Analysis Of Metaacom's War By Mary Rowlandson

In reading the narrative written by Mary Rowlandson, it details her time in captivity during the Metacom 's War. During the reading, Mary often talks about her Puritan faith; and how it gets her through the horrific ordeal she endured, how she felt about the Indians, and what type of person Mary becomes in after she has returned home. In the end, Mary returns to her native land and we determine if she is a changed person or would she be considered a white English Christian. In the beginning, Mary discusses her attackers and how they invade her town killing anyone who resists. Mary refers to the Indians as “a company of hell-hounds, roaring, singing, ranting, and insulting!” (Rowlandson, 1997). Mary believes that her faith and prayers to God will get her through this nightmare. Instead of trading insults or being resistant, Mary does what she is told just to stay alive. As Mary is captured along with her husband, three kids, and neighbors, she always made sure everyone was safe. Even as her own child is dying during the process, she manages to keep calm and just take care of her child. Mary teaches us her strength in dealing with her captors by being submissive, making sure their needs and requests were granted upon asking. Mary never showed fear to her captors, she always tried to find the good in them instead of what she knows they are capable of. Mary would often quote scriptures to herself and the other as well as the Indians always keeping God first. As Mary and the others are being captured, she does not put up a fight. She surrenders peacefully as she sees the chaos and the people she knows dying all around her. During the attack Mary believes this must be a sign from God for something that happened in the past. Since she is not sure why this is happening, she tries to uncover the reason throughout her ordeal. Even when she was under her mistress, Mary was starved, treated cruelly, and often denied shelter. Mary does not show any type of bitterness for being with these savages and only wants to make it back home to her loved ones someday. Mary does not try to become an Indian but she refers to them of them as liars and often compares them to Satan. Even though she is under the captivity of the Indians, Mary is not treated with the same brutality as the others. When the first Indian does speak to her and lets her know that she will not be hurt. This makes you think that she trusted by them as long as she did what she was told and did not put up a fight. There are parts where Mary wanders off and does come in contact with her son and daughter. Mary knows they are okay and always had an uplifting word or scripture to give them. This makes you believe that she had some type of freedom so why did she not run away. When she was under the Master and his mistress, though her mistress treated her cruelly, the master does not and even promises to sell her back to her husband. Some of the Indians feed her, paid her with food, or other items for her sewing. Mary has never been tortured, beaten or raped in any way so it makes you believe she did what she had to do just to stay alive. Mary really uses her faith daily to survive her captures. Being married to a minister, really puts God at the center of her life. Mary learns how to depend on the grace and providence of …show more content…
The Spanish believed in their own God, they were superior over the other native and cultures. Christopher Columbus felt this way about the Indians when he came to the land trying to take what was there’s from the beginning. For example, when the mistress lost her unborn child, Mary does not show any empathy toward her at all. Mary makes a remark “could not much condole”. I believe in this instance, Mary conformed to the society she was in and not known as the good