Use Of Paganism In Phillis Wheatley's On Being Brought

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “benighted” as “existing in a state of intellectual, moral, or social darkness.” The word “darkness” really strikes me in this definition, just as the word “benighted” struck me when reading Phillis Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America.” This use of “benighted” most certainly refers to her time in Africa, which she calls a “Pagan” land. This could refer to actual Paganism being practiced in Africa, or a lack of religion entirely. She says that Christianity gave her a faith that she never “sought or knew.” She never saw it coming; Christianity became the light to clear up her “benighted” darkness. It seems as though Wheatley’s mindset emulates those of the Puritans that came before her;