Compare And Contrast Mary Rowlandson And Equiano

Narratives about captivity have often intrigued readers in Western culture. Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano’s stories helped pave the way for stereotypes within both European and white culture; teaching Europeans to see Native Americans as cruel and allowing whites to see the evil in the American slave market. In both “A Narrative of the Captivity” and “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano,” Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano share their individual stories of being kidnapped and enslaved. Though the two narrators share similarities in their personal accounts of being held captive, either individual’s reaction sheds light on the true purpose of both Rowlandson and Equiano’s writing.

Typology has been used for many centuries and has gone through numerous changes. These changes range from legendary, Puritan storyteller Mary Rowlandson, onto the nature-loving, pastor Johnathan Edwards, as well as the historic Enlightenment, political thinker Thomas Paine. It is important to have an understanding of typology and its definition in order to be able to read and understand the profound concept that it is. It is basically looking at the stamp of life and interpreting it for what it is, rather than what it is like or what it could be. In typology there is an antitype and type. The antitype is unique, original that is difficult to mimic and understand; therefore, as an example, the antitype is a rubber stamp. The type is essentially the printed image or the imprint of the antitype. Typology has multiple definitions and there are various forms of typology, but we’ll focus on the one defined beforehand and look at three of its varying forms— the biblical typology of Mary Rowlandson, the natural typology of Johnathan Edwards, and the political typology of Thomas Paine. Typology’s many forms allow it to be incredibly diverse and the cause for the shift in its types will be discussed as well.

John Winthrop and Mary Rowlandson were both puritans that went through different situations. They both believed in God’s mercy despite the situation where they found themselves.

Conditions were especially bad for African Americans like Equiano, who wasn’t seen as a human due to the color of his skin. He was treated poorly by not only the whites but as well as other Africans. His own people were the ones who took him and forced him to be a slave. He and other slaves were whipped, beaten, and only given enough food to still survive, which was very little. Equiano had it the worst, he was ripped away from his family and tortured for no good reason. Mary Rowlandson was somewhat the same story of being taken and separated from her family, this causing a lot of emotional damage, but her captors didn’t physically abuse her. Her captors being the Native Americans, who took Rowlandson as an American hostage. They treated her relatively well and the only physical suffering for her was lack of food, but not even the indians had a lot of food due to low supply of crops. On the completely other side of the spectrum, William Bradford and the others who first came to america with him, basically ‘tortured’ themselves. They did this by not arriving prepared when landing on this new land. Expecting a warm welcome from people who already lived there, shelters already made, and a plethora of food, and to their surprise none of those things were there for them. They did not bring many resources that would help them succeed in making a new colony, and really were quite

William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation gives insight to typical seventeenth century Puritanical thought. The Puritans believed that God’s will directs and guides all aspects of the universe. Puritans further believed the Bible could help them understand God’s will in their personal lives. Bradford’s writing was meant to express an understanding of God in everyday life and to teach future Puritans how to see God in their lives.

Religion was the foundation of the early Colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a new land and worship according to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be involved with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and religions role in their life on the new continent. Their literature helped to proselytize the message of God and focused on hard work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These main themes are evident in the writings of

In the trial of Anne Hutchinson, we meet a well intentioned yet lost people described and labelled as the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Company. These self governing Puritans, once a people who sought God to set them on their way, settled only to be found as a people who simply lost their way. This journey to lost began when first motivated by a desire for religious reform and separation from the liturgy, ceremonies and practices of the Church of England. Once they banned together, they set on their way and traveled in groups to the New World. With the Word of God as their ultimate authority and the desire for a personal relationship with God, these people landed in Boston in 1630 united to self govern the newly founded Massachussets Bay Colony. Unfortunatly, this self rule resulted in a government of intolerance, fear and a liturgy not much different from what was once found in the Church of England. A system designed to set apart outward morality, or sanctification, to strengthen the authority of the Church only worked to neglect the place of true piety purposed to strengthen the spiritual lives of the people it served.

After her house was burned during a raid by local Indians. Rowlandson’s friends and family members were killed or captured by Native American in the 1676. Rowlandson and her baby were wounded, capture and forced to walk for days after the raid and Rowlandson had to watch her own child wither away and die due a lack food and medical care. During Rowlandson’s captivity with the Indians, the only thing she had to fall back on for her survival was her bible and her Puritan beliefs in God. This paper shows how Rowlandson’s understanding of the Puritan Tenets or beliefs helped her in deal with her captivity physically and spiritually. The reader should have an understanding of the Puritan Tenets and understand that the Tenets are not just words but a way of life for the Puritan.

A religious group wanted to break away from England to practice and relish in their religion their own way. They were call the puritans and set sailed out to America for their religious reasons. With what little they had they believed strongly in God that he will help them out through everything they need. Religion being taken seriously as if it was a law was noticeable in two texts, William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, where religion over the years help the colonists and so forth help shape America’s identity.

The religious belief in that most white females during this time period were of the Puritan religion. Puritans based their concept of divine wisdom on a special covenant with God. They expressed the belief that the Puritans were the chosen people of God. Therefore he will be the one to protect them through their lives. Her Puritanism is a model of the life Rowlandson and other Puritans live. With having this strong principle, Mary Rowlandson feels as those that are not followers in this belief are inferior. She deliberately judges those in which that are different from her,

Written by Puritan Mary Rowlandson, The Soveraignty and Goodness of God, Together with the Faithfulness of His Promises Displayed: Being a Narrative of the Captivity and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson (second edition) was originally published in Boston in 1720. The primary source narrates Rowlandson’s three months in Indian captivity during King Philip’s War. As a puritan, Mary wrote the book for herself to reflect upon God’s role during her tribulation—but the purpose changed to appease the desires of her friends and to help the sinfully afflicted. In one passage, Mary recollects the Indian who claimed that her son was roasted and eaten—this did not discourage her because she “considered [the Indian’s] horrible addictedness to lying”,

Mary Rowlandson was a Puritan. Puritans are very strict and believe in almost the same values that major monotheistic religions believe in; such as, the devil, they give God credit for everything,

In the 1600’s, Puritans living in both England and New England held their views on God rather tightly and lived their lives as good Christians. Puritans were selfless individuals who had escaped and came to America in search of religious freedom and peace. In literature during that time period, it is made very clear that everything the Puritans had accomplished or acquired was a result of God, and that they were forever in his debt. One of the great poets from this time era was Anne Bradstreet who wrote about her children, husband, and parents. Anne Bradstreet blended her domestic life with theological imagery in every poem she did, explaining that her grandchildren were merely lent to her but

In the 1600 century main way of life was solely dependent around God to control nature’s way of life. People stood behind the church for all answers. People believed only God controlled their natural words. People often fantasized over sin. Religion was also used as a way to understand behaviors we do not fully understand and was often used to instill fear based control.

Of all the selections we have read so far Mary Rowlandson is the one that I have enjoyed the most. Her writing approach was straight forward and lacked much of the exaggeration of the other pieces we have read. Though I doubt thing happened just as she relays them I am sure that her account is close to the truth. Her writing is important for several reason but mainly because she is an early American woman writer. There is so little recorded from this era that shows a woman’s perspective. Her portrayal of a strong woman becomes a great example of the grit and determination that woman of this time needed to possess.