Compare And Contrast Mary Rowlandson And De Vaca

During the colonial period, numerous new things were taking place, people were gaining independence and literature was developing. By 1763 there were over 12,000 separate works published in North America. Both Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition and Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson detail the author’s journeys during certain period of their lives. Religious devotion is apparent throughout both books in many different ways. Rowlandson and de Vaca look to God for comfort, to help them meet their needs and to guide them.

Mary Rowlandson was unfortunately captured by Indians during King Phillip’s War for 3 months in 1675. During this time she endured countless hardships that one couldn’t even imagine living in

Even though she is often starving she stays positive, looks to God and he provides for her. For example Rowlandson says “This distressed condition held that day, and half the next. And then the Lord remembered me, whose mercies are great. Then came an Indian to me with a pair of stockings that were too big for him” (29). Because of the Indian that needed stockings she was able to have food to eat and relieve her hunger. A similar situation takes place more than once in which Rowlandson desperately needs food or water and God provides. Most people would lose hope or maybe even curse God but Rowlandson repeatedly talks about how the Lord is lifting her spirit. “Oh, I may see the wonderful power of God, that my Spirit did not utterly sink under my affliction: still the Lord upheld me with His gracious and merciful spirit” (Rowlandson 11). During this time Rowlandson said “I repaired under these thoughts to my Bible (my greatest comfort in that time)” (23). She constantly looked to her Bible for scripture to help her navigate this difficult time. At one point when exhausted, hungry and worried for her children she says “I cannot express the affliction that lay upon my spirit, but the Lord helped me at the time to express it to Himself. I opened up my Bible to read, and the Lord brought that precious Scripture to me” (Rowlandson

Not surprisingly the trip was chaos right from the start. Cabeza de Vaca and his men experienced storms, Indian attacks, men being captured and killed, death from dehydration and starvation. Through it all they look to God for help. They trust God in that they know whatever happens is his will and what was meant to happen will happen. For example an Indian shot an arrow at a Christian and God willed that it did not wound him. Countless times they are starving and God provides food for them one example of that is when they found a cove filled with oysters (Nunez Cabeza de Vaca 19). Another major way God provided them is that he gave them the ability to heal the Indians. All different groups of Indians looked to them for healing and spread the word of what they could do. While them becoming doctors was thrusted upon them it proved to be beneficial because it mean the Indians respect them. The Indians looked to them to heal their sick; they did it by making the sign of the cross and blowing on them. Because they were held in such high regard they were provided with food and many other gifts which helped them stay