American Literature

American Literature

Rowlandson is held captive by the Indians and she considers them as savages and much-uncivilized people. She purports that the savagery of the Indians has its roots from their natural surrounding and their way of life. This is from the foods they eat, the activities they spend their days doing and the terrain of the land they live in. She however gradually discovers similarities between the people she views as civilized and the Indian savages. Their clothing gradually becomes the same and the savages assume the same religion as she professes.

She also sees in herself the capacity of depicting such savage behavior since she starts enjoying the Indian foods and her behaviors mostly mimic the behaviors of her captors. The vast difference between savagery and civilization that she saw no longer existed to her and the two worlds connected. When she and other people are taken captive, she experiences the fear of the new world in which she is being taken. Her experience of captivity changes her beliefs and her knowledge (Rowlandson, 2008).

Rowlandson, along with other captives, amasses knowledge of practical concepts that they observe from their captors. They also learn survival skills and tactics like gathering of food and hunting. They adapt to the conditions in which they lived in and this makes them stronger and more able to tolerate the harsh conditions away from civilization. The practical skills and knowledge along with the survival tactics make Rowlandson able to fend for herself. She gathers knowledge that would enable her to provide for herself and help her acquire versatility and self-reliance skills that would eventually make her successful.

References

Rowlandson, M. (2008). Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. Ford, KS: Filiquarian Publishing, LLC.