Mary Rowlandson's Captive Experience

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

(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).

In the story “Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” written by Mary Rowlandson herself, we read that she is taken captive by a group of Indians. Rowlandson was torn away from husband, children, and town. Everything she had ever known was taken away from her in an instant and she was taken to unfamiliar territory with her youngest daughter in tow. If being took captive wasn’t

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

​Every literature story has an importance of a great leader or a survivor. There are apparent themes in this captivity narrative such as the doubt of life. The story of Mary Rowlandson and Benjamin Franklin wrote a narrative of their life experience and their adventure. They learn from the attack that no one is guaranteed life, and life can be short. There are clear contrast and comparison between these two individuals connected to their observation of God. In the colonial American time, religion was a vital part of life.

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 Puritans played a large role in early American history and society. Most Puritans escaped the tyrannical rule in England to gain religious freedom in America, which helped create an early American society. Not only did the Puritans help form the early American society and religion, they also contributed to the earliest stories and narratives to help create a rich literary history for America. Puritan literature has helped many scholars and readers learn about early American history. One of the most famous American narratives is from Mary Rowlandson, who was the wife of a Puritan Minister. Mary Rowlandson’s captivity narrative is about her story of how she was captured and treated by Native American captors. Throughout the

On the other hand, Rowlandon’s narrative is even richer than Jacob’s with religious tendency and Biblical quotes. Rowlandson’s narrative has Christian references at least once in almost every paragraph. Unlike Jacobs who’s main purpose for her narrative is not religious but to portray the miserable life of slaves, Rowlandson’s purpose of her narrative is basically about Christian believes. She wanted to show that “redemption is both release from captivity and assurance of salvation” (Reagan). Her narrative is full of examples that show her strong believe in God during very tough situations

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

According to the Puritans, women were only to attend to household duties and not to appear in the public sphere. Rowlandson does more than she was able to do in her old habitat; she began to work for profit and used her special skills. “During my abode in this place Phillip spoke to me to make a shirt for his boy, which I did, for which he gave me a schilling. I offered the money to my master, but he bade me keep it, and with it I bought a piece of horse-flesh. Afterwards he asked me to make him a cap for his boy, for which he invited me to dinner.” (71). Rowlandson vindicated her work by her obvious need to stay fully nourished and healthy. She accepted numerous dinner invitations and gifts of beans, meat and cake. Conversely, some of the “bad” Natives had lied to her when she asked of her son’s welfare; they said he was roasted and cut into pieces and he made good meat. Then she had thought they knew nothing more than to lie. “Yet

Ann Bradstreet is another Puritan writer that points out God’s providence in her writings. In her poem, “Upon the Burning of Our House” she speaks of be awaken by the roar of fire and running outside only to watch her house go down in flames. Even though it is clear that she is devastated by the event, she mentions that God was only taking back what was already His and that this was a part of His plan for her life. The “Providential perspective” is a Puritan’s way of looking at life as something God is directing, whether good or bad. Group B: 3

Her frequent bouts of fits, fevers, and fainting inspired her to reflect on the brevity of life and her hope of eternity with God. Through these short pieces of verse and prose, the reader gains a deeper understanding of the Puritan mind-set. Everything, whether positive or negative, was believed to be from the hand of God. God uses adversity and sorrow as means of correction and for the good of his children. Yet, the God who brings pain and affliction is the same merciful God who provides relief and comfort. After one episode of illness, Bradstreet wrote, "[T]his condition that I am in is the best for me, for God doth not afflict willingly, nor take delight in grieving the children of men...but He doth it for my advantage, and that I may be a gainer by it." "As Weary Pilgrim" expresses the common Puritan idea of being a wanderer in a foreign land, waiting for God to take him to his eternal home of rest. She