O'Donnell - Rowlandson Blog

In “The First Remove” it is clear that Mary Rowlandson sees her captives as savages, almost as if they are not human. She writes, “Now we must go with those barbarous creatures.” The word “creatures” clearly has an animalistic, subhuman meaning in this context. Rowlandson not only makes the American Indians out to be less than human, but demonic. “Oh the roaring, singing and dancing, and yelling of those black creatures in the night, which made the place a lively resemblance of hell.” In this passage the author makes the rituals she witnesses horrifying and gratuitous. The principles she had been taught as a puritan, namely the evilness of nature, is apparent in the author, even in just the first part of the story.

“The Thirteenth Remove,” like “The First Remove,” affirms Rowlandson’s ill impression of these American Indians. In addition to being animalistic, they are now compulsive liars in this part. She writes, “…I made an inquiry after [my son], and asked when he saw him. He answered me that such a time his master roasted him, and that himself ate a piece of him… But the lord upheld my spirit, under this discouragement; and I considered their horrible addictedness to lying.” As lying is prohibited in The Ten Commandments, its likely that the author saw this as another way in which the American Indians are godless. Also, in this remove Rowlandson addresses her situation in relation to God’s authority and, undoubtedly, his plan. She writes, “So easy a thing it is with God to dry up the streams of scripture comfort from us. Yet I can say, that in all my sorrows and afflictions, God did not leave me to have my impatience work towards Himself, as if His ways were unrighteous.” This passage almost makes it seem like the author is upset with God’s neglect. But perhaps in the mind of a Puritan, these trials are part of God’s plan, and suffering is an important part of life.

In the last remove, Rowlandson reflects on the experience of captivity as a whole. She writes, “I have seen the extreme vanity of this world: One hour I have been in health, and wealthy, wanting nothing. But the next hour in sickness and wounds, and death, having nothing but sorrow and affliction. Before I knew what affliction meant, I was ready sometimes to wish for it…But now I see the Lord had His time to scourge and chasten me…Afliction I wanted, and affliction I had, full measure (I thought), pressed down and running over. Yet I see, when God calls a person to anything, and through never so many difficulties, yet he is fully able to carry them through and make them see, and say they have been gainers thereby.” Perhaps the author does see herself as saved from the sin of sins of hubris and vanity. It is possible that Rowlandson sees this experience as the only way possible for her to truly appreciate God’s power.