Mary Rowlandson
Mary Rowlandson, a Puritan minister's wife, was captured during the war in an Indian raid on Lancaster, Massachusetts. She was held captive by a leading Indian family for eleven weeks, before being returned to her husband. In the book Rowlandson later wrote about her experiences, she describes traveling from one "remove" to another with her Indian masters, experiencing the difficulties of hard work and the cold outdoors. She continuously quotes Scripture- she found it to be a source of strength and guidance for her in her time of trouble. One interesting contrast between the Puritan and Indian cultures can be seen in Mrs. Rowlandson's view of her male master Quanopin's wife, named Wetamo. Wetamo was a "squaw sachem"- a woman who led the Wampanoag village of Pocasset. Wetamo had allied herself with King Philip (Metacom) early in the war, and despite the tradition of wifely obedience to one's husband was
3 She also seems surprised at how tough the Indian women must be, because they are able to cross a river, carrying everything they own, unaided. She would do such things as throw away Mary's Bible (her one great comfort), arbitrarily deny her food, and force her to do difficult work- or, at least, work not expected of a New England Puritan wife. Wetamo, however, was acting out a role which was acceptable in her own culture. 2 As par!t of a more patriarchal society, Mrs. Rowlandson found it difficult to understand Wetamo's behavior as other than just a woman being excessively assertive. Yet she would have no chance to have the kind of power which Wetamo possessed. 6 All of these incidents show how Indian people, and particularly women, were expected to do more physical labor and be hardier than their Puritan counterparts. Rowlandson so poorly, and allowed a woman such as Wetamo to hold power, how civilized could they be? ------------------------------------------------------------------------**Bibliography**none provided. 4 In contrast, at one point Rowlandson complains about how the load she is given is too heavy for her to carry- in response to her gripe, Wetamo slaps her and tells her to go on. , on her own initiative, one of the key leaders during the conflict. In Rowlandson's writing, it becomes apparent that New England Puritan women were used to a less strenuous lifestyle, one with greater "creature-comforts", in comparison to how the Indians lived. Rowlandson called Wetamo "a severe and proud Dame"1, viewing her authoritative stance as vain and insolent. 5 When she is asked to work on the Sabbath day, Rowlandson refuses at first- in the Puritan culture it was not permitted to work on the Sabbath, for religious reasons. Wetamo took her anger at Indian war losses out on her slaves, of whom Mary was one.
Common topics in this essay:
England Puritan,
Philip's War,
Lancaster Massachusetts,
Mary Rowlandson,
Philip Metacom,
Puritan Indian,
Mary's Bible,
Rowlandson Puritan,
Wetamo Wetamo,
mary rowlandson,
Pocasset Wetamo,
england puritan,
minister's wife,
puritan women,
indian women,
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Acceptance Essays
