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Ethos
Genre
Explanation and Analysis:
Of Plymouth Plantation is nonfiction—specifically within the journaling genre, wherein the author conveys autobiographical information and real-life accounts of historical events in the form of periodic diary entries. In addition to his own writing, Bradford includes relevant letters between the leaders of the Plymouth settlement and their benefactors in England (i.e. between Bradford himself, whom he refers to in the third person as "Governor Bradford," and Mr. Weston in England). These letters not only serve as important sources of information to supplement Bradford's own writing; they also, crucially, provide sources to verify Bradford's story—sources that are not solely from his perspective.
Given the historical context and events of the text, Of Plymouth Plantation also fits squarely within the conventions of exploration narratives, which proliferated in Europe during the period of imperial conquest that began in the late 15th century. In these narratives, white European settlers—typically with religious or financial motivations—will document their experiences traveling in and colonizing other parts of the world, typically the Americas, Africa, or India. These exploration narratives include the works of Christopher Columbus, Bartolomé de las Casas, and Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, all of whom were writing in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. These narratives would become the templates for later exploratory writings, including Bradford's.
