Part 1 of Essay
During the birth of this country, Puritans had to hard to ensure the success of the new state. In order to make more appealing, the Puritans emphasized the fruits of labor. This attitude, reflected in modern day by the act of "ing for a living," is considered as a "badge of pride." Puritan attitudes toward work and the ....

Part 2 of Essay
.... out that it was self-defeating. Leisure is even considered an "evil temptation" (Bedford and Colbourne 235-238). Marge Piercy, a modern day poet, essayist, and novelist, attempts to explain why work is desirable on contemporary terms in her poem "To Be of Use." To Piercy, hard workers who really persevere are admirable because of the fact that the world is full of temptations to stop working, or to not work altogether. This admiration for determination is apparent because work is as "common as mud," and it m ....