Mary Rowlandson recounted her journey through a narrative when she was held captive by the Native Indians. She referred to the parts of journey as “removes”, as indicated in here narrative. This paper would look into the evidences in her writing that proves how she changed her opinions about the Native American Indians that held her captive. There were a lot of moments all throughout Rowlandson’s journey that she suffered and witnessed how the other English people suffered as well. Yet, there were instances in her journey that showed compassion coming from the Native American Indians to someone like her. Also, Rowlandson shared her opinions on the war between the English and the people who held her captive.
One of the Indians that came from Medfield fight, had brought some plunder, came to me, and asked me, if I would have a Bible, he had got one in his basket. I was glad of it, and asked him, whether he thought the Indians would let me read? He answered, yes.1
This is one of the few times that Rowlandson still felt grateful even when she was in captivity. She had such great faith that God will never let her and her people starve or be fully harmed, that when she was offered a bible by one of the Indians, she felt that this was a sign of God’s answer to her prayers. She found upon reading that there was still mercy and for as long she believes and would turn to God for repentance.
In this part of Mary Rowlandson’s journey, she had already experienced getting paid for making a shirt that he made for the king. For the text cited, she was asked by an Indian to make a shirt for his unborn child. Though it was sort of half-hearted for the Indian to do something like pay off a service from a slave, he still did. For this, Rowlandson was thankful for having someone recognize that her work or effort is worth something even when it was knife that was given to her and not food.
There were a lot of times in that journey that Rowlandson starved and yet with her constant prayers and the belief that God will never forsake her in those times, she somehow survived. One circumstance that proved that she could still gain sympathy from the Indians was when a squaw gave her a piece of bear to save her from hunger.
The most important realization of Mary Rowlandson was at the near end of the journey where she took notice and mentioned. She mentioned that God has his own reasons for putting an enemy in their midst. She said that God has his plans and the ends of it should be holy. This must be what she felt in her own experience that she was not left alone and left to starve and to be harmed. She also took notice of the slowness of the English army and the fact that even the Indians recognize this too. Moreover, Rowlandson believed that God had plans for the people involved in that war. She personally felt the Lord did not leave her.
Bibliography
Lavender, Catherine. August 2000. http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/rownarr.html. (accessed February 21, 2012).
—. Mary Rowlandson, The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Rowlandson. August 2000. http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/rownarr.html. (accessed February 21, 2012).
