Mary Rowlandson The Sovereignty And Goodness Of God Analysis

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In 1675, Mary Rowlandson, a Puritan woman from Colonial Massachusetts, was captured by the Native Americans during King Phillip’s war. She chronicled the events of her capture in a book that would be published under the title The Sovereignty and Goodness of God. In her writings, Rowlandson attempts to use her encounter to teach lessons to a Puritan audience by relating her experiences to her faith and God. Her story, however, contradicts many beliefs of the Puritans, who thought they were “God’s chosen people” and saw heathens as nothing more than savages. When Mary Rowlandson begins living with her captors, however, she witnesses their compassion and ability to survive among other things. She starts to respect the lifestyle of the Native Americans and begins to see them as people, rather than mere savages. In the beginning of the narrative, Mary Rowlandson describes the Native Americans and the horrific nature in which they invade her town. The Native Americans are ruthless in killing many of the Puritans she knows so well. As she watches them burn down her house she describes them as “murderous Wretches” . She describes the scene as the “dolefullest day that [her] eyes have ever [seen].” At this point in time, Mary has no knowledge of the Native American lifestyle and when…show more content…
Prior to her captivity, and true to her Puritan ideals, she viewed the Native Americans with nothing but disgust. At first, even the thought of living with Native Americans was appalling. Over time, she begins to befriend them in order to survive, and in the end, she begins to admire the Native Americans and appreciate the experiences she had with them. Her captivity opened her mind in regards to her view of others, and it’s likely that Rowlandson will question her unwarranted scorn of non-Christians in the future, despite her Puritan
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