A True History of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson by Mrs. Mary Rowlandson

The book “A True History of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” is set in a time where the English in Colonial America and the Indians were constantly at conflict. In the year 1675, the Indians besieged the English city of Lancaster (Rowlandson 4). The Indians captured and killed the inhabitants of that city. Rowlandson was one of the few people who were captured instead of killed. She had to fight through to survive the harsh captivity of the Indians, even though she had lost everything.

Mary Rowlandson was a devoted, Puritan woman of the 1600’s who would eventually go on to pave the way for an entire genre—the captivity genre/narrative. She had several family members murdered and was held captive by Native Americans, but was eventually reunited with her fellow Puritans. She details her experiences in A Narrative of Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. Rowlandson showcases her biblical typology many times and her story and a prime example shown is when she writes, “… my heart began to fail: and I fell aweeping… Although I had met with so much affliction… yet I could not shed one tear…” (Rowlandson 279). She uses typology to understand what is going on in her life and around her and this is displayed when she adds, “But now I may say as Psalm 137.1, ‘By the Rivers of Babylon, there we sate down: yea, we wept when we remembered Zion,” (Rowlandson 279). She used the bible to understand her experiences rather than to see what it is like. She wrote during a very devout, religious era and

On February 10, 1676 a dreadful event hit the settlers of Lancaster. The Narragansett Indians attacked and killed countless people and destroyed several houses. One of the men they killed begged for his life and even offered them money. The Indians didn’t pay any attention to him and hit him on the head with a hatchet, then proceeded to strip him of his clothes. Throughout this account Mary Rowlandson show an amazing trust and reliance in God.

nd Goodness of God, a detailed narrative of Mary Rowlandson's eleven week captivity among Narragansett Indians, one cannot help but become aware of the presence of two distinct and alternating narrative voices throughout the body of the text. In fact, numerous scholars have taken pause to make note of this undeniable shift in voice within their critical reflections of Rowlandson's narrative. David Minter describes a "curious and double present-mindedness" that exists in the text, explaining that on one hand Rowlandson is attempting to use her experience as a lesson for those who walk a troubled path away from salvation, while on the other hand she is using the act of writing about her experience to mark her own place as one of the Elect declared

“A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” by Mary Rowlandson is a short history about her personal experience in captivity among the Wampanoag Indian tribe. On the one hand, Mary Rowlandson endures many hardships and derogatory encounters. However, she manages to show her superior status to everyone around her. She clearly shows how her time spent under captivity frequently correlates with the lessons taught in the Bible. Even though, the colonists possibly murdered their chief, overtook their land, and tried to starve the Native Americans by burning down their corn, which was their main source of food, she displays them as demonizing savages carrying out the devil's plan. There are many struggles shown

Throughout Mary Rowlandson's account of being captured by Native Americans, she mentions her family frequently; however, she hardly mentions them by name or talks about what they were like. This immediately creates a feeling of distance in the reader's mind, because it could suggest many things about what her family was like before they got separated. She also shows us what looks to be a great deal of distance between her and her youngest daughter Sarah who died in her arms. When Rowlandson first mentions her youngest daughter she calls her a "poor wounded babe" (130) which suggests that there is a distance between the two. However, this may not be the way that the events actually happened because she wrote the narrative six years after she was reunited with her family. This opens up the idea that this may also have been a way for her to cope with losing a child in her arms. It could also show that she may have not been the only person to write the narrative. These two ideas work together because if Rowlandson does not have to write all of the painful parts, she would not have had to relive the guilt or sorrow. Mary Rowlandson makes the reader think she is distant from her family because she uses it as a way to cope with the pain of being separated from them, and to show the Puritans that being close to god will help you with any pain.

These two statements are very important because they are the backbone of the whole book. These are the strongest parts that support the women she is. She is so hand in hand with God that she doesn’t even once criticize the reasons she’s in captive but as I have stated before, she blames herself for not praying enough. In the sixth remove she explains her circumstance, her being surrounded by her former enemies amidst no Christians at all but herself. She exclaims, “Oh the experience that I have had of the goodness of God, to me and mine!” Without any form of disbelief she praises the kindness of God. The beauty of her relationship with God is that she mentions no matter what kind of situation she is in whether it be near death or with luxuries. And she sees every good thing that happens to her as a sign of God. To sum it up, everything that has happened to her was pre-planned and the grace of God.

