Rumspringa- the Amish Ritual

The Amish is a group of traditionalist Christians that rely on simple living, plain dress and refuse to adapt to modern technology. The history of the Amish started in Switzerland in 1693 led by Jakob Amman. Today majority of the traditional descendants of the Amish live in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

In the 1800s a Market Revolution began, changing the way in which America operated and in the midst of all that was a Second Great Awakening, causing people to once again, question their religious beliefs and practices. Paul Johnson and Sean Wilentz tell the story of Robert Matthews, or the Prophet Matthias and his followers. Matthias had an unconventional childhood, he became an orphan at a young age and was raised by church elders. He worked under one of the elders to learn the carpenter’s craft. He easily found work but had trouble keeping it because he was always preaching at his fellow workers about their sinful ways. Matthias was eager to make good but continually fell into misfortunes, “which led him on a prolonged and erratic religious journey” (49). The Kingdom of Matthias gained and lost members, had changes in beliefs, and was full of ever changing marriages. Although looking back on it now, Matthias’s messages and beliefs seem almost laughable, but at they time his followers found his message, ministry, and lifestyle very compelling.

The figures that were shown to the prisoner in the cave could be viewed as idols praised by the prisoners and puppeteers. Religion can be viewed by some as a cave. Being kept in the dark of there religion and forced never to see the light. Some religions brain wash there followers to see things only there way. If you don’t see, act or think how there religion views you should be. they may kill you. The Amish religion can be view like the prisoners in the cave. They are taught from a small age that God is all you need and the everyday life most Americans live is a blasphemy of God. They live a simple life most have no electrical devices and choose to dress modestly and in plain colored clothing. Some Amish travel to towns for supplies but most tend to grow everything there self. Children are shielded from the outside world until there teenage years when they participate in rumspringa. This event is where teenagers are given the choice to stay within the Amish culture or they choose to be an outsider. In summary the Amish are similar to the prisoners in the cave being told what to do and how to act there whole life until the day they can see the world and make their own choices. One important note most Amish teenagers choose to stay within the Amish community. Cults are similar to the Allegory of the cave. Members are kept in the dark, from what

The Amish family life is that of a simple one, they believe in living separate from non Amish and justify this belief with the quote from the bible “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (II Corinthians 6:14) Frater, J.(2012) Unlike in British modern day society the Amish do not own cars, they use what they call buggies to travel in, there has been very little march of progress from the Amish. The Amish also use their dialect as another means to keep their society separate, although they can speak English, they

Perhaps the most culturally diverse nation on the globe, the United States is home to a dominant Anglo-American Protestant culture intermixed and alongside a host of sub-cultures that live and thrive on US soil. Among these cultures exists an array of distinct form of living all who boast an identity specific to only that select group. These subcultures exist in a couple different forms; convergent subcultures and persistent subcultures. First, convergent subcultures intend toward assimilation with the dominant society through various tactics to include: residential clustering, adherence to the language, dress, and cultural norms of their native land (Parrillo, 42). Contrarily, some cultures simply do not assimilate. In these cases, persistent subcultures adhere as much as possible to their own way of life and resist absorption into the dominant culture (Parrillo, 43). Among these persistent subcultures within the US are the Amish. The Amish are a sect of the Christian faith whose members have roots in twenty-two states across the

Each symbol is used to build a way of foreshadowing the journey from the once overruled society of technology and the lack of independent thought to the rebirth and reflection into a positive human-focused society. There are numerous symbols used in this novel, some tie into each other as well.

Amish culture has been an attention grabbing field of study for many anthropologists. Currently, there population is only present in United States due to various historical events. Although Amish community has been living in United States for a considerably long time now which comprises of centuries but despite all the cultural influences from external forces, this community has successfully managed to retain its original character and essence. Where other communities have showed adaptation to sociological and cultural changes, Amish culture is present in its original form because of their closed social system. Their main mode of subsistence of Horticulture. Although this mode is considered to be a derivative of their way of obtaining financial independence but in reality this mode of living defines their Beliefs and values, Economic organization, Gender relations, Kinship Political organization and Social organization.

Jonathan Edwards states, “The devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them” (Edwards 46). In this quote, Edwards used parallel structure to illustrate the horrifying imagery that hell portrays. He continuously repeats the word “them” because he was targeting the unconverted which builds a sense of horror to them. Edwards thinks that human are fearful. Another rhetorical device that Edwards used was pathos. He states, “......and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out hell, than a spider’s web would have to stop to a fallen rock…..” (Edwards 47). This quote means that popularity, property, or money are helpless to prevent unconverted going to hell. These values are compared into a spider’s web and the rock symbolized the honorable person that fell straight into hell because of their sins. Edwards point of view of human nature that people think that money and reputation are important matter in their life. In addition Edward explains, “ nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment……” (Edward 48). This passage

A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works, a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. The image of the mule emerges repeatedly in different contexts throughout Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, but remains consistent in its symbolism of Janie. The figure of the mule can also refer not only to Janie herself but to any black woman struggling for independence.

Amish and Puritan cultures both are tested by experiences that cause them to rely on God’s judgement. The Amish community are based on God. The families within the community have strict rules that which they must abide by. Hen’s experience brings her closer to God than she was before. She states to her father ‘“And sometimes the prayers we pray help change us most of all”’(Lewis 264). Hen’s experience with her husband shows the struggle she had with her religion. In resemblance, the Puritan book of Mary Rowlandson shows her journey and all of the challenges

Rumspringa is an important element of the Amish teen life, a time to explore different lifestyles, along with dating.

Rumspringa is a ceremony where the Amish youth turn 16 and are finally able to enjoy, the term refers to a limbo period in every Amish life when they are entering adulthood. During Rumspringa, they are encouraged to enjoy whatever pleasures they like. The purpose of this period is to give Amish youth the opportunity to see and experience the world beyond their own culture. Returning to their community and way of life after they experience the rest of the world is entirely their choice. Those who return are then baptized and become committed members of the Amish church and community, marking the end of Rumspringa.

Such symbols include hands to represent labour, cards to signify chance and taking a risk, and finally, rabbits to suggest ideas about achieving one’s hopes and dreams. Symbols are a key central device in delivering meaning, as they consistently repeated throughout the narrative and are typically associated with the novella’s many characters.

represents a pagan spirit of vegetation, very much like a tree with the ability to

Indigenous religions exist in every climate around the world and exhibit a wide range of differences in their stories, language, customs, and views of the afterlife. Within indigenous communities, religion, social behavior, art, and music are so intertwined that their religion is a significant part of their culture and virtually inseparable from it. These religions originally developed and thrived in isolation from one another and are some of the earliest examples of religious practice and belief. The modern world; however, has taken its toll on these groups and many of their stories, customs, and beliefs have been lost to, or replaced by, those brought in as a result of popular culture and the missionary work of Christians and Muslims.