Mary Rowland’s captivity

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Mary Rowlandson’s Captivity
Mary Rowlandson’s narration describes her experiences as a captive after Lancaster’s town attack during the King Philip’s War. However, the fact that Rowlandson has a Puritan background and skills help her survive in the captivity. In the narrative, Rowlandson credits her survival to her relationship with God throughout the ordeal. As Puritan, Rowlandson’s background and skills help her survive the captivity ordeal and being a woman going through all that made her book.
According to the narrative, Rowlandson as a puritan believes that God’s providence and grace shape the world’s events (Rowlandson 42). Like other Puritans, she believes everything occurs in accordance with God’s plans and purpose. As such, being a committed Puritan, Rowlandson had to rely on Good only rather than other entities of the world or creations of men (Woloch 2). This belief keeps Rowlandson strong while believing her challenges would end even though in some circumstances she is compelled to adopt the Native American culture and beliefs to survive in the wilderness.
Additionally, Rowlandson takes other practical actions to secure her survival. She relies on her skills in trade and housewifery which she acquired following years of married life in Lancaster. Rowlandson employs her skills in sewing and knitting articles to gain favor and rapport with Peter who is the leader of the uprising (Woloch 5). Apart from using her Puritan nature to survive, Rowlandson’s Puritan background and beliefs lead her to develop a negative attitude towards the Indians whom she perceives to be barbaric and uncivilized.

In conclusion, the horrendous experiences in captivity made Rowlandson’s narrative to have a lot of influence in the 17th century. This was prompted by the fact that Rowlandson was a woman and no one would believe women can survive in captivity ordeals. Women in the 17th century were viewed as fragile and inferior beings as compared to the men. As such, for Rowlandson to survive the ordeals of captivity and live to tell her story was a major achievement and an inspiration to both men and women in her society.

Works Cited
Rowlandson, Mary. Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. Outlook, 2017.
Woloch, Nancy. Women and the American Experience. McGraw –Hill Education, 2010.