Even Rowlandson, under her conditions, could not give up her religion during her imprisonment; consequently, she went out of her way to read her bible without the knowledge of her captors. Her actions are not congruent to what a hostage would do in the twentieth century. Today, we have learned logic that allows us to realize that if we withhold what's impulsively wanted, the long-term rewards can bring more happiness. Although Rowlandson was never caught practicing her religion, she did not consider that she might never be physically able to read her bible again.

Mary Rowlandson her story “A Narrative of the Captivity” is full of heroic incident that she went through during the Indian attack of her town in Lancaster. Mary Rowlandson was among captive, Rowlandson went through several difficult moment. “All was gone, my husband was gone at least they separated from me, he being in the Bay;” (259). Rowlandson life was really in desperate help, she was injured, lost her daughter and separated her other family. However, her strangeness in her Christianity kept her moving. “Lord hereby would make us the more acknowledge His hand, and to see what our help is always in Him” (258). Even though, the attack on Lancaster and Rowlandson’s subsequent captivity teach Rowlandson that life is short and can never be granted. Everything you have in life can disappear in matter of days or hours without any warning, however your faith should be in judge on any kind of difficulty moment. Rowlandson’s believe in Christianity plays an active role of her survival. “Being faithful to the service of God in her people” (258).

In 1682, Mary Rowlandson published her captivity narrative, the most famous in early American Literature. Mary Rowlandson 's captivity greatly substantiated her religious beliefs in God. Her major strategy for survival during her eleven week captivity consisted of beliefs that God had a plan for everything, and would protect her through all obstacles. In times of doubt, she would turn to her Bible and rejoice that god was looking out for her. She believed that if she waited out her time, and allowed for God to do what He intended, she would eventually go back to living a normal life, and would not be held in captivity forever. With this strategy Mary Rowlandson is able to remain calm through many

RELIGIOUS ASPECT OF PURITANISM In Mrs. Mary Rowlandson’s Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, religious aspects of puritanism are evident in a number of instances throughout the narrative. Puritanism in this case refers to the strong beliefs that are evident in the narration pertaining to religion. The narrator, Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, has strong religious beliefs.

Accordingly, the narrative contains both literal and symbolic dimensions. Before the attack on her village and her capture by the Native Americans, She lived a blissful and pleasurable life with her family. She had a nice home, comfortable furnishing, and ate the best of foods. Although Rowlandson’s husband was a minister and she was a Christian, she did not feel she lived her life as devoted or committed, as she should be; she could have prayed more or been more devoted

Rowlandson is a puritan, which plays a central role in her life. When being confronted with a tragic Indian attack, Rowlandson questions her assessment of herself, but turns to the bible within her struggles casting herself alternately as Job, whose suffering is a test of his faith. “as he wounded me with one hand, so he healed me with the other.” (3).

Rowlandson's own words of her experience was heart wrenching at time. " and down I sat with the picture of death in my lap. About two hours in the night, my sweet lamb departed this life "(261 Rowlandson) has such a depth of sadness dripping from the words. Rowlandson had the ability to grab the heart strings of the reader and take them on the emotional rollercoaster that she had experienced. Just as soon as she plunged to the bottom and depths of despair she recovers and states "I have thought since of the wonderful goodness of God to me in preserving me in the use of my reason and senses in hat distressed time, that I did not use wicked and violent means to end my own miserable life.

In her writing titled “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson”, Mary lies out for the reader her experience of being held in captivity by Indians during the King Philip’s War. Perhaps one of the most significant aspects of this writing is the glimpse that the reader gets into Rowlandson’s faith and religion. Faith was a major aspect of life in the Colonial Period. It was of widespread belief that God was to be feared, and that he was the only way to redemption (Kizer). Mary Rowlandson was no different, but the extreme conditions of her captivity caused her faith to occasionally waiver. Most of the time throughout her journey in captivity, she depended on God, and the