Compare And Contrast Olaudah Equiano And Mary Rowlandson

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.

Both Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano were held captive at a time in their lives. White men captured Olaudah Equiano, while Mary Rowlandson had Indian captivators. Olaudah’s story tells of the time where he first saw the slave ship he was put on and the journey across great waters to the new world. Rowlandson’s story tells of the apathy of the Indians and her stay with the tribe. It is apparent that the journey across the sea was horrible enough for the ship’s passengers to commit suicide by jumping off of the ship rather than staying on board with the putrid smell of human wastes and lack of ventilation. In a brief paragraph, Equiano wrote of his daily routine before his captivity. He mentioned the relationship he had with his mother, and how he was her favorite child. "I became, of course, the greatest favorite with my mother and was always with her." (72) Olaudah and Mary were alike because Olaudah had a great relationship with his mother while Mary was fond of her own child in her narrative. "About two hours in the night, my sweet babe like a lamb departed this life; I must and could lie down next to my dead babe, side by side all the night after." (2) Neither Olaudah Equiano nor Mary Rowlandson ended their stories with the family members they were most fond of. Equiano’s captivity was the reason why he was stripped from his mother while Rowlandson’s baby died during her

The different lives and experiences of William Bradford, John Smith, and Olaudah Equiano show how there are many ways to be adapted to a new world. There were many struggles that each of them faced, and each had different motives when writing their experiences. In some way, there are all connected to one another, with some similarities, but there are differences also.

“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

The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson reveals that the ghastly depiction of the Indian religion (or what Rowlandson perceives as a lack of religion) in the narrative is directly related to the ideologies of her Puritan upbringing. Furthermore, Rowlandson's experiences in captivity and encounter with the new, or "Other" religion of the Indians cause her rethink, and question her past; her experiences do not however cause her to redirect her life or change her ideals in any way.

Overcoming adversity can be very difficult and overwhelming, but having someone to turn to during these difficult times makes it a lot easier. Mary Rowlandson, William Bradford, and Olaudah Equiano, went through many hardships. During the miserable journeys that Mary Rowlandson and William Bradford went through they relied heavily on God. When they needed comfort or guidance they prayed to God in hopes of getting answers. In Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford believed that something happened because it pleased God. When John Howland was thrown overboard during a fierce storm, he caught hold of the topsail and was able to get pulled back onto the ship. It pleased God that his life was saved.

The Pressure to Assimilate in Mary Rowlandson’s A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson

The life one treasures and takes for granted today can be so easily erased in the blink of an eye and gone tomorrow. Therefore, not only is it important to cherish how one lives for today and now, but it’s also important to how one can overcome the misfortunes and hardships they may suffer; tragedy can make a person or break a person. Mary Rowlandson’s experience during her eleven weeks of captivity as documented in “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” is a perfect answer to the above argument. The eleven weeks she experienced as a prisoner of her Indian captors proves to be a pivotal occasion in her life, which changes her feelings, lifestyle, and attitude as well towards her abductors. By the end of her horrifying experience, she rises more profoundly grounded in every way: mentally, physically, and spiritually with a new outlook on life, closer to God, and a newfound opinion of the Indians.

Through life if there is one thing that everyone sees, it’s suffering. We all have seen it, if you haven’t you will in time. Even the short stories that we have read this year we have also seen it in them. It’s hard to see people go through that suffering, but do people gain any wisdom from that suffering. Through the short stories that we have read this year, we have seen on many occasions that it did not. One of those times is in the short story ‘The Discus Thrower’ we see that the man is in much pain, and clearly is suffering and yet he is mean to the nurse and makes them do things that they shouldn’t have to do. Another story that had suffering was ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ we see her

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