Mary Rowlandsons Captivity Narrative Essay - 1154 Words

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†¦show more content†¦The passage also shows that God, according to the Puritans, is a very strict God. He does not tolerate evil acts, and requires that His followers obey His will, or they will be cut off from his presence and blessings. God is so intolerant of sin and evil, that Mary accepted that it was ok for God to take way her children and her lifestyle. On the other hand, God, according to the Puritans, is also merciful to His own people. At the end of the phrase, Mary stated that God showed mercy to her by helping her through her afflictions. Also, Mary again stated how merciful her God was in her following statement, â€Å"Now hath God fulfilled that precious Scripture which was such a comfort to me in my distressed condition† (Derounian 12-51). According to Mary, God is strict, demands righteousness among his followers, but is also merciful towards His own people. These different principles line up with the Puritan doctrine of the time as well. Since God was not tolerant of sinners and evil acts, Mary recounted many different acts that were considered evil or barbaric that the Native Americans did. For example, when the Native Americans attacked Mary’s town, she described the aftermath as, â€Å"a solemn sight to see so many Christians lying in their blood, some here and some there, like a company of sheep torn by wolves,† (Derounian 12-51). Mary separates theShow MoreRelatedMary Rowlandsons Captivity Narrative, The Sovereignty And Goodness Of God, And Edgar Huntly1815 Words   |  8 PagesMary Rowlandson’s captivity narrative, The Sovereignty and Goodness of God, and Charles Brockden Brown’s novel Edgar Huntly were both written during a time of discovery, exploration, and the questioning of identity in America. The frontier was considered the wild place of the unknown, and in these two works, the wilderness of the frontier and characters of â€Å"civilized† society interact to form com pelling stories. 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Furthermore, Rowlandsons 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 idealsRead More Compare Contrast Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano Essay1667 Words   |  7 Pagesvarious things that make up a piece of literature. For example: choice of diction, modes of discourse, and figurative language. Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano were great examples of authors that used these elements of literature. There are similarities and differences in A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson and From Africa to America. Though Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano shared similarities in experiences, they had different writing personalities, purposes, attitudesRead MoreCompare/Contrast Writers1706 Words   |  7 Pagesvarious things that make up a piece of literature. For example: choice of diction, modes of discourse, and figurative language. Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano were great examples of authors that used these elements of literature. There are similarities and differences in A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson and From Africa to America. Though Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano shared similarities in experiences, they had different writing personalities, purposes, attitudesRead MoreNative American W omen in The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe1317 Words   |  5 PagesMary Rowlandson’s captivity narrative follows the tradition of stories of women from Anglican descents that are seized by Native Americans, a genre that was enormously popular in the US at the turn of the 17th century. A defining work of American literature that presented accounts of Indian barbarity, the gallantry and superiority of white male settlers, and the helplessness of white women in need of protection and rescue. Correspondingly, Madeline Usher, the entombed sister from Edgar Allan Poe’s