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Mary Rowlandson A Narrative Of The Captivity Analysis

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“A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mary Rowlandson”: The Influence of Intercultural Contact on Puritan Beliefs “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” by Mary Rowlandson gives a first person perspective into the circumstances of captivity and cultural interaction and an insight to Rowlandson 's attitude towards the Indians, both before and after she was held captive. Rowlandson displays a change in her perception of "civilized" and "savage", in spite of the fact that her overall world view does not alter. It should be covered below that in the following Essay, since the author and the narrator are the same person, will not be individually distinguished. For one thing, Mary Rowlandson provides all the conventions typical of a Puritan perspective. She witnessed her community become destroyed by Indians, people whom she refers to as "barbarous creatures,"(238) "murderous wretches" (236) "heathen,"(236) "ravenous beasts," (238) and "hell-hounds." (237) Rowlandson never questions her faith in God throughout the rough times she is going through, uncertain of her survival. When she and her daughter are wounded and separated from her family, instead of questioning why God would do such a horrible thing to her, she interprets her experiences as signs from God. As a reference, she mentions that "[she has] thought since of the wonderful goodness of God to [her] in preserving [her] in the use of [her] reasons and senses, in that

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