Cabeza de Vaca and Mary Rowlandson had very different views and attitudes towards
Indians beliefs and culture. Much of the differences in their accounts can be attributed to the circumstance of their experiences and purpose of their narratives.
Comparing Cabeza de Vaca’s and Mary Rowlandson’s situation makes one realize they have very different backgrounds. Cabeza de Vaca was an explorer who lived as a captive among various native Indian tribes for many years before escaping to Spanish settlements in Mexico.
While Cabeza de Vaca wandered lost and miserable from tribe to tribe in search of his fellow
Spaniards, he witnessed the customs and struggles of Indian life. Cabeza de Vaca opened his narrative, The Malhado Way of Life, with an open-minded …show more content…
Food and clothes were readily available along with the comforts of life. In Mary Rowlandson’s A Narrative of the
Captivity and restoration, she described the Indians attack her town of Lancaster, Massachusetts
1665. She lost her home, family, and was taken into captivity by the Indians. At the beginning of her captivity, she referred to the Indians as "Ravenous beast" (Rowlandson 129). During the attack she described her fellow Christians as,
A solemn sight to see so many Christians lying in their own blood some here, and some there, like a company of sheep torn by wolves, all of them stripped naked by a company of hell-hounds, roaring, singing, ranting, and insulting" (Rowlandson 129).
Mary Rowlandson did not have the same pleasant feelings toward Indians. Although her situation is that of being attacked by Indians, she described the Indians as murderous wretches and merciless heathens (Rowlandson 129).
She depicted the Indians celebration after their attack as, "This was the dolefulness night that ever my eyes saw. Oh, the roaring, and singing and dancing, and yelling of those black creatures in the night, which made the place a lively resemblance of hell” (130). Rowlandson being …show more content…
He described their way of life as simple and lived off the land by hunting fishing and eating roots in the season of November and December and blackberries in April. He also noted the belief that if a tribesman fell ill during a foraging trip and is unable to keep pace with the group, he was left to die unless a family member such as a brother or son carried him (De Vaca 33). During
Rowlandson 's transfer to the Indian camp, her captors allowed her and her wounded child to travel on the back of an unsaddled horse. When she and her daughter fell off the horse, she claimed the Indians laughed and celebrated. She then called them inhumane creatures. However, compared to Cabeza de Vaca’s observation, she was fortunate that her wounded daughter was not left behind to die. The Indians were actually being merciful to the child.
During Cabeza de Vaca 's captivity, he learned the customs and structure of each tribe while he is their captive.He described the Indian rituals of death as if they are not barbarous, but generous, supportive and sympathetic during their time of mourning. Rowlandson described
Indians beliefs and culture. Much of the differences in their accounts can be attributed to the circumstance of their experiences and purpose of their narratives.
Comparing Cabeza de Vaca’s and Mary Rowlandson’s situation makes one realize they have very different backgrounds. Cabeza de Vaca was an explorer who lived as a captive among various native Indian tribes for many years before escaping to Spanish settlements in Mexico.
While Cabeza de Vaca wandered lost and miserable from tribe to tribe in search of his fellow
Spaniards, he witnessed the customs and struggles of Indian life. Cabeza de Vaca opened his narrative, The Malhado Way of Life, with an open-minded …show more content…
Food and clothes were readily available along with the comforts of life. In Mary Rowlandson’s A Narrative of the
Captivity and restoration, she described the Indians attack her town of Lancaster, Massachusetts
1665. She lost her home, family, and was taken into captivity by the Indians. At the beginning of her captivity, she referred to the Indians as "Ravenous beast" (Rowlandson 129). During the attack she described her fellow Christians as,
A solemn sight to see so many Christians lying in their own blood some here, and some there, like a company of sheep torn by wolves, all of them stripped naked by a company of hell-hounds, roaring, singing, ranting, and insulting" (Rowlandson 129).
Mary Rowlandson did not have the same pleasant feelings toward Indians. Although her situation is that of being attacked by Indians, she described the Indians as murderous wretches and merciless heathens (Rowlandson 129).
She depicted the Indians celebration after their attack as, "This was the dolefulness night that ever my eyes saw. Oh, the roaring, and singing and dancing, and yelling of those black creatures in the night, which made the place a lively resemblance of hell” (130). Rowlandson being …show more content…
He described their way of life as simple and lived off the land by hunting fishing and eating roots in the season of November and December and blackberries in April. He also noted the belief that if a tribesman fell ill during a foraging trip and is unable to keep pace with the group, he was left to die unless a family member such as a brother or son carried him (De Vaca 33). During
Rowlandson 's transfer to the Indian camp, her captors allowed her and her wounded child to travel on the back of an unsaddled horse. When she and her daughter fell off the horse, she claimed the Indians laughed and celebrated. She then called them inhumane creatures. However, compared to Cabeza de Vaca’s observation, she was fortunate that her wounded daughter was not left behind to die. The Indians were actually being merciful to the child.
During Cabeza de Vaca 's captivity, he learned the customs and structure of each tribe while he is their captive.He described the Indian rituals of death as if they are not barbarous, but generous, supportive and sympathetic during their time of mourning. Rowlandson described