Domestic Manners of the Americans
History 2111
Dr. Mimh – Roberto Arguedas
October 10, 2013
Word Count: 565
The Bizarre Ways of the Americans and Their Religion
Trollope’s background gave her deep respect and reverence for religious practices but not for the dramatic and enthusiastic Evangelicalism which she encountered in America. She constantly compared the chaos and oddities of American religious practices with the more refined state of the Established Church of England. She believed it strange “that “the most intelligent people in the world” should prefer such a religion as this, to a form established by the wisdom and piety of the ablest and best among the erring sons of men.” (99) In the opinion of Trollope, American religious practices were the most objectionable difference between the Americans and the English because their ways and environments didn’t live up to Trollope’s high expectations.
Another difference Trollope described between the two religions are the actions and characteristics of the preachers. She describes the grim looking appearance of an itinerant preacher; "his dress, the cut of his hair, and his whole appearance, strongly recalled the idea of one of Cromwell's fanatics" (98); whereas the preachers in England were highly respected, well dressed, and properly groomed. Also she noted the preachers’ sermons as a “performance” where “the perspiration ran in streams from the face of the preacher; his eyes rolled, his lips were covered with foam, and every feature had the deep expression of horror.” (63) This particular passage sounded like something that was out of a horror novel, not out of an account of America. Of the few revivals Trollope attended she described them all in similar ways, which included mostly young girls and women in attendance and a “performance” put on by the preachers. Trollope portrayed the preachers as scaring the young girls into coming up to the “anxious bench,” then the girls confessed their sins and “fell on their knees on the pavement… the
Dr. Mimh – Roberto Arguedas
October 10, 2013
Word Count: 565
The Bizarre Ways of the Americans and Their Religion
Trollope’s background gave her deep respect and reverence for religious practices but not for the dramatic and enthusiastic Evangelicalism which she encountered in America. She constantly compared the chaos and oddities of American religious practices with the more refined state of the Established Church of England. She believed it strange “that “the most intelligent people in the world” should prefer such a religion as this, to a form established by the wisdom and piety of the ablest and best among the erring sons of men.” (99) In the opinion of Trollope, American religious practices were the most objectionable difference between the Americans and the English because their ways and environments didn’t live up to Trollope’s high expectations.
Another difference Trollope described between the two religions are the actions and characteristics of the preachers. She describes the grim looking appearance of an itinerant preacher; "his dress, the cut of his hair, and his whole appearance, strongly recalled the idea of one of Cromwell's fanatics" (98); whereas the preachers in England were highly respected, well dressed, and properly groomed. Also she noted the preachers’ sermons as a “performance” where “the perspiration ran in streams from the face of the preacher; his eyes rolled, his lips were covered with foam, and every feature had the deep expression of horror.” (63) This particular passage sounded like something that was out of a horror novel, not out of an account of America. Of the few revivals Trollope attended she described them all in similar ways, which included mostly young girls and women in attendance and a “performance” put on by the preachers. Trollope portrayed the preachers as scaring the young girls into coming up to the “anxious bench,” then the girls confessed their sins and “fell on their knees on the pavement… the