Imagine a life where on any given day, you may find your hometown destroyed and you and your family abducted by a group of warriors with an entirely alien culture. Imagine a place where idle gossip determines whether or not you will be executed in front of the whole community for crimes you did not commit. Such atrocities sound insane by modern standards, but they were all too commonplace in the 1600’s. Women especially fell victim to vengeful kidnappings from Native American tribes and false accusations of witchcraft in the Puritan villages of Massachusetts. Mary Rowlandson and Martha Carrier are just two of the many females who endured unbearable adversity, only to have their gender hinder their chances at survival. Women in the time
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While her faith keeps her strong in her moments of strife, it also keeps her from becoming her own savior and taking action. Puritan women such as Mary were conditioned to believe that if they sat quietly and patiently, God would make everything okay by sending someone to rescue them, just as Mary was eventually ransomed back to her husband. Women were taught never to fight back against a man, even a savage one. They were only encouraged to resist losing one’s conviction and civilized nature With the proper preparation and a more independent will, Mary very well could have been her own hero by fighting back against her Native captors and possibly fleeing to safety. Faith and hope are never bad things to keep hold of during adversity, but Rowlandson was undeniably lucky in that her patience in the Lord worked conveniently in her favor whereas too many other women in her same position found themselves murdered before God could send help their way. Rowlandson says to "Wait on the Lord, Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine Heart, wait I say on the Lord" (Rowlandson 134), however, trusting the Lord does not mean one has to let themselves fall victim to merciless crimes. God is not the only one that can save people. Though, when it comes to crimes of gossip, not even the Lord himself can spare someone from
While her faith keeps her strong in her moments of strife, it also keeps her from becoming her own savior and taking action. Puritan women such as Mary were conditioned to believe that if they sat quietly and patiently, God would make everything okay by sending someone to rescue them, just as Mary was eventually ransomed back to her husband. Women were taught never to fight back against a man, even a savage one. They were only encouraged to resist losing one’s conviction and civilized nature With the proper preparation and a more independent will, Mary very well could have been her own hero by fighting back against her Native captors and possibly fleeing to safety. Faith and hope are never bad things to keep hold of during adversity, but Rowlandson was undeniably lucky in that her patience in the Lord worked conveniently in her favor whereas too many other women in her same position found themselves murdered before God could send help their way. Rowlandson says to "Wait on the Lord, Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine Heart, wait I say on the Lord" (Rowlandson 134), however, trusting the Lord does not mean one has to let themselves fall victim to merciless crimes. God is not the only one that can save people. Though, when it comes to crimes of gossip, not even the Lord himself can spare someone from