What Is Mary Rowlandson's Captivity Narrative

Mary White Rowlandson was born in England in 1639. She and her family immigrated to the U.S. and lived in Lancaster, Massachusetts. She married Joseph Rowlandson in 1656 and had four children with him. In 1676 some Native Americans invaded Lancaster and burned many houses and took many captives. Among the captives were Mary Rowlandson and her children. Rowlandson was released three months after she was captured and wrote a book, A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration, telling the chilling events of her captivity (Lewis, "Mary White Rowlandson"). Harriet Jacobs was born in North Carolina in 1813. She was a slave to a very kind owner named Margaret Horniblow until she was six years old. After her owners death she was a slave to James Norcom. …show more content…
However, there are also some similarities between the narratives because both ladies faced similar struggles in life. Rowlandson’s narrative is different in the fact that it begins with the attack on Lancaster. She skips details of how they ended up there or her life as a child and immediately begins with her captivity (Baym). Jacobs first gives an account of her years as a child and leads the reader up to the point of her struggle. Rowlandson also quotes scripture and talks about her faith through her struggle. Jacobs does not mention faith nearly as often and focuses more on the life details than on religion. Both narratives depict the female as an independent character despite their circumstances. They each show how they grew and learned from their experience and how they fought for their freedom whether it was by praying for a miracle or by making a way of escape (Baym). Both Rowlandson and Jacobs speak directly to the reader as well. They give the audience an idea of their struggles they faced and the victories they earned and seem to write with an informative purpose. Rowlandson’s purpose served as a testimony to faith while Jacobs’ purpose served as a testimony to individual