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Narrative Of The Captivity Mary Rowlandson Analysis

Decent Essays

In her narrative, “Narrative of the Captivity of Mary Rowlandson,” Rowlandson writes to her fellow Puritans about her time living with a Native American tribe. She wrote this story to tell of her hardships, triumphs, and to remind her fellow puritans to believe in God and His plan. For example, on page 35 the book's introduction states “She did not merely wish to record her horrifying experience; she wished to demonstrate how it revealed God’s purpose. She chose the style of a narrative because it was many years later, and because it flowed easier than a journal entry. Also, she could not incorporate all her horrors and memories into something like a poem. And by writing a narrative she could easily write a story demonstrating both sides to the Native American people such as on pages 38 and 40. “When I came into sight, she would fall a-weeping at which they were provoked and would not let me come near her, but bid me gone; which was a heart-cutting work for me,” page 38. “Then one of them gave me two spoonfuls of meal to comfort me, and another gave me a half pint of peas; which was more than many bushels at another time, page 40. …show more content…

He wrote these transcripts and included the testimonies to remind the puritans of the time. At the end of his transcripts for Bridget Bishop he has a section on notes which include “the records of her case are printed in the records of Salem Witchcraft, I. 135-172.” He wrote using a past tense style and very short quick words which made sense because he would have been writing as it was spoken. For example on page one “She was indicated for the bewitching of several persons in the neighborhood…” and on page 2 “Johnson Bly and his wife testified…” his choice affected the readers because it made it more realistic and they could remember it easier making the style very

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