Colonial North America- Mary Rowlandson, The Sovereignty and Goodness of God
1. What is Rowlandson's relationship to the Puritan God and, by extension, to her New England society? Analyzing her use of language, the way she frames her own story, and the meaning she ascribes to it, describe how her religion is interwoven into her narrative, and what characteristics she ascribes to her God. How does understanding this relationship aid in our understanding of her narrative and the society from which she has been taken? You might consider comparing Rowlandson's narrative to the Freake portraits done at around the same time. Be sure to use examples from the text.
Here is the link for reading:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/851/851-h/851-h.htm
Sample Answer
Mary Rowlandson, née White, later Mary Talcott was a colonial American woman who was captured by Native Americans during King Philip's War and held for 11 weeks before being ransomed. Like many Puritan settlers of the time, Rowlandson appeared to view Native people and culture as more a part of the wilderness than as fellow human beings. Since her Puritan beliefs embraced Divine Providence, she viewed the events related to conflict and war as foreordained by God.
