Mary Rowlanson
Mary Rowlandson, a Puritan minister's wife, was captured during the war in an Indian raid on Lancaster, Massachusetts. She was held captive by a leading Indian family for eleven weeks, before being returned to her husband. In the book Rowlandson later wrote about her experiences, she describes traveling from one "remove" to another with her Indian masters, experiencing the difficulties of hard work and the cold outdoors. She continuously quotes Scripture- she found it to be a source of strength and guidance for her in her time of trouble. One interesting contrast between the Puritan and Indian cultures can be seen in Mrs. Rowlandson's view of her male master Quanopin's wife, named Wetamo. Wetamo was a "squaw sachem"- a woman who led the Wampanoag village of Pocasset. Wetamo had allied herself with King Philip (Metacom) early in the war, and despite the tradition of wifely obedience to one's husband was
------------------------------------------------------------------------ t of a more patriarchal society, Mrs. Rowlandson found it difficult to understand Wetamo's behavior as other than just a woman being excessively assertive. Wetamo, however, was acting out a role which was acceptable in her own culture. It is also of interest to note that, as a minister's wife, Mary Rowlandson was a high-status individual in her own Puritan society. Yet she would have no chance to have the kind of power which Wetamo possessed. Rowlandson's narrative, the last and most famous one concerning King Philip's War to be published, helped create an archetype of American literature, the "captivity account". As the female victim of male savagery, her tale can represent a rallying point for the English victors in the conflict. This text provided solid evidence for what they saw as the innate depravity and barbarism of the d
Some common words found in the essay are:
England Puritan, Philip's War, Lancaster Massachusetts, Mary Rowlandson, Philip Metacom, Puritan Indian, Mary's Bible, Rowlandson Puritan, Wetamo Wetamo, mary rowlandson, Pocasset Wetamo, england puritan, minister's wife, puritan women, indian women,
Approximate Word count = 618
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
