Mary Rowlandson's Narrative Analysis
In Mary Rowlandson’s autobiographical account of her experience and narrative account about the clash between Indians and British colonists in Massachusetts during King Philip’s War. King Philip was a Wampanoag chief who began attacking settlements between 1675 and 1676. Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson was written in1682. Narrative Of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. Mary was a Puritan colonist who described her capture and what her life was like while being held hostage by Wampanoag Indians for over 11 weeks. Indians ransacked the town of Lancaster, Massachusetts in February of 1675 in an attempt to regain their tribal lands. The Indians overwhelmed the defenders of their villiage and took 23 captives,
…show more content…
Of the 23 people who were captured in the raid, thirteen of them were Rowlandson family members.The Puritans often choose themes that include thoughts about man as a sinner, God as omnipotent, life being simple and fate. She also compares her experiences to the bible. Puritans feel God is good and she had faith that he wanted her to survive so that she could share her ordeal and story to show the goodness of God. Her narrative acts as her own testament to Christianity and felt God had a predetermined path for her. Rowlandson's experience in captivity represents both God's punishment for her pride and her taking for granted her privileged life and also his protection through adverse circumstances. Puritan ideology helps her make sense of the world and especially of her experiences in Indian captivity. She hopes by telling her story that people will be able to understand God’s ways and to and give people a reference and comfort during adverse times. Mary refers to the Indians as savage beasts and heathens but at times seems appreciate their treatment of her. Mary Rowlandson has a varying view of her Indian captors because she experienced their culture and the adversity that they faced including being killed, having land taken from them and their crops that they relied
Of the 23 people who were captured in the raid, thirteen of them were Rowlandson family members.The Puritans often choose themes that include thoughts about man as a sinner, God as omnipotent, life being simple and fate. She also compares her experiences to the bible. Puritans feel God is good and she had faith that he wanted her to survive so that she could share her ordeal and story to show the goodness of God. Her narrative acts as her own testament to Christianity and felt God had a predetermined path for her. Rowlandson's experience in captivity represents both God's punishment for her pride and her taking for granted her privileged life and also his protection through adverse circumstances. Puritan ideology helps her make sense of the world and especially of her experiences in Indian captivity. She hopes by telling her story that people will be able to understand God’s ways and to and give people a reference and comfort during adverse times. Mary refers to the Indians as savage beasts and heathens but at times seems appreciate their treatment of her. Mary Rowlandson has a varying view of her Indian captors because she experienced their culture and the adversity that they faced including being killed, having land taken from them and their crops that they relied