Deliberately Craving the Wrath of God in Puritan Society

Indianapolis, IN

This paper discusses the ways in which Anne Bradstreet constructed her identity in Pre-revolution America. Bradstreet employs gender and religious tradition in order to negotiate issues such as natural disaster, grace, the Puritan search for visible signs of election and her own lack of identity in the New World. In "Some Verses Upon the Burning of My House," Bradstreet uses her unique position as a pre-colonial Puritan woman in order to fashion a new pre-American identity that would provide a strong foundation for future generations to continue construction American identity upon. By adopting the mentality that the burning of her house directly translates into God's attention and her status as one of his Chosen, Bradstreet identifies herself as a steadfastly faithful Puritan woman. In the midst of the uncertainty surrounding colonial settlement in the Americas, Bradstreet is able to construct a stable identity grounded in her gender and faith.