New England: A Matter of Perspective
John Smith's A Description of New England and William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation both present a picture of the same pre-colonial land of New England. Mr. Smith's writing, out of necessity, painted a rosy picture of the new land, while Bradford's historical account shows early New England was not Heaven on Earth. Mr. Bradford and Mr. Smith are writing about one land, but they present two different accounts of the life in the land.
John Smith's writing is his ideal vision of what the new land could be with the best of people colonizing the new land. John Smith's fine piece of literature may also be considered a beautifully worded, finely tuned piece of propaganda. Mr. Smith wrote this selection to influence people to leave their lives in England and cross the globe to start a new life in a strange land. …
