By Latrista Johnson

After completing this tutorial you will have a basic understanding of the Encounters and Foundations literary time period and the American Romanticism literary time period. Mary Rowlandson's A Narrative of Captivity will be used as an example text from the Encounters and Foundations time period and Washington Irving’s A Devil and Tom Walker will serve as an example text from the American Romanticism time period. Navigating through this tutorial: Click to go to the first slide Click to advance to the next slide Click to return to the previous slide

The Encounter and Foundation time period began with the arrival of Europeans to America. Upon arriving, Europeans were first introduced to Native Americans. America was very different from the established Europe. The Europeans depended on the Native Americans to survive. Native American taught Europeans to hunt, gather, and grow food. Europeans also depended on Native for shelter and clothing. In return, Native Americans received European goods, including firearms, steel tools, and textiles. Interdependence Between Cultures

Battling New Diseases The arrival of Europeans greatly reduced the Native American population. In contact with the Europeans, Native Americans were exposed to diseases in which they had no immunity to. Small pox was one of the diseases that decimated the Native American population. No longer dependent on Native Americans for survival, European settlers began to force Native Americans off of their land. With reduced populations, the Native American had few options.

Groups of Europeans journeyed to America in search of religious freedom. These groups were referred to a puritans. They wanted to worship freely without government interference. The Puritans governed themselves by the contract they believed existed between God and humanity with the Bible as their guide.

The first literature of America derived from the Native American oral tradition. Stories were passed down orally from generation to generation. Native American stories were used to explain many aspects of life. For example, there were stories or myths that explained how the earth was created. There were also stories that were used to teach lessons. Using the Elements of Literature Fifth Course textbook or the link below read the Native American myth “The Sky Tree” p.24 with the following questions in mind: 1. Who are the characters in the myth? 2. What happens in the myth? 3. What does the myth explain? 4. Does the myth resemble any western stories?

1. Who are the characters in the myth? The story involves a chief and his wife Aataentsic. Animals were important in Native American myths. Animals are also characters in “The Sky Tree”. The animals include Turtle, Beaver, Mink, Muskrat, and Otter. 2. What happens in the myth? The story takes place in Sky Land. In the middle of Sky Land, there was a great tree. The tree was called Sky Tree. The tree was very important; it was where everyone got their food. One day the chief became sick and nothing could cure him. The chief dreamed that the only way to cure him was to eat fruit from the top of Sky Tree. His wife Aataentsic went to the tree and chopped it down in an effort to retrieve the fruit. When she cut the tree down, it split down the middle. A hole opened in Sky Land and the tree fell through. Aataentsic, explained what happened to the chief. She decided to follow the tree because without the tree there could be no life. Turtle saw Aataentsic and the tree as they fell. He gathered the other animals and instructed them to dive deep in the water to get soil. The animals were then supposed to put the soil on Turtle’s back. The animals continued this until they had created a great island. Aataentsic settled on the new Earth and the tree took root.

3. What does the myth explain? “The Sky Tree” is a creation myth. It explains how the Earth came to be. 4. Does the myth resemble any other stories? “The Sky Tree” has elements that are similar to the biblical creation story. The tree in “The Sky Tree” was the tree of life. If anything were to happened to the tree their would be no life. It can also be inferred that since the tree was able to take root on the new Earth, there would now be life on Earth. In the Bible, there is the Tree of Life.

“ The puritans regarded biblical captivity narratives, such as that of the enslavement of the Israelites by the ancient Egyptians, as allegories representing the Christians’ liberation from sin through the intervention of God’s grace” (Holt, 2007, p.36). Many puritans went