Through out American history gender roles have been instilled in all societies; the belief that women are subordinate to men and are to be domesticated into the home receiving no education was the ordinance of most societies. The Puritan society of the 17th Century was one in particular that enforced and most importantly instilled these beliefs upon their women. These degrading expectations placed upon their women were extremely evident in their personal depiction of society throughout their literature. One example of this is the narrative "A True History of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson". Mary Rowlandson biases towards the Indians and her own accomplishments were due to the fact that she was fulfilling the role of a decent Puritan and even more important, the supposed role of a woman.

Mary Rowlandson was a Puritan minister's wife in Lancaster, Massachusetts and was taken captive by the Indians during the King Phillips War (1675-1677). Throughout her eleven-week captivity she wrote this autobiographical accounts of her experiences. Even though her experiences may be accurate her portrayal of herself and the relationship between the Indians and Puritan coloni

Rowlandson's choice to live in denial of her own independence was even more evident when she traveled to visit her son because it was then that she said, "I went; but quickly lost myself traveling over Hills and through Swamps, and could not find the way to him." (23), not realizing how courageous this trip was. During the 1600s it was very unusual for a woman to travel without a guide or an escort. Her adaptability to her surroundings, especially in accepting different foods was another example of her independence. She was not as helpless as she would, or more realistically, her society would have wanted her to appear.

To some degree Rowlandson's values could be questioned because of the decision of whom she was really writing for, however she could be admired for her selflessness. It is true she didn't always give credit to the Indians when it was due, but she also didn't praise herself for what she survived through, the harsh environment, the foreign foods, and extreme traveling conditions. Mary Rowlandson tried to appear helpless, but all the while contradicting herself by being courageous and resourceful. It is a shame she had to appear incapable just to be a more capable woman of the time.

Within Puritan society it was made clear that women were not to be educated, Winthrop can be quoted as stating that women who are educated go insane. This belief was another contradiction within the Rowlandson narrative because she is constantly stating what God would say, which Puritan society clearly did not accept because only the educated ma

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Approximate Word count = 1051
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)