The Lord hath showed me the vanity of these outward things. That they are the vanity of vanities, and vexation of spirit, that they are but a shadow, a blast, a bubble, and things of no continuance.
This appears to be a lesson the Native Americans knew all along.
I have seen the extreme vanity of this world: One hour I have been in health, and wealthy, wanting nothing. But the next hour in sickness and wounds, and death, having nothing but sorrow and affliction.
She says this, but she doesn't necessarily act it.
as Solomon says, “Money answers all things”
is this actually in the bible?? if so, that's wild.
Our family being now gathered together (those of us that were living)
please😭
The Indians were now gone that way, that it was apprehended dangerous to go to her.
If she's still alive, how dangerous are they truly?
I was walking through the valley of the shadow of death
most of her children are alive
their minister being absent, they desired my husband to preach the thanksgiving for them; but he was not willing to stay there that night
they retrieved your son, why not?
That which was dead lay heavier upon my spirit, than those which were alive and amongst the heathen:
Interesting to note because it was common for settlers to view death as a better option for living among Native Americans
I was not before so much hemmed in with the merciless and cruel heathen, but now as much with pitiful, tender-hearted and compassionate Christians.
girl- they kept you alive did they not?
I met with my dear husband
so he's not dead!
my brother-in-law, who asked me, if I knew where his wife was? Poor heart! he had helped to bury her, and knew it not.
so did she not tell him this??
Now was I full of joy, and yet not without sorrow; joy to see such a lovely sight, so many Christians together,
would be the opposite for any Native
n the midst of those roaring lions, and savage bears, that feared neither God, nor man, nor the devil,
after spending so much time amongst them, it's truly a shame that she never developed any empathy
or their own losses, yet triumphed and rejoiced in their inhumane, and many times devilish cruelty to the English. They would boast much of their victories;
Yes. That's how war works.
(with their black faces)
this was simply an unnecessary reminder of the differences between the English and the Native Americans
not one week passed without the fury of the enemy, and some desolation by fire and sword upon one place or other.
does this not evoke disgust or disgrace? Rowlandson is so detached from reality it's a wonder she lived at all.
I can but stand in admiration to see the wonderful power of God in providing for such a vast number of our enemies in the wilderness, where there was nothing to be seen, but from hand to mouth.
That admiration should be towards the Natives themselves!!
by that God strengthened them to be a scourge to His people
because the Natives are far more resilient and versatile than the English, Rowlandson assumes it must be an act of God
yet how to admiration did the Lord preserve them for His holy ends, and the destruction of many still amongst the English!
she admits crimes against humanity on behalf of the English with reckless abandon because she fails to see the lack or morality within them
God in preserving the heathen
couldn't her constant malicious acts towards the Natives be seen as anti-Christian in this sense?
impassable to the English
why? are they that unwilling to do physical labor of any sort?
the enemy in such distress for food that our men might track them by their rooting in the earth for ground nuts, whilst they were flying for their lives. I say, that then our army should want provision, and be forced to leave their pursuit and return homeward; and the very next week the enemy came upon our town, like bears bereft of their whelps, or so many ravenous wolves, rending us and our lambs to death.
she provides the reasoning for the Natives acting in such a manner and yet, still manages to completely avoid any semblence of accountability for herself or her people
they had as good knock me in head as starve me to death.
I fear her abrasive attitude will have negative consequences for all the English currently in captivity
they told me I disgraced my master with begging
would she have also been considered a disgrace had she gathered more of her own food?
Then I took it of the child, and eat it myself, and savory it was to my taste.
there's no way she thought this was an acceptable behavior lmao
would not suffer it
such odd wording
there were four English children, captives; and one of them my own sister’s
what is so special about her bloodline??
I saw an Englishman stripped naked, and lying dead upon the ground, but knew not who it was
but this is so minuscule in comparison to the hordes of Native Americans that the English butchered
to him who was a liar from the beginning.
who? your husband? the natives? Read? all of them?
