Mary Rowlandson and Her Changing Role, Essay Example

The writing of Mary Rowlandson: “The Sovereignty and Goodness of God” described not only historical events, but the narrator’s personality development at the same time as well. The main theme that is present all through the writing is the belief in Puritan theology and the power of God. Even in the most miserable situations, the author reflects on her own misery as a source of development and opportunity to get closer to God. Her captivity results in a complete transformation from a minister’s wife to a servant, who – despite all the things she has to go through – keeps her faith strong.

The author is forced to journey from civilization to wilderness; from certainty and position to being a subject of other people’s decisions. This, indeed, needs strength and humility itself. She is kept alive, because of her love for God. Interestingly, the memoir is full of Biblical quotations and references; it is, however, not determined whether they describe how Mary Rowlandson felt like at the time, or how she reflects on the events when she writes them down. Indeed, from a passive role of being a minister’s wife, an accessory, someone whose faith is in the background, she discovered how a person can live the Word of God through difficult times. As she states it: “yet the Lord by His almighty power preserved a number of us from death”.

As a result of her captivity, she gains strength, courage and becomes determined to survive for her children. She does not eat anything for weeks, then finally realizes that it is the only way to gain enough strength for survival. She takes on the role of a protector and educator of her children (even though she sadly loses one child); something that used to be the husband’s task in the past. She misses the comfort of her home, but becomes tough and adjusts to the situation. She knows that God would forgive her for working on Sabbath day, as she is forced, and chooses to comply with the orders to survive.

Her role changes because her husband is weakened and she needs to keep the spirit up in all the members of the family, as well as her fellow sufferers. At one place, she writes: “Hearing that my Son was come to this place, I went to see him, and told him his Father was well, but very melancholly … for I thought I had enough upon my spirit in reference to my self, to make me mindless of my Husband and every one else…”. She comforts her own people, and gains power to do so from the teachings of the Bible. She becomes a minister herself, instead of her husband.

The story told has a strong theme of spiritual pilgrimage from the Puritan perspective. Mary Rowlandson experiences her own way in a new way due to the circumstances. She adapts to the situation physically, but can only survive with the help of God. She takes on the group identity of the Indians who captured her and with whom she travels: “”after a restless and hungry night there we had a wearisome time of it the next day”, using “we” referring to herself and the Indians. She, however, separates herself from them when they make her do something that is against her religious beliefs or do something that is not in accordance with the Bible.

She compares her circumstances at home and in captivity after her return: “ have seen the extrem vanity of this World: One hour I have been in health, and wealth, wanting nothing: But the next hour in sickness and wounds, and death, having nothing but sorrow and affliction.”. She confesses that in her comfort and wealth, she paid less attention to spirituality than in captivity, and she realizes that the experience of poverty, starvation and personal discomfort brought her closer to loving her family, as well as God. Indeed, she states in the concluding paragraph of the book: “. I have learned to look beyond present and smaller troubles, and to be quieted under them, as Moses said, Exod. 14. 13. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. “. This is her take-away from the experience of slavery and devastation. She offers the readers a solution to understand the Bible and reflect on their situation through the words of God.

Mary Rowlandson becomes not only a stronger person, but also a more spiritual person whose faith is strengthened by suffering. She finds several examples for the same theme in the Bible and offers the readers the same experience. She reflects on the suffering from the Puritan point of view, though. She rejects vanity still, as well as injustice, praises those who bear sufferings and have faith in God. While she understands that life is uncertain, as she can lose the comfortable life any time, she also realizes that God’s will is certain, and it can provide people with strength. She sees a close connection between humbleness, piousness and God’s support. She becomes a thinker who is strong in faith and can comfort others through the teachings of the Bible.