Compare And Contrast Mary Rowlandson And Zitkala-Sa

Mary Rowlandson and her children were taken captive in 1676 during a war between the settlers and the Indians. Throughout her narrative she explains in detail what it was like living with the Indians for eleven weeks and how she adapted to their world. She wanted to document her journey as a Puritan to show what it was like to have the wrath of God upon you. Zitkala-Sa was brought up in a traditional Sioux manner and was expected to stay on the reservation as she grew up. However, compelling white men visited her reservation convincing children to come back to the land of red apples with them. As she attends school in the east she is forced to adapt to the American culture while struggling to hold on to her own Native heritage. Although Mary Rowlandson and Zitkala-Sa endured different experiences, they both found their own way to adapt to their situation. In the start of her narrative, Mary Rowlandson makes a clear distinction between civilization and the wilderness (good vs.

Zitkala-Sa is warned by her friend that the “pale-faces” plan on cutting all of their hair. She is horrified by the idea because to them, “short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards” (437). After finding her hiding under a bed, the pale-faces strap her to a chair and cut her braids off. Long hair to Native Americans symbolizes strength and power and when it is cut, it’s degrading. She was also stripped of her Native clothing and was forced to wear tightly fitted clothes that were uncomfortable. As time went on, she tried to hold on to as much of her Native heritage as she could. She hated the rules that were in place and saw them as “needlessly binding” (439). Rebellion was her way of showing the “pale-faces” that she would not fully submit to them. Little did she know, the longer she stayed in the land of red apples the more she would adapt to the culture even without realizing