Mary Rowlandson - "Christian Imagery and The Bible"

"Christian Imagery and The Bible"

It is repeatedly noticed throughout the story of her captivity, that Rowlandson relies heavily upon her puritan faith, often quoting bible verses to reinforce her descriptions of a world of dichotomies: punishment and retribution, darkness and light, and good and evil. The pattern of her usage of scripture shows that when Rowlandson was at her lowest point and fighting for more courage she would then go to scripture and find strength in it. This also shows her puritan faith and that puritans believe that God's grace and providence shape the events of the world. Rowlandson tries to make sense of her situation by drawing parallels between her own situation and biblical verses.

An example of how Rowlandson was dealing with a tough time not knowing where her children were and then relied on scripture is when she says, "And my poor girl, I knew not where she was, not whether she was sick, or well, or alive, or dead. I repaired under these thoughts to my Bible (my great comfort in that time) and that scripture came to my hand, 'Cast thy burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain thee' (Psalm 55.22)."

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