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
she's borderline slamming her head into a realization and she's still missing it
So easy a thing it is with God to dry up the streams of Scripture comfort from us.
she is so contradictory with what she attributes to god
company of barbarous heathens
she still insists on using these derogatory terms despite all the good they've done for her
I should suddenly leap up and run out, as if I had been at home, forgetting where I was, and what my condition was; but when I was without, and saw nothing but wilderness, and woods,
she seems quite delirious and it makes her a very unreliable narrator
threw a handful of ashes in mine eyes. I thought I should have been quite blinded
I wonder if this was actually an act of malice or if Rowlandson views every misfortune she endures as a spiteful act from a Native American
He answered me that such a time his master roasted him, and that himself did eat a piece of him, as big as his two fingers, and that he was very good meat.
it's... it's a little funny.
to make it the better, she had put into it about a handful of peas, and a few roasted ground nuts.
does this make the materials hold better or is it better because it's sustenance that Rowlandson can use to gain more energy?
fortnight
14 days
one of the company drew his sword
a European weapon!
I told them, I could not tell where to go, they bade me go look; I told them, if I went to another wigwam they would be angry, and send me home again.
would be seen as "back-talk" to many Europeans, but Rowlandson doesn't view her captives as people deserving respect she doesn't consider this a possibility
my master being gone, who seemed to me the best friend that I had of an Indian
Stockholm syndrome?
when we had gone a little way, on a sudden my mistress gives out; she would go no further, but turn back again, and said I must go back again with her
For her own good or to spite Mary?
because their insolency grew worse and worse.
one could argue so has yours
He answered me “Nux,” which did much rejoice my spirit.
"did" not "did not" does Nux mean yes? I'm hesitant to believe this because most languages have their word for "no" starting with an "n." However, I do also realize that this is precisely the euro-centric thinking that led to miscommunications between the colonists and the Natives in the first place.
whether he would sell me to my husband
I could've sworn she mentioned earlier how they promised her that he'd be killed.
I could scarce discern one wigwam from another
is she making more racist commentary, or is she ill?
I boiled my peas and bear together, and invited my master and mistress to dinner; but the proud gossip, because I served them both in one dish, would eat nothing, except one bit
She's assimilating.
squaw
is this an offensive term?
meat
being cooked in bear grease does not transform the food into "meat"
I offered the money to my master
I was under the impression that this was a white woman taken captive, with that said, why would King Philip leave her in the Native American's possession?
Then I went to see King Philip.
He really didn't have anything better to do?
pagans
How are the pagans different from the Native Americans in her eyes? One could argue that the Natives practice a type of paganism, so what makes her feel the need to differentiate?
my son Joseph unexpectedly came to me
literally or in her head?
I myself
Was she crossing by herself?
God did not give them courage or activity to go over after us. We were not ready for so great a mercy as victory and deliverance. If we had been God would have found out a way for the English to have passed this river, as well as for the Indians with their squaws and children, and all their luggage.
She truly is deluded to another level. Using religion to its most extreme intent.
to which they answered me they would break my face. And here I cannot but take notice of the strange providence of God in preserving the heathen
lmao. I'm sorry but the ways she puts this is hilarious.
The first week of my being among them I hardly ate any thing; the second week I found my stomach grow very faint for want of something; and yet it was very hard to get down their filthy trash; but the third week, though I could think how formerly my stomach would turn against this or that, and I could starve and die before I could eat such things, yet they were sweet and savory to my taste.
beggers can not be choosers.
they boiled an old horse’s leg which they had got,
Hello?? Where's the rest of the horse???
could make no haste, whereupon they took him upon their backs, and carried him, one at a time, till they came to Banquaug river
showing of compassion, but she'll never she it as such
Jehu
Who?
I wished her not to run away by any means, for we were near thirty miles from any English town, and she very big with child, and had but one week to reckon, and another child in her arms, two years old, and bad rivers there were to go over, and we were feeble
One of the only smart things this woman has done.
There were now besides myself nine English captives in this place (all of them children, except one woman)
So she know has some company of other Christians.
In this time of the absence of his master, his dame brought him to see me.
Proof that each individual Native American is their own person.
And indeed quickly the Lord answered, in some measure, my poor prayers; for as I was going up and down mourning and lamenting my condition, my son came to me, and asked me how I did. I had not seen him before, since the destruction of the town, and I knew not where he was, till I was informed by himself, that he was amongst a smaller parcel of Indians, whose place was about six miles off.
