The Implications of a Narrative

What Edwards sought to achieve with threats of fire and brimstone, and Mather, hoped to accomplish through a sanctification of early Americans, Mary Rowlandson did with a narrative that would become “one of the most popular prose works of the seventeenth century” (235). Her story, aptly titled, “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson,” illustrated how the perfect Puritan should endure endless trials, tests, and tribulations, all the while remaining steadfast in their faith. Always there was solace available to her in the form of the Bible and its many passages there in—repeatedly she turned to it for guidance and strength as all good Puritans should. No matter the hardship, a faith-based answer was offered and taken to heart. Essentially, what Rowlandson’s narrative did was effectively pull others in (or in some cases back) to long held Puritan ideals, and evidenced by its being a best seller, arguably reached further and was more successful than anything attempted by Edwards or Mather.

Perhaps the most prominent feature of Rowlandson’s writing is the role God played in her ordeal. Reading her account closely, one begins to notice an odd quality—where there should be blame aimed at the Natives, there is instead a sentiment that relieves them of culpability arguing instead that what they did was an act of God on a wicked people. “But now our perverse and evil carriages in the sight of the Lord, have so offended Him, that instead of turning His hand against them [the Indians], the Lord feeds and nourishes them…” (262). Obviously, Rowlandson does not view the Native’s attack and subsequent evasion of the army as something of their own doing, but rather it was God enacting punishment upon the Puritan people by helping and caring for their enemies. What does such a shift in thinking accomplish? Unlike Edward’s promises of being dropped into the fiery pits of hell, Rowlandson’s warning is of a much more tangible reprimand: it is not the unforeseen eternal fire, but rather, it is the imminent tragedy of massacre and internment that one who has fallen out of God’s favor should fear.

However, God’s role in her story is not limited to the angry punisher, as he is also her source of strength, comfort, and provider of deliverance. According to her, “We must rely on God Himself, and our whole dependence must be upon Him” (266). Here it is evident that Rowlandson is trying to convey how a Puritan must always turn to God, and through him, find reason in their situation. Furthermore, she parallels her story to the Biblical figure of Job, thereby reaffirming that if one maintains their faith, all will be restored to them. What does this rhetoric accomplish for the Puritan cause? Ultimately, it give others courage and motivation to exhibit the same type of unwavering belief in their daily lives. Of course, the validity of details in her tale is subject to speculation, but regardless of their accuracy, Rowlandson’s account was a reaffirmation of the faith and a prime example of the Puritan way.

Rowlandson, Mary. “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature Vol. A. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007. 235-267.

Puritan Writing Can Be Exciting

For the modern reader, the writings of the Puritans can be an extremely dull encounter that leaves one face down, asleep on their book. With the numerous Biblical quotations, subsequent explanations, and chastising, it is not hard to become so disinterested that one eventually finds their thoughts somewhere other than the reading. What is responsible for having created this seemingly impassable rift between America’s earliest authors and today’s reader? One explanation could be that the Puritan was writing from a society and a viewpoint so far removed from modern attitudes, that people are apt to disregard their advice considering it too antiquated. What’s more, despite it being English, the language of the Puritans is different in that it is tedious and demands more attention of the reader, and therefore can become tiresome to read. Still, it does nothing to dwell on the evident challenge there is to understanding Puritan writing, especially since the real question of significance is: How does one overcome this challenge and consequently, what benefits result from reading and heeding Puritan works?

As already mentioned, the problem people face with Puritan works is finding their guidance to be outdated and non-consequential. Many are apt to assume that because it was written so long ago and in a completely different society, words like those of John Winthrop have no relevance when applied to modern life. However, this is an erroneous sentiment to hold, since the problem can readily be remedied by applying the argument’s reverse (finding modern relevance in Puritan words). To say it another way, by relating the advice in these readings to something occurring right now, one can find interest, meaning, and purpose in what was once a boring text. A prime example would be Winthrop’s counsel in “A Model of Christian Charity:”

Quest. What rule must we observe in lending? Ans. Thou must observe whether thy brother hath present or probable, or possible means of repaying thee, if there be none of these, thou must give him according to his necessity, rather than lend him as he requires (151).

Winthrop’s advice rings truer now than it ever has before. Certainly, America’s current housing crisis and foreclosure epidemic is due to lenders’ failure to follow what would seemingly be commonsense advice regarding loan practices. Knowingly lending someone more than what they could ever possibly mean to pay back is an unscrupulous act, made only worse by the reality that the lender unfairly stands to gain at the expense of the borrower. Moreover, Winthrop preaches that when one must lend to someone without means of repayment, then he must be considered “an object of thy mercy" (151). However, one would be hard pressed to find a bank or mortgage company who would be willing to take a financial loss and simply forgive all outstanding debts. When it comes to money, there seems to be no room for a culture of mercy. (This is made only more evident by the inevitable outcome that awaits one who cannot pay what they owe, namely the loss of their home or repossession of assets).

So as not to stray too far, it is worth reiterating once more that by relating these writings of the past to problems of the present, they become less trivial and more influential (and therefore more interesting to read). One would think modern society and economics have evolved past the ideals of America’s first settlers, but obviously not, especially when one considers the backwards practices of today’s companies, (who like some of those first explorers) exploit others in their quest for personal wealth. Ultimately, it does one well to remember that much of the advice Puritan’s offer comes from a virtuous source (namely the Bible), and as such provides sound moral reasoning that many big businesses would truly benefit from implementing.

