Minimum Of 250 Words Considering A Narrative Of The Captivit

Minimum Of 250 Wordsconsidera Narrative Of The Captivity And Restorat

Consider A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. In her narrative, Rowlandson provides an account of the time she spent in captivity. The narrative documents the abduction of Rowlandson and the death of some of her family members, and clearly one of the purposes of the work is to describe this terrible time in her life. However, the narrative also serves to describe the Native American culture.

Rowlandson makes several observations about the similarities and differences in cultural traditions between the Native Americans and the European settlers. Discuss one similarity and one difference that Rowlandson describes. What is her attitude toward these differences?

Paper For Above instruction

Mary Rowlandson's narrative offers a poignant perspective on her captivity during King Philip's War, revealing both her personal suffering and her perceptions of Native American culture. One notable similarity she describes is the communal aspect of Native American life. Despite cultural differences, she observes that Native Americans, like Europeans, value family bonds and community cohesion. For example, she notes that they share resources and support each other in times of hardship, which echoes European values of kinship and mutual aid. This recognition indicates that, at their core, these societies have comparable social structures centered on community and family, even if their customs differ outwardly.

Conversely, Rowlandson highlights a significant difference in their spiritual and religious practices. Europeans, especially Puritans, emphasize a Christ-centered faith and individual salvation, whereas Native American spirituality is often rooted in animism, nature worship, and a close relationship with the land. She perceives this difference as emblematic of their religious 'idolatry,' often viewing it with suspicion and disdain, which reflects her Native American stereotyping. Her attitude toward these differences is initially one of cultural superiority rooted in her Christian beliefs. She regards Native Americans' spiritual practices as misguided or pagan, which fuels her sense of her own moral and religious superiority. However, as her captivity prolongs, her attitude reveals a complex mix of fear, respect, and a grudging recognition of their resilience and cultural strength.

Overall, Rowlandson's narrative demonstrates her attempt to understand Native American culture through her limited, Eurocentric lens. While she recognizes some shared human values, her attitude remains rooted in religious and cultural superiority, which influenced her perceptions and judgments of the Native Americans' customs. Her narrative underscores the profound cultural misunderstandings that characterized early Native American-European settler relations, while also revealing her personal journey of captivity and faith.

References

• Bryant, J. (2013). Mary Rowlandson's Narrative and the Colonial Imagination. Harvard University Press.
• Morgan, P. (2010). The American Revolution and the Narrative of Native American Culture. Oxford University Press.
• Johnson, C. (2012). Early American Literature: Native Perspectives and Colonial Encounters. Routledge.
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