Mary Rowlandson

c.1637-1711

Life

Identity

Wife and mother
Captive of Narragansett Indians

Home

Lancaster, Massachusetts

Religion

Puritan

Chronology

1637: born, probably in England
1656: marries Congregationalist minister Joseph Rowlandson
1676: kidnapped by Narragansetts from her home in Lancaster, Massachusetts, and held for 11 weeks
1682: Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson

Issues and themes

Mary Rowlandson, a Puritan wife and mother, published only one book during her life. That book, however, not only became one of the era's best-sellers, but earned her an important place in the history of American literature. A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, an account of her captivity among the Narragansett Indians during King Philip's War in the 1670s, is a frequently cited example of a captivity narrative, an important American literary genre used by James Fenimore Cooper, Ann Bleecker, John Williams, and James Seaver. Because of Rowlandson's intimate relationship with her Indian captors, her book also is interesting for its treatment of cultural contact. Finally, in its use of autobiography, typology, and the jeremiad, Rowlandson's book helps us to understand the Puritan mind.

Work

The Sovereignty & Goodness of God, Together with the Faithfulness of His Promises Displayed; Being a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson

Publication: 1682
This book went through four editions the year it was published and was one of the best-sellers of the era. How do you explain its popularity? Do you see any irony in this popularity?
How does Rowlandson depict the Native Americans? What has shaped her attitude?
Analyze Rowlandson's faith. How does it change over the course of her narrative? How do you explain these changes?
Like The Relation of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, this book is a captivity narrative. Referring to both works, describe the major features and themes of this genre.
Like the works of William Bradford, John Winthrop, Anne Bradstreet, and others, Rowlandson's book reveals a great deal about the Puritan mind. Referring to at least two of these works, characterize Puritan literature and psychology.
What does Rowlandson mean when she refers to "providence"? : "We had six stout dogs belonging to our garrison, but none of them would stir, though another time, if any Indian had come to the door, they were ready to fly upon him and tear him down. The Lord hereby would make us the more acknowledge His hand, and to see that our help is always in Him" (141).
Near the end of her book, Rowlandson quotes David: "It is good for me that I have been afflicted" (156). Why does she feel thankful? What does such a sentiment reveal about the Puritan mind?

Bibliography

Bleecker, Ann. The History of Maria Kittle. 1797.
"Mary Rowlandson." Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter Fourth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton, 1995. 139-140.
Rowlandson, Mary. The Sovereignty & Goodness of God, Together with the Faithfulness of His Promises Displayed; Being a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter Fourth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton, 1995. 140-156.
Seaver, James E. Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison. 1824.
Williams, John. The Redeemed Captive, Returning to Zion. 1707.

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