Winthrop, John. “A Model of Christian Charity.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature Vol. A. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007. 147-158.

True Intentions

Rarely (if almost never) does one find writings which are truly unbiased and present all viewpoints equally, without an agenda. In large part, this can be attributed to the fact that when someone is writing, their purpose is often persuasion. Even the standard practice of writing to analyze is centered on stating a thesis, supporting it with arguments, and ultimately convincing the reader that the writer’s claim is true. Probably the only strictly factual and impartial writing one can come across these days would be in an encyclopedia, and even those do not give multiple perspectives of an event or cover completely a subject’s every detail (especially when one considers that most are written from a western viewpoint of history). Therefore, it is with the above statements in mind that one could contend the writings of the first European explorers were not as factual, or even realistic, as their titles may suggest.

John Smith’s words were especially loaded, filled with all sorts of propaganda whose primary goal was to convince more skilled and able settlers to come to this new land—a land that would function best under his governance. “Here [America] nature and liberty afford us that freely, which in England we want, or it costs us dearly” (68). Smith is smartly playing to the dreams of England’s newly founded and quickly growing middle class who, despite having the money, did not have the standing of the elite (and therefore remained the proverbial “nobody” in society). To have status in England meant that one owned land, a scarce commodity in an island country where royal families had already divided up and laid claim to every acre. Also, English class systems were rigid, making movement between the divisions all but impossible. Therefore, an artisan, merchant, or mason would always be counted among the working class, no matter how much wealth they had accumulated. Smith knew this and took full advantage of it in his writings. By promising people the chance at a new life devoid of stringent class systems and filled with possibilities for endless wealth, he not only convinced many to make the hard journey, but also simultaneously created the framework for what has become the quintessential American dream.

The above is only one example of the type of writings these first explorers sent back to Europe, as everyone—from Christopher Columbus to Thomas Harriot—wrote with a specific purpose in mind. Some goals were more noble than others (for instance, Bartolomé de las Casas efforts to stop the exploitation of the Natives verses Harriot’s assurances that they would be an easy people to conquer), but still, one must ask: Does the author’s underlying intention effect the pieces overall literary value? Certainly one begins to question how much of these writings are elaborate half-truths and how much is fact, but does knowing even matter? The fact still remains, even if they were extremely one-sided or weighed down by the personal agenda, the letters and stories pouring in from the Americas were some of the first written accounts of the new world, and as such remain an important and indispensable part of the early American literary tradition.

Smith, John. “A Description of New England.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature Vol. A. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007. 66-69.

The Trick to Reading a Trickster Tale

On first inspection, the scenarios and encounters of an honestly Native American trickster tale are considerably strange. Everything—from the sporadic plot, to the anamorphic characters, to the subject matter (which contain wonderful elements like a speaking laxative bulb and a trickster who carries his penis in a box)—culminate into stories that can be off-putting, if not absurd, to those of a European or non-Native descent. However, to say that these unusual elements are the primary features of a trickster tale is to do them a great disservice. Because the fables of European literature contrast so starkly with those of the Native American’s, and would never be so forward as to include something like a character who cannot escape his own defecation, these seemingly outlandish facets have unfortunately, and misleadingly, become these tales dominating features. Therefore, it would serve one well not to become mired by stories unusual events, and instead focus on its true purpose as an entertaining anecdote meant to teach lessons and social responsibilities.

Nevertheless, that does not mean one must completely ignore the fanciful oddities that make trickster tales so enjoyable. In all actuality, these details can be integral parts of the narrative directly connected to its core message or embedded lessons. For example, when one considers the previously mentioned story of Coyote and the laxative bulb he consumed, the outrageous (and even gross) consequences of his actions are not only attention grabbing, but they also illustrate the important warning within the story. Namely, it advises against thinking one is smarter or superior to nature, and further serves to show how cautious one must be when consuming what they find in the forests. Though such advice may be lost on the European reader, for the Native American, the story illustrates two essential pieces of information that were probably central to survival.

Now, it goes to say that not all the myths are solely about one’s survival, and oftentimes are more about ritual and superstition. A prime example comes in the form of the Clatsop Chinook people’s story of Coyote and his attempts (and subsequent failures) while fishing for salmon. Of course, much of the advice the tale offers concerns the proper way to catch, clean, and cook these fish, but the real questions begin when the story confronts various fishing taboos. Murderers, corpse-handlers, menstruating girls and women, and widowed people are all restricted and are not to catch the salmon Coyote seeks. The list itself is quite baffling, and the reasons as to why these select groups were prohibited is never stated, but it can be fairly argued that there might have been logical grounds for the taboos, which over time has become lost as the story was passed outside the tribe. Conversely, such might not have been the case, as it would not have been the first time in history that a certain group would be thought of as ill luck for no concrete reason other than silly superstition. Whatever the cause, the story still stands, and like its fellow trickster tales, it has successfully kept Native American morals, values, lessons, and taboos alive throughout the generations.