and theory of sex to encounter their experience of World War I (Horton & Edwards, 351). Freudianism also influences the popular works of the era, like tabloid picture in the newspapers with cheap sensation, erotic movies, and technology of automobile flourishing as the spot of some youth to release their sexual fulfillment. The most influence of Freudianism can be seen from the literary theme at the time about sexual hedonism which relates to Freud’s new technique of seduction (Horton & Edwards, 352). It also increases the right of women to the same passionate experience of love as men.

Freud describes women as inferior to men, that women are instrumental in the development and advancement of psychoanalysis (taken from: psychology.about.com/od/sigmundfreud/p/freud_women.htm). He thinks women as inferior because he belongs to the generation of opposing women movements which are begun in the era of Twenties. Therefore, Freud finds a method of psychoanalysis which later reveals the hysteria symptom in woman, though at first he studies it in man but it does not work really. His first object of analysis is known as Anna O who experiences several symptoms of hysteria, such as hallucination, amnesia and partial paralysis (Horton & Edwards, 333). After doing some sort of interviews, Freud suggests that women hysteria comes from women experience of sexual abuse in childhood memory and it influences to the development of women’s sexual fantasies (taken from: psychology.about.com/od/sigmundfreud/p/freud_women.htm). So, it emphasizes that women also feel sexual desires like men do and this sexual desires can bring hysteria to women.

image taken from www.popsugar.com

The case of women hysteria also can be seen in a movie entitled Black Swan (2010). This movie talks about a talented ballerina, Nina Sayers, who gets hysteria symptom because of self-oppression in pursuing her dream to get the main role in Swan Lake production. In the movie we can see the vulnerable side of woman when she gets oppression from the social condition (the firm rivalry among ballerinas and her mother’s unfinished obsession in ballet career) and also her hard impulsion to get her dream in playing the role as White Swan and Black Swan. In seeing through the character of Black Swan here Nina gets into the hysteria symptom, she has hallucination of someone trying to steal the role of Black Swan from her until she becomes obsessed to Black Swan, even she racks her own body unconsciously. The obsession is also the result of the era where women now are free to express themselves and tended to be more ambitious than the previous generation. The Black Swan characters itself are seducing and deceitful (taken from: www.imdb.com), while Nina character is fragile, innocent, and gentle, so it is quite hard for her to nail the role. In time she practices the role, she is seduced by her director in order to reveal her sexual appeal and this experience makes her curious about sexual fulfillment and even having sexual fantasy of her rival which I may refer it also as hysteria symptom.

In psychoanalysis, Freud also explains about the two parts of psyche that are the conscious and unconscious. Related to Black Swan movie, we can see the unconscious part of Nina when she gets hallucination of her having twin sister, for the unconscious is, “the dark, inaccessible part of our personality … a chaos, a cauldron full of excitations.” (Storey, 2008:92). So actually the dark ‘twin’ is naturally possessed by everyone and human nature is something in part introduced from outside, always open to change (Storey, 93). Nina also gets what Freud called as ‘repression’ which “lies simply in turning something away, and keeping it at a distance, from the conscious” (Storey, 93). This repression causes amnesia or removing all the things we cannot do or will not do, just like Nina who drowns to deep in inspiring the Black Swan characterization.

C.    Conclusion
From the background and the discussion we can conclude that Freud’s psychoanalysis theory is more or less useful to identify the psychology of certain people. Psychoanalysis also shows that sexual desires are experienced by women too. Women actually cannot be separated from the discussion about psychology and sexuality because these two terms are remained important because women usually get oppression psychologically and sexually from men and other factors around them. Through psychoanalysis also hysteria symptom which is usually experienced by women is found. So after all, although at its first emergence, Freud’s theory gets a lot of criticism, but later it is very useful in the development of psychological.


American Thought
Woman in Freud’s Psychoanalysis Theory
by
Monica C. Ameliana – C1312013 
(https://www.facebook.com/monica.ameliana)


References:
·    Black Swan movie (2011)
·    Cherry, K. Freud & Women: Freud’s Perspective on Women (psychology.about.com/od/sigmundfreud/p/freud_women.htm)
·    Horton, R.W. & Edwards, H.W. (1967). Backgrounds of American Literary Thought. Appleton-Century-Crofts: New York
·    Storey, J. (2008). Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, An Introduction: 5th Edition. Pearson-Longman: Sunderland
·    www.imdb.com

A.   Introduction

When it comes to the promising land, America says it all. People have their own motivation to immigrate to America. Stevenson states:

"Major changes in the pattern of immigration have been caused by wars, revolutions, periods of starvation, persecutions, religious intolerance, and in short, by any number of disasters which led people to believe that America was a better place to be." (1998:23)

In 1830s U.S. newcomers began to increase about 600.000 visitors. He added that more than a million Irish moved to America between 1846 and 1851 to escape starvation and disease in Ireland. However, American civilization was initiated by 13 colonies. These Britain-colonies encompassed Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Massachusetts, and Virginia.

Looking back history people had a journey to the new land to get a better life. The hopeful settlers may think that their utopian dream lies somewhere on that promising land. The Puritans in particular once had made a big choice ever. It was said that many puritans suffered from persecutions because of their belief, one of well-known events was Bloody Mary. The story continues as the puritans finally made decision to travel to a land where the air of freedom can be achieved—America.

Puritanism is not only a religious belief but also a philosophy and a value of life about what should do and what shouldn’t, about what is good and what is not. It has greatly contributed to American Culture, American Thought, and American national character. This protestant movement originated and developed from England but the influence crossed over borders. This essay will elaborate more about this belief socially and historically as it has big contribution in a foundation of America today and as it may become additional information in the field of American Studies.

B.   Discussion

The experience of sorrow in the old days has led to Luther’s reformation who was believed initiating the movement toward what they believed to be corrupted-rules committed in a Church of England around 16th to 17th century after the accession of Elizabeth I. Puritans are English Protestant who thought that Church of England need to be reformed. Most Puritans were "non-separating Puritans" which means they did not try to separate or make distinct congregations from the Church of England and the rests were "separating Puritans" or separatist which separated themselves and made distinct congregations outside the Church, later called as pilgrim. (Wikipedia: History of the Puritans in North America). But in practice, non-separating Puritans acted as the separatists did. (Puritanism - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com.htm)

As a religious view, Puritanism has beliefs, such as:

         A. Godly people were sober, hardworking, and responsible. English society had been corrupted by foreign influences and needed to be purified.

            B. Catholicism made the religion weaker

           C. Believe in destiny and fate – God chooses who is saved and who is damned. Yet the saints are responsible for their actions.

            D. The saints can choose its members, hires and fires its ministers.

            E. Worship should focus on God, No instrumental music, or art.

            F. Much value of education

            G. Intolerance – error must be opposed and driven out.

(Feldmeth, Greg D. “American Puritanism,” U.S. History Resources. http://gfeldmeth/USHistory.html/lec.pur.html)

This religious movement, as explained earlier, aimed at purifying their national church by eliminating every Catholic influence. Puritans attempted to change an Episcopal state system—in which bishop and king were the authorities (leader) of church governance—into Presbyterian in which the highest position was the presbyters or the elders. They assumed that the concept of a King who governed the church system was an annexation between church authorities and politics. Puritans argued that worship should focus more on God instead of playing music instruments and creating arts. All intolerance must be wiped out.

When King James I was on the throne in 1603, English Puritanism asked him to abolish the bishops. But somehow, the King James refused it. Moreover, the English Government dominated by Church and religious people became more repressive. They controlled everything, forced everyone to do exactly what they wanted. It was bloody affairs. The previous persecution of religion under Queen Mary reign was much more horrific. The English people came to call her "Bloody Mary". At Coventry Cathedral evangelical families were rounded up. They were tied and sentenced by Church bishops. English fathers were burned alive for teaching their children the Lord's Prayer in English. The religious priest believed that Latin, pagan language in Rome, was the only language in which Christian worship could be properly conducted. (PURITAN HISTORY, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.htm) They treated Puritans unfairly and cruel, so the Puritans had to move to somewhere outside England or in New world, America.

Geographically Puritanism developed in North America as it was their first settlement in America. In 1620, Puritans reached North America and they firstly settled in Plymouth, New England. Decade later, the Puritans migrated to Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and New Haven. New England itself is believed to be the “new” place and named after previous land puritans once lived, England. Puritanism was the dominant religious in that area in the 17th and 18th centuries until the second wave immigration.

During the settlement Puritans has proved promoting ideology that greatly gives impact toward others. Bathoro (1998) in Ambivalensi Pikiran Nathaniel Hawthorne dalam The Scarlet Letter Puritans are group who brought positive impact. Puritans are “zeal” having high spirit in religion because they believe in doctrines of election—God chooses few to serve sacred duties. In New England they preached not only to colonies but also Indians. John Eliot is a figure who had successfully accomplished this mission as he was called as “Apostle to the Indians”. Puritans are typically hard working as many of them assume that working is a sign of salvation. It is a calling from God. Puritans obey rules. According to them Church is a group of chosen people coming together to take an oath to serve God. So that is why every rule is associated with religion affairs.

According to Feldmeth in the beginning of discussion, Puritanism “Much value of education” and “Believe in destiny and fate – God chooses who is saved and who is damned. Yet the saints are responsible for their actions”.

Puritanism value says ‘Much value of education’. Learning activity was centered from Bible. They learned and understand Bible, then preached out to the others to save people (preaching Indians). In 1635 the Puritans began to establish public school for the first time named Roxbury Latin School, which their mission to educate people based on Christian value. Four years later, they established Harvard College. As result, area which settled by Puritans, New England in particular had the least number of illiteracy compared to other areas.

Next value is “believe in destiny and fate”. Puritanism was first formed by saints. They were chosen by God, and by God they could move to the ‘land of Hope’ or North America. Puritanism believed in “Nation under God”. They (New England Puritans) felt like they had similarity with the Israel nation, like in the Old Testament. They prevented from monarchy oppression, worshiped the same god, and suffered from religion they believed. The movement of puritan from England to America is more like an Exodus in the bible.  They believed it was a God’s will and they even considered that America was a new version of Jerusalem, a promised land, for the chosen one. Puritan ideology is one of legacies for American today. Even they were not only religion reformists but also revolutionists as they were member of thirteen colonies who fought for their right and reached independence.

C.   Conclusion

Puritanism is not only a religious belief but also a philosophy and a value of life that has greatly contributed to American Culture, American Thought, and American national character. This legacy has never been away from its social historical aspect. The intention of puritans to purify the Church of England from Catholic influence had led to social confrontation and ended up in persecutions. Being treated unfair they decided to move out from England to the promising land, America. Geographically Puritanism developed in mostly New England, North America, because it was their first settlement in America. In their settlement they promoted like high spirit in religion, self-determination, education, hard work, and obedient in rule and law as they believed in themselves that they were the chosen ones and under “Nation under God” and taking part of the thirteen colonies who finally brought America to its independence.

References:

Bathoro. 1998. Ambivalensi Pikiran Nathaniel Hawthorne dalam The Scarlet Letter. UNS PRESS: Unpublished Material.

http://www.gkri-exodus.org/image-upload/HIS 07 Sejarah Reformasi 7.pdf

http://assaugm.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/amerika-sebuah-peradaban-dan-perubahan/

http://www.ushistoryscene.com/uncategorized/riseofpubliceducation/

http://www.endtimepilgrim.com/ PURITAN HISTORY, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.htm

http://gfeldmeth/USHistory.html/lec.pur.html

http://history.com/ Puritanism - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/History­_of_ the_ Puritans_ in_ North_ America

Stevenson, Douglas K. 1998. American Life and Institutions Revised Edition. Washington DC: FPG International LLC