Response Paper 7
The Amish way of life is very different from the lives of modern and old societies: their lifestyle has its benefits and its downfalls. From the outside looking in, it is difficult to understand why one would subject themselves to their historic way of life. Humans have a strong interest in technology and modern advancements. The Amish decided they do not need much to be content. Most of its inhabitants are perfectly happy with their way of life despite their intense workload and lack of technology.
The lives of the Amish are very simple, which keeps them focused on what is important. In the newspaper article the Amish women describes how the Amish stick to one kind of clothing. She writes, “The members simply adhere to one style of dress, while the world about them, the vain, pleasure-seeking, novelty-thirsting world, changes their style of its dress with the four seasons or oftener.” This high critical explanation describes how the Amish only have one style of clothes which they never change despite the weather. Essentially, from her criticism we can see how she finds her kind of life beneficial. The Amish do not worry about how they look contrary to everyone else. They follow the guidelines of their community. By giving up the freedom to wear whatever they want, they are rewarded the freedom to not worry about what they wear. Their clothes are just one example of living simply but they have other rules such as the removal theatre. By keeping life simple, the Amish avoid problems people create for themselves, such as worrying about how they look. Without having to deal with these problems and concerning themselves with various luxuries, they save time for necessities. Therefore, members of the community focus on what is significant like completing their immense work load.
The Amish have a significant amount of work to complete: women are required to take care of the home and men must take care of the fields. In her article, she repeatedly comments on how much work she must do including: cooking, cleaning, making clothes and other household chores. This workload is so abundant that in a footnote she notes how difficult it was for her to spend so much time writing in addition to her hefty workload. On the surface and intense amount of hard work may seem like a burden on one’s happiness. Yet so many people in this community are willing to do this. Amish communities have survived for a long time and spread all across the United States. First, by working hard the Amish allow themselves to remain busy focused on their task. Some people find it more enjoyable to do nothing, however, most people will become bored very easily. One-way people counter depression and sadness is by keeping busy so one does not have time to dwell on their misfortunes. Additionally, completing tasks gives people a sense of self-fulfillment. By working hard, they are able to complete difficult tasks. After a long and difficult farming season, the Amish can feast knowing that they did a great job and have a plentiful supply of food for the future.
I have neither given nor received unauthorized information in the completion of this work.
Bibliography:
- “One Day in the Life of an Amish Woman.” 1903.The Independent …Devoted to the Consideration of Politics, Social and Economic Tendencies, History, Literature, and the Arts (1848-1921), Jun 11, 1393.