Religion As A Source Of Comfort . In 1682, Mary Rowlandson

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

As Mary’s story unravels, she continues to suffer long hours of work, starvation, and separation from her family. She reads her holy bible and is constantly reminding herself that God is with her and will see her through these trials. Her spirits are lifted her master agrees to sell Mary to her husband, and her mistress begins the journey with her, but before long the mistress decides not to go any further and they turn back. Not long after, she starts to loose hope that she will ever be reunited with her family. She becomes discouraged, and her spirit

Mary Rowlandson was kidnapped unlike Bradstreet. Because Rowlandson was kidnapped, this influenced a lot of things in her life. More specifically, Rowlandson’s writing. Rowlandson used her experience to influence her writing, teach other people moral lessons, and educate them on the dangers of the outside world. From the multiple biblical references in her narrative, I cannot help but come to the conclusion that Rowlandson is not just putting the verses in there for herself. But that she is trying to teach the reader a lesson by telling them not to stray from God when times are tough, and not to move from salvation.

​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.

Puritan beliefs reflected in Mary Rowlandson’s “A Narrative of the Captivity, Suffering and Restoration of Mary Rowlandson”. The beliefs are depicted in her eleven weeks of captivity after being captured by the Wampanoag tribesmen.

In the autobiography of Mary Rowlandson, she shares her beliefs and thoughts to the world. After being enslaved by Native Americans, in her small, Christian town of Lancaster in the tenth of February of 1675, and witnessing all of the horrendous events that plagued her-from the murderous rage of the Natives to the death of her six-year old daughter, Sarah. Rowlandson begins to hold on to the belief that it was all part of God’s plan. In my personal opinion, excuse my french, but that is blasphemous. From analyzing her book, once or twice, I came to a conclusion that it is paradox within a paradox. Ponder on that, think about it. Let your neurons and brain juices flow here for just a second.

“A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” by Mary Rowlandson is a short history about her personal experience in captivity among the Wampanoag Indian tribe. On the one hand, Mary Rowlandson endures many hardships and derogatory encounters. However, she manages to show her superior status to everyone around her. She clearly shows how her time spent under captivity frequently correlates with the lessons taught in the Bible. Even though, the colonists possibly murdered their chief, overtook their land, and tried to starve the Native Americans by burning down their corn, which was their main source of food, she displays them as demonizing savages carrying out the devil's plan. There are many struggles shown

The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson reveals that the ghastly depiction of the Indian religion (or what Rowlandson perceives as a lack of religion) in the narrative is directly related to the ideologies of her Puritan upbringing. Furthermore, Rowlandson's experiences in captivity and encounter with the new, or "Other" religion of the Indians cause her rethink, and question her past; her experiences do not however cause her to redirect her life or change her ideals in any way.

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

Even Rowlandson, under her conditions, could not give up her religion during her imprisonment; consequently, she went out of her way to read her bible without the knowledge of her captors. Her actions are not congruent to what a hostage would do in the twentieth century. Today, we have learned logic that allows us to realize that if we withhold what's impulsively wanted, the long-term rewards can bring more happiness. Although Rowlandson was never caught practicing her religion, she did not consider that she might never be physically able to read her bible again.

Mary Rowlandson was born in a Puritan society. Her way of was that of an orthodox Puritan which was to be very religious and see all situations are made possible by God. She begins her writing by retelling a brutal description of the attack on Lancaster by the Natives. Rowlandson spends enough time interacting with the Natives to realize these people live normal, secular lives. She had the opportunity work for a profit which was not accepted when she lived as devout Puritan women in Puritan colony. Mary Rowlandson knows that she must expose the good nature of the Natives and she must rationalize her “boldness” through quoting the Bible.

Accordingly, the narrative contains both literal and symbolic dimensions. Before the attack on her village and her capture by the Native Americans, She lived a blissful and pleasurable life with her family. She had a nice home, comfortable furnishing, and ate the best of foods. Although Rowlandson’s husband was a minister and she was a Christian, she did not feel she lived her life as devoted or committed, as she should be; she could have prayed more or been more devoted

Throughout Mary Rowlandson's account of being captured by Native Americans, she mentions her family frequently; however, she hardly mentions them by name or talks about what they were like. This immediately creates a feeling of distance in the reader's mind, because it could suggest many things about what her family was like before they got separated. She also shows us what looks to be a great deal of distance between her and her youngest daughter Sarah who died in her arms. When Rowlandson first mentions her youngest daughter she calls her a "poor wounded babe" (130) which suggests that there is a distance between the two. However, this may not be the way that the events actually happened because she wrote the narrative six years after she was reunited with her family. This opens up the idea that this may also have been a way for her to cope with losing a child in her arms. It could also show that she may have not been the only person to write the narrative. These two ideas work together because if Rowlandson does not have to write all of the painful parts, she would not have had to relive the guilt or sorrow. Mary Rowlandson makes the reader think she is distant from her family because she uses it as a way to cope with the pain of being separated from them, and to show the Puritans that being close to god will help you with any pain.

The essay pronounces the analyzation of the characterizational study of Mary Rowlandson involving a Calvinist influence. Rowlandson’s captivity becomes conflicted by the blurred line between civilization and savagery that she faces, and how she becomes capable of savagery especially when she in need of nourishment. Although her character becomes uncivil at times, her dependence on the providence of God, which relentlessly guides her way to survive even when she does not realize at times.