How did her son know how to get to her? How did he know where she was? Is it possible that the knowledge other family is accessible, she just doesn't wish to know since she can't fix anything?
my sweet babe like a lamb
biblical imagery/metaphor
Then I took oaken leaves and laid to my side, and with the blessing of God it cured me also; yet before the cure was wrought
It still worked! They are not "barbarous creatures" if they are willing to show you their way of healing.
et the Lord still showed mercy to me, and upheld me; and as He wounded me with one hand, so he healed me with the other.
Any positives she credits to God, but any negatives she credits to the natives. God can do no wrong in her eyes, but the Natives can do no right.
there being not the least crumb of refreshing that came within either of our mouths
Has she seen anyone else eat? If there's no food in general, I don't know what she's expecting her captors to do.
no Christian friend near me
What of your child?
like inhumane creatures, laughed, and rejoiced to see it
but it's ok when the white settlers do it?
it
referring to both her child and her spirit as "it" is rather confusing
I shall die, I shall die.”
If the child is able to speak to this extent I wouldn't classify it as a "babe."
my poor wounded babe
so it is indeed her child
Sabbath
It is interesting to see this used in a Christian context because in the modern day I always associate "Sabbath" with Judaism.
my children gone, my relations and friends gone, our house and home and all our comforts
"imagine how tired we are. imagine how tired we are." - Native Americans
hell
Christian-sphere of reference
those black creatures in the night,
disgustingly dehumanizing
our hearts no less than our bodies
Signifies her fear and emotional turmoil are (in her eyes) comparable to her physical malignants.
as we make our voices heard in a public context.
Well-said
We do not claim to have a “perfect” or “complete” representation of American literature. Rather, we offer an unexpected combination of texts, headnotes, provocations, and class writings that explore and question the underpinnings of American literature as a corpus.
Well-said preface; holds authors accountable without discrediting their work.
by each individual in the classroom.
Still is a limitation of perspectives and important to take into consideration.
American.” How can we possibly define American literature without comprehending the fragility, complexity, and pride that accompanies such a term?
Root question that drives this whole anthology.
makes connections between important works of American literature and contemporary culture (such as films and other references
This is how this resource is different from the rest and why it's relevant for me specifically.
opportunity to explore various texts in relation to other works, their historical context, and the ever-shifting definition of American Literature.
The context of texts, whether that be other literary works, or historical, is what gives the texts meaning.
fall of man”
I'm a little confused about this phrase since it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the text. I'm assuming they are referring to the general idea of the societal "fall of man." However, since I'm not clear on the specific question being asked, I fear my answer will miss the intended mark.
1)
Eyebrows are often very telling of a person's judgment. This represents the harsh, critical eye the Penobscot natives felt coming from the Americans.
Leland states at the end of his passage that it was the American’s own fault for similarly abusing the trust and dignity of the native people, destroying “confidence and respect for them among the Indians.”
Did this story exist before Americans began settling? If it did, was it reworked to target the biggest threat against the community? Or, was this story a reaction to American settlers? Furthermore, did this connection to the mistreatment of the native people come from Mrs. Marie Sakis? Or, was it a takeaway of Leland, incorporated as a fact?
was to help the “American” people
but did this come at a cost for the Penobscot natives?
to study, understand, and ultimately preserve a culture.
I wonder how those in the field of Ethnography viewed the encouragement of assimilation. If they leaned into the cultural habits of natives, did this create a divide between white settlers?
Charles Leland, the self-claimed “author”
The fact that Leland self-claims the title of "author" makes me weary of his self-awareness and the limitations his knowledge has.
He studied as well as lived with the Penobscot natives, recording their culture
I would still argue that Leland resides outside of their culture, even if he spent time living among the Penobscot natives. Since he wasn't raised in that cultural terrain, he is missing context that builds upon prior knowledge.
until white ethnographers began recording these cross cultural encounters
This makes me wonder what nuances and cultural references we may never gain since the story was recorded from outside the community.
natives of Maine
can be utilized to view text through a geographical lens
This story, as well as countless others within the Penobscot tribe, were oral stories.
This can be connected back to TTT and the discussion of what makes a text meaningful. Think of the author-function, how do the origins of this text impact the authority associated with the author(s)?