Mary Rowlandson - "Fear of The New World"

"Fear of The New World"

A strong theme in Rowlandson's narrative is her fearful hesitation of the new world. When taken captive after the attack on Lancaster, Rowlandson was forced to face new environments and learn to adapt around the Native Americans, or "savages." Rowlandson and her family were accustomed to their life in Lancaster that was filled with people of the Puritan faith, and inexperienced with diversity in their life. Being adapted to this sheltered life, Rowlandson relied on her faith to get her through this very difficult experience. Rowlandson was unsure how far the colonists should branch out into the wilderness and leave their homes. With this belief, it left her uncomfortable about how far the Indians were traveling out west. She describes her experiences throughout her captivity as being dreadful and repulsive.

However Rowlandson learned to adapt and strive to make it through this alive. She learned how to gather food for herself, tolerate the ways of the Indians, and make clothes for the tribe. She was in fear of her own capacity for savagery (for example, when she eats a piece of raw horse meat) Rowlandson's experience brings her further from what she had known and knowledge about the natural world. Rowlandson was in fear of what was to come, she knew life would never be the same.