Mary Rowlandson

It is hard to know where to begin with Mary Rowlandson. If I would have been her, after going through what she endured, I probably wouldn't have had the strength to re-address the ordeal in writing. I find it strange that she chooses what names to reveal within her story, and when she chooses to reveal them.  I feel like she makes sure to make note the importance of certain days.  Specifically the sabbath and that she clings to the knowledge that God brings judgement but also brings grace.  With that ideal in mind she remains hopeful that she will again meet her husband and be reunited with the remainder of her children.  I think that the way she all of the sudden talked about the customs and listed several things in the middle threw the story off a little bit.  I don't think that in that since she conveyed her story well, but she did demonstrate some of the political knowledge and observations that she had gathered.  It seems as if there must have been some shift, or certain relationships that had been established while she was held captive when she had almost escaped.  It was either that or the people were merely sucking up to her to gain her favor, so she would send them things like tobacco or bread.  I haven't really decided which one of these ideas are true.  I see how much the idea of predestination in the puritan belief is so strong when she refuses to run away with the Native Americans that offered to escort her back to Lancaster because of that belief that she had stayed in captivity(saying that kind of makes her sound like an animal in a zoo).  I also see that they just wait for their children instead of going to them and being the ones to negotiate and trade for them.  One thing that I do like is the way that she uses what she went through to strengthen her and she doesn't wallow in her suffering.