I have never read this book in its entirety, but it seems
that the text you have quoted draws reference to the way in which the initial settlers
of New England quickly found themselves coming into conflict with each other over the
way their lives should be ran. The text directly references a maypole, which I think you
have asked earlier questions about. Using a maypole as part of a religious festival or
ceremony is extremely ambiguous at best, as it was actually first used as part of pagan
worship and is famed for its phallic nature, representing fertility. That a group of
Puritans, who rejected Christmas and did not celebrate other big Christian festivals,
should use a maypole as part of celebrating something, is extremely
interesting.
Thus the interest of this text lies in the way
in which it points towards disharmony in early visions of
utopia.
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