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Mary Rowlandson The Captivity Analysis

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Mary Rowlandson was kidnapped from her village and held captive by Native Americans. While in captivity, she portrayed a negative picture of the Native Americans in her narrative “The Captivity and restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.” In her narrative, Rowlandson disparaged and ridiculed the Native Americans in a negative way to show or reason to her peers that the Native Americans were like savages and ruthless animals. In my opinion, Rowlandson portrayed the Native Americans in a negative manner to show others their savage behaviors but also to show the power of God and how he will save those who believe in him. First, Rowlandson implanted the Native Americans as savages when she compared and called them derogative names like “ravenous Beast” (237) and “Barbarous Creatures” (238). Rowlandson even described the Native Americans to act in a savagery way when she asserts that they “slain and mangled in a barbarous manner” (238). For example, in the Fourth Remove, Rowlandson stated how the Native Americans stripped a pregnant woman, killed her and burned her body in front of children. Rowlandson further disparages the Native Americans when she asserts that the Native Americans would burn the children if escaping or leaving ever crossed …show more content…

She wanted to inform readers that in bad times, like her captivity with the “savages”, God will always be there to help if you put in the faith. For example, in the Twentieth Remove, Rowlandson states that “we must rely on God himself, and our whole dependence must be upon him… God’s Power is as great now, and as sufficient to save” (250-251). The statements of Rowland’s religion and how she “lift(s) up (her) heart to God, hoping the Redemption was not far off” (244) is what lead to my conclusion that Rowlandson was disparaging the Native Americans to show off her belief in God and that God is great and fixes

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