Puritans work ethic viewed life in relationship to God. Every human activity was devoted to edifying the glory of God. So religion, the hope of heaven and duty to God makes any life valuable or even tolerable.
The reason why the king of Arcadia is angry when Atalanta is born is because "A. Atalanta is a girl, and the king wanted a son," which is why she's initially left on a mountaintop to die.
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the Soviet Union was becoming behind the U.S. wealthiest country on earth.