Essay On 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.

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

Mary Rowlandson, A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary, is a short story in which the main character Mrs. Marty Rowlandson is taken captive by a group of Native American warriors. Native American warriors open the beginning of the narrative by massacring and setting fire to the stead in which the author was living. The narrator develops throughout the narrative, beginning from when she was first taken as a captive until ultimately ending her story upon her final exodus. Although the story is written in hindsight the author uses Biblical quotes to help her, as well any future potential readers understand American colonialism. Through the usage imagery, pathos, and ethos appeal the author uses quotes from the bible to control the way in which the people involved are portrayed to the audience

(Rowlandson 450). At this point Mary cannot seem to help but to contemplate why God is allowing the Indians to prevail in this war. There was no denying the stark differences between the victories of the English and the Indians. Consider the fact that the Puritans were Christians of the strictest variety, and they did not believe that the Indians were blessed with God’s grace. It is quite understandable then that Mary would find it troubling that her people were suffering devastating effects of this war fought by people who were not even Christians. So she questions whether or not this is God’s work. In the end she concludes that God is not helping the Indians, rather he knows that the English are not ready for his mercy, and her faith is restored once again (Rowlandson 450).

There are various things that make up a piece of literature. For example: choice of diction, modes of discourse, and figurative language. Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano were great examples of authors that used these elements of literature. There are similarities and differences in A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson and From Africa to America. Though Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano shared similarities in experiences, they had different writing personalities, purposes, attitudes, tones, and relations with their communities.

In “’Streams of Scripture Comfort’ Mary Rowland’s Typological Use of the Bible,” David Downing makes the argument, “she presents what occurred during her captivity in the language if spiritual autobiography and gives evidence of God’s sovereignty and grace, and of her own place among the elect. She also views her captivity broadly, as a type of Puritan experience in the New World, and as an emblem of the soul victimized by Satan” (252). Downing’s fist argument discusses how Rowlandson is writing a spiritual autobiography, which is when some writes their journey to find divine peace. The other argument Downing makes is how Rowlandson is using her experience as a learning tool for other Puritans.

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.

Puritans believed that in order to be a true Puritan, God must show mercy on your soul. Therefore, by stating that He had done so, takes the credibility away from the Indians and gives full possession to God. Affliction must be caused in order for a Puritan to receive mercy from the Lord. Mrs. Rowlandson tells of how she once was jealous of others, because her life was comfortable while they endured adversities. After her restoration, she looks back at her life changing experience and acknowledges why she had suffered for many weeks straight, instead of a little throughout her life. She states, “The portion of some is to have their afflictions by drops, now one drop and then another, but the dregs of the cup, the wine of astonishment, like a sweeping rain that leaveth no food, did the Lord prepare to be my portion” (Franklin 266). Through contemplation of her captivity, she understood that God had not given her many hardships throughout her life, not because she was not due to receive them, but because he had a much larger one waiting for her. Even if her experience was traumatizing for her, she did not show this side. She was forced to “conform to the Puritan doctrine of providential affliction” (Derounian 240). At the end of the story she tells about how the Indians treated her

Rowlandson's interaction with the "Other" and her Puritan principles reveal a larger importance to the narrator. Rowlandson feels that her captivity is directly related to God's will, and therefore believes that God is punishing her for sins she committed in her past. As a result she is determined to repent her sins to God, and devotes much of her time reading the bible, reciting scripture, and while she learns to adapt to her difficult situation, she is careful to maintain her ideals and integrity throughout the time she is detained. For example on the first Sabbath during Rowlandson's confinement she remarks, "I remembered how careless I had been of Gods holy time: how many Sabbaths I had lost and mispent, and how evilly I had walked in Gods sight; which lay so close upon my Spirit, that it was easie for me to see how righteous it was with God to cut off the threed of my life, and cast me out if his presence for ever" (16). It is clear from this statement that the narrator attaches her encounter with the Indians, or the "Other" as a reprimand from

Strangely did the Lord provide for them; that I did not see(all the time I was among them) one man, woman or child die with hunger” (Rowlandson 283). Mary Rowlandson along with the other Puritans were taught and truly believed that the Indians were evil devil worshipping people. They felt they were unclean, one mission of the Puritans were to keep the Indians from learning about the Gospel. They believed that they were the only pure and holy people. Mary was astonished at the well of God in which directed the Indians in which she refers to as heathens toward a worthy purpose. Webster’s defines heathens as”an unconverted member of a people or nation that does not acknowledge the God of the Bible”. Through her eleven week captivity because of the miracles she witness she saw firsthand that God watched over and protected all people. “God had an over-ruling hand in all those things”.

The passage also shows that God, according to the Puritans, is a very strict God. He does not tolerate evil acts, and requires that His followers obey His will, or they will be cut off from his presence and blessings. God is so intolerant of sin and evil, that Mary accepted that it was ok for God to take way her children and her lifestyle. On the other hand, God, according to the Puritans, is also merciful to His own people. At the end of the phrase, Mary stated that God showed mercy to her by helping her through her afflictions. Also, Mary again stated how merciful her God was in her following statement, “Now hath God fulfilled that precious Scripture which was such a comfort to me in my distressed condition” (Derounian 12-51). According to Mary, God is strict, demands righteousness among his followers, but is also merciful towards His own people. These different principles line up with the Puritan doctrine of the time as well.

From the beginning, she showed her prejudice by referring to the Indians as “wolves” and “beasts”. Arguably, one can make the point that she had just lost her sister, friends, she was injured, and she was carrying her wounded child. But can we trust a description of the Indians that is filtered through the lens of Puritan prejudice? Of course, there is a larger question than whether or not Mary Rowlandson was justified in her hostility to the Indians; an attitude which, by the way, she did moderate sometimes during her ordeal. But the real question is whether we can trust the information she presents about Indian behavior and practices while she was a captive. Did she, intentionally or not, twist the facts? The expectation is that the person

Puritan journals offer some of the most rewarding insight into the daily life, social context, and worldview of the early colonists. The journals of Puritans differ considerably, especially according to gender. Gender roles were highly stratified, and Puritan journals reveal as much. Individual journals also offer compelling life stories told with literary flair. Their ability to use the narrative structure in their journals remains one of the most distinguishing features of the Puritan journals. For example, the journal of Mary Rowlandson describes her capture by the Native Americans, who the author describes as "barbarous creatures." The story offers a riveting account of the real life encounter with the people that Puritans so feared for their perceived savagery and lack of commitment to the Christian God. In addition to their strong literary structure, one of the main characteristics of Puritan journals is their xenophobia. The Puritans were stalwart in their commitment to Christian values, norms, and dogma. Descriptions of the encounters with Native Americans described in the Rowlandson journal are remarkably similar to the way that William Bradford describes the Romans' treatment of Christ: "bloody and barbarous persecutions of the Heathen Emperours."

During King Phillip’s War on February 10th a group of Wampanoag Native Americans attacked and burned the settlement of Lancaster. A colonial woman named Mary Rowlandson was captured and held for eleven weeks by the native group as ransom. After her release she proceeded to write one of the first bestsellers in American history, detailing her capture within the pages. Her work is titled “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” and it allows us to greater understand what American’s were reading at this point in time, and helps to provide a social and historical context when it comes to early American literature. Split into twenty “removes” that act as chapters; Rowland’s story is one of a journey. Her struggles

There is a reoccurring theme throughout The Confessions where Puritans seem entirely burdened with guilt, typically due to their wavering faith or belief in God. It often seems that in times of adversity, they are unable to feel God’s presence and their misery completely clouds and obstructs their faith. Many of them also feel so out-of-touch with God, they feel they are undeserving of his “mercy”. Some even go further and admit to being afraid of God’s wrath, as Joanna Still’s confession demonstrates; “And from Jeremiah—though has forsaken me for I am weary of repenting—and so she thought God would destroy her.” (The Confessions 159). The various circumstances of these confessions bring up some interesting questions and serve as a window into the the everyday lives of these Puritan colonists.