Rowlandson had never written anything before she was kidnapped, but her book vividly dramatizes the psychological stages of the abduction experience, from the violent and disorienting “taking” to the “grievous” captivity, which Rowlandson divided into “removes,” because the Indians moved camp 20 times. Step by painful step, she was being removed from her life as a pious Puritan matron and entering the harsh world of the Narragansetts, where she found that her will to survive was stronger than her fear or grief. She surprised herself with her endurance and ability to adapt. She ate food that previously would have disgusted her, including raw horse liver and bear meat. Regarding the Indians as savages, she also learned to acknowledge their humanity,
