Reflection of Mary Rowlandsons Captivity free essay sample

It was difficult for me reading the story that was told about Mary Rowlandson’s Captivity. I have read so many stories about all of the awful things that have been done to the Indians; it surprised me I guess to here the reverse and all the cruelty that was taking place. I am sorry it is three pages also, I could have written so much more. The details of the morning invasion on Mary’s home and with forty-two people inside, the Indians set her home on fire, and shot at them when they tried to exit the home.It was so descriptive, and that Mary herself wrote the events made it feel that much more real to me. The bravery Mary show’s trying to unlatch the heavy door to leave the home while being shot at, and the attempt to get the six dogs to wake, that were supposed to protect them were useless. Pg2 (â€Å"None of them would stir,† said Mary, â€Å"though another time, if any Indian had come to the door, they were ready to fly upon him and tear him down. †) I liked how this was put, and told, and how it states that it was significant because the Puritans should rely on God alone not on dogs.Mary bravely; was the first to get the door open and the first to get out the door of the home, while being shot at carrying her youngest child, Sarah. Following close behind were men, who were being butchered as they ran out, either by gun shots, or slathered by hatchets. She was surrounded by the bodies of neighbors and relatives. I was taken back, at the picture in my mind while reading, how she could have watched her three children get taken prisoner from her and sent off in all directions and everyone she loved die around her. Yet she still continued to fight to stay alive. How many people would do that?Mary was married to Joseph Rowlandson and they married in 1656, and had four children together, the first died in infancy, then Joseph, Mary, and Sarah. I thought it was interesting how the children were named after both the mother and the father. In some cultures it is forbidden to use the same exact name as a person who is still living, in fear that God, may take the wrong person by accident. The book said that this was however; was a common practice looking at their genealogical imprints of the Massachusetts frontier. All of those names were very common and no doubt taken from the bible.Mary’s husband Joseph Rowlandson had assumed his wife and family had been killed, as any man would have thought arriving at his home and village that had been burned and with many bodies surrounding him. The Indians told her that they would kill her husband, children and even her at any moment. They were starving her, and her daughter Sarah not allowing them to eat, and they became very weak. After three days of travel and misery, she was sold to Quinnapin, a Narragansett chief, who had three wives. She was handed to Weetamoo who was the newest of the wives.They allowed for Mary to continue caring for Sarah, who was dying from her gunshot wounds and died from a fever and starvation within a few hours. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for her, watching everyone she loved, removed, die or beaten unmercifully. How she herself, didn’t decide to take her own life after having her spirit broken, and profound grief that was crushing her under such cruelty was remarkable. It was a true test of herself and her faith in God. She was told on a regular basis she was nothing and that if she didn’t do what she was told she would be killed.She watched many more cruel deaths, during her captivity. She also learned how to keep herself a valuable asset so that she would not be killed. She was smart and educated to an extent. She knew when to speak and when not to. When and how to be strong, she learned what was needed to survive; and to an extent how to manipulate to gain others trust in her. She was truly inspiring. Mary started sewing and knitting clothes and traded them to the Indians for pieces of food, or other items, trying to keep off starvation. When she first arrived she would go to other Indians huts begging for food.At one point she went without something to eat for three weeks, and the fourth week only eating scrapes she could scrounge out of the trash. It amazed me that they would take her as a slave, make her work for them, and yet not feed her anything. Weetamoo could have cared less if Mary died. She needed to have smarts and skill to live, or she was going to die. Mary watched many; die of weakness and starvation because they didn’t have enough food to maintain themselves. Mary was becoming hardened and her hatred grew for the Indians.She stated that only a few were compassionate in any way, but she was a survivor, she learned how to trade the things she made, she gathered food from the woods. And if given any item of value or importance, she would give it to Quinnapin to gain his trust in her, and show him her value to them. Mary then went to Quinnapin to beg him to send her back to her husband, and that he would pay whatever ransom the English would pay. Soon word came from two Christian Indians that Mary knew, Tom Dublet and Peter Conway, who brought a letter, to arrange for a ransom.Mary requested twenty pounds as her ransom. Unknown to her husband Joseph, who thought Mary, was dead, and Mary, the governor and Council were the ones who negotiated for her release; prominent men in Boston had joined the selectman and had raised the funds for her ransom. Later Mary and her husband moved to Wethersfield, Connecticut. I found this story to be a true test of faith, willpower, and determination to survive a horrible suffering brought upon her. Her true faith in God is what helped bring her through this.