What Was The Difference Between Sojourner Truth And Mary Rowlandson

Mary Rowlandson and Sojourner Truth were both prominent women who had stories about their captivities. Mary Rowlandson was a White woman who was kidnapped by Native Americans during a raid in her village. While, Sojourner Truth was born into slavery and remained property until 1826. Both ladies had differences on among their captivities and encountered oppression in unique ways.The difference between Sojourner Truth and Mary Rowlandson emphasis on individuality, time and historical moment and institutional oppression they both endure. Mary Rowlandson was lived a normal Christian life in the colonies up to the raid in her town. The interesting part comes in when she is a White captive which switches the authority to the Native Americans. While

For Mary Rowlandson, she made an honest living with the Native Americans. It states “I thought I never tasted pleasanter meat in my life. There was a squaw who spake to me to make a shirt for her sannup, for which she gave me a piece of bear. Another asked me to knit a pair of stockings, for which she gave me a quart of peas. I boiled my peas and bear together, and invited my master and mistress to dinner”. Through this text, it is evident that Mary was able to prosper in her environment and enjoy her life. Mary Rowlandson did not suffer any oppression from her economic status because the Natives did not dehumanize in a way where she could not provide for herself. Mary lived comfortably while doing effortless work. While Sojourner did not have the luxury of leisure. In her narrative it states “Her ambition and desire to please were so great, that she often worked several nights in succession, sleeping only short snatches, as she sat in her chair...she received the larger share of the confidence of her master, and many small favors that were by them unattainable”. Sojourner had strenuous work, yet managed to get it done and be efficient with it because her master would give her favors. The institutionalized racism within slavery came with economic oppression which meant slaves were being paid very little to nothing at all.

Mary Rowlandson lived during Colonial America when tensions with Native Americans were at the highest. According to her narrative she said “The occasion (as I thought) of their moving at this time was the English army, it being near and following them...Being very faint I asked my mistress to give me one spoonful of the meal, but she would not give me a taste.” During this time, the natives were being followed the English army and they were running low on food. Mary was not prioritized because she was just a captive. In Mary’s perspective, she would have said that this time and historical moment is used to oppress her because the authority had burden her with restraining her from eating. The conflicts between the Native americans and the English during this time period affected Mary because it helped cause the injustice of food shortage of the tribe. Sojourner’s experience with time and historical oppression was different from Mary Rowlandson. During this time period, African American were dehumanized and disregarded. In Sojourner’s narrative, she talked about her mistress where she says “ In her family, Mrs. Dumont employed two white girls, one of whom, named Kate, evinced a disposition to 'lord it over' Isabel, and, in her emphatic language, 'to grind her down'.” Sojourner was subjected to time and historical oppression because in this moment it highlights the abusive and dehumanizing actions