A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson

A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson (also known as The Sovereignty and Goodness of God) was a book written by Mary (White) Rowlandson, a colonial American woman who was captured during an attack by Native Americans during King Philip's War and held ransom for 11 weeks and 5 days. After being released, she wrote the book, which was a work in the literary genre of captivity narratives. It is considered to be one of America's first bestsellers, four editions appearing in 1682 when it was first published.[1]

A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson
AuthorMary Rowlandson
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreCaptivity narrative
Publication date
1682

Plot summary

On February 10, 1675, the settlement of Lancaster, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was attacked by Native Americans in the Lancaster raid. The Native Americans burned down houses and opened fire on the English settlers, killing several of them and wounding more. They took many of the survivors captive, including Mary Rowlandson and her three children. Mary and her youngest child were among the injured, while others of her family, including her brother-in-law, were killed.

After spending a night in a nearby town, the Native Americans with their captives headed further into the wilderness. Being injured, the journey was difficult for Rowlandson and her daughter. They reached an Indian settlement called Wenimesset, where Rowlandson met another captive named Robert Pepper who tried to help the new captives. After staying in Wenimesset for about a week, Rowlandson's injured daughter, Sarah, died. Rowlandson was sold to another Indian who was related to King Philip by marriage. They buried Rowlandson's dead daughter, and she was allowed to visit her oldest daughter, Mary, who was also being held in Wenimesset. Her son was allowed to visit from a nearby Indian settlement. The Indians gave Rowlandson a Bible in which she found a great deal of hope.

After attacking another town, the Native Americans decided to head north, and Rowlandson was again separated from her family and her new friends. The Native Americans, along with Rowlandson, began to move quickly through the forest, as the English army was nearby. They came to the Baquaug River and crossed it with the English soldiers close behind. However, the English were not able to cross, and Rowlandson and the Indians continued northwest. They reached the Connecticut River and planned on meeting King Philip, but English scouts were present so they scattered and hid.

Rowlandson and the Native Americans soon crossed the river and met King Philip. At this settlement, Rowlandson sewed clothing for the Indians in return for food. Rowlandson wanted to go to Albany in hopes of being sold for gunpowder, but the Indians took her northward and crossed the river again. Rowlandson started hoping that she might be returned home, but the Indians turned south, continuing along the Connecticut River instead of heading east towards civilization. The Indians continued their attacks, and Thomas Read joined Rowlandson's group. Read told Rowlandson that her husband is alive and well, which gave her hope and comfort. Rowlandson and her group finally started to move east.

They crossed the Baquaug River again where they met messengers telling Rowlandson she had to go to Wachuset where the Indians would discuss the possibility of her returning to freedom. Rowlandson eagerly headed towards Wachuset, but the journey wore her down. She was disheartened by the sight of a colonist injured in a previous Indian attack. She reached Wachuset and spoke to King Philip, who guaranteed her freedom in two weeks. The council asked how much her husband would pay for her ransom and they sent a letter to Boston offering her freedom for twenty pounds.

After many more Indian attacks and victories, Rowlandson was allowed to travel back to Lancaster, then to Concord and finally to Boston. She was reunited with her husband after 11 long weeks. They stayed with a friend in Concord for a while until Rowlandson's sister, son, and daughter were returned. Back together, the family built a house in Boston where they lived until 1677.

Themes

There are apparent themes during this captivity narrative such as the uncertainty of life, and, in particular, from the attack the brevity of life is made apparent to Rowlandson. Also, the Indians could at times be kind to her and treat her well, and the next day they would starve her with no clarification. The next theme is that of unwavering belief. Throughout the entire expertise, Rowlandson keeps her religion and understands everything that happens to her as a blessing or a trial from God. Mary Rowlandson wrote her story with the readership in mind, including those she knew personally. Given this, her narrative can be understood in terms of however she would need to represent herself and her captivity to those readers, often at the expense of a literal and true account. Rowlandson was a reverent girl in Puritan society and thus would be expected to represent all that was customary for Christian girls. Therefore, any account of her capture that appeared contrary to traditional beliefs might risk her standing and reputability.

The transformation that Rowlandson underwent while in Native American capture is another important theme. Through her account, some Native customs, which in her opinion were "filthy trash", she became more familiar with and more accepting of. She particularly describes her experience with their food this way. [2]

References
  1. Lauter, Paul, et al., eds. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. vol. 1. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1998, p. 425
  2. Herrmann, R. B. (2015-01-01). ""Their Filthy Trash": Taste, Eating, and Work in Mary Rowlandson's Captivity Narrative". Labor Studies in Working-Class History of the Americas. 12 (1–2): 45–70. doi:10.1215/15476715-2837496. ISSN 1547-6715.
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