During Today’s Lesson

Learn about the continued influence of religious thought in early American society and its attempt to answer the questions “What is an American? How should an American act?” by reading “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards.

Identify the purpose and tone of Edwards’ sermon and explain his use of figures of speech to persuade his intended audience.

You will show your learning by: Completing a dialectical journal. Writing a summary of Edward’s sermon.

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

By Jonathan Edwards

Reflection: Fear & Motivation

Many people would agree with Thomas Hobbes that fear is one of the most powerful motivators of human behavior. According to this view, fear of punishment makes us follow laws and instructions.

TOPIC SENTENCE: Do you agree that fear is the greatest motivator?

INTRODUCE EVIDENCE: Why or why not?

EVIDENCE: Support your answer by providing examples from your own life and experiences.

ANALYSIS: How do your examples prove or support your opinion?

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON

EARLY “AMERICAN” LITERARY

GENRES? Sermons- A talk on a religious or moral subject, esp. one given during a church service and based on a passage from the Bible.

Autobiographies-An account of a person's life written by that person.

Political Documents and Treatises: A written work dealing formally and systematically with ideas about government and politics.

Journals/Diaries: Writing which kept a daily record of events and experiences.

Tone: the attitude a writer takes toward the subject

of a work

Authors set a TONE or MOOD in literature by conveying an emotion or

emotions through words.

Objective (Informational) v. Subjective (Emotional)

Tone is dependent on diction (word

choice) and style.

Identify the purpose and tone of Edwards’ sermon and explain his use of figures of speech to persuade his intended audience.

How do authors set the TONE in

literature?

TONE TOOL:

Use this to help you identify specific tone of a text.

Step 1: Is it neutral, positive, or negative?

Step 2: Go through the list and find appropriate and specific word.

Let’s practice…

Predict: What is the tone? “So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God,

over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked.”

… “and they have done nothing in the least to appease or abate that anger.”

… “but look at other things, as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation.”

“your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to up hold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider’s web would have to stop a fallen rock.”

If God should only withdraw His hand from the floodgate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with onmipotent power.

Predict: What is the tone? “The God that holds you over the pit of hell,

much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked…”

“You are ten thousand times more abominable in His eyes than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.”

“It is to be ascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell the last night; that you suffered to awake again in this world, after you closed your eyes to sleep.”

“…nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment…”

Before you watch preview video, set

up circle map.

Jonathan Edwards

As you watch video, fill in circle map with important information about Edwards background.

After you watch preview video, use

circle map info to write background

paragraph.

Jonathan Edwards

As you watch video, fill in circle map with important information about Edwards background.

Use the following paragraph frame:

_______can be described as ______. He was born________ and spent most of his life________. While ________, he became interested in ________.Additionally, ________________. His writing attempts to ______________ by _______________.

Before you read, consider our

purpose…Identify the purpose and tone of Edwards’ sermon and explain his use of figures of speech to persuade his intended audience.

As you read… 1st read

What is Edward’s primary purpose in this sermon? In other words, what is he trying to accomplish?

What is his central claim or argument?

How does he use figurative language or figures of speech to accomplish his purpose and communicate his argument?

Figurative Language: Language based on some sort of comparison that is not literally true. For example, “She hammered through her homework for three hours.” Simile: comparison uses “like” or “as.” i.e. You are like

are rose. Metaphor: comparison that does not use “like” or “as.”

i.e. You are a rose. Personification: gives an object human qualities. The

rose waltzes in the breeze.

As you read… 2nd read

MARGINALIA: Explain your annotations…* Identify and Summarize main Ideas & FIGURES OF SPEECH:

i.e. This explains/compares that___. ✔ Respond to Ideas:

i.e. I think/ wonder/ understand/ agree____.? Clarify questions and confusion:

i.e. I don’t understand ____. What does ___ mean? I wonder why____.

CIRCLE Words that convey tone.

After you read…

Use your ANNOTATIONS to explain the main idea of the sermon and identify how Edwards uses figures of speech and tone to achieve his intended purpose by… Completing the SOAPS with pods Analyzing figures of speech & tone

through the Dialectical Journal working with Partners in Lines of Communication.

Writing a summary of the text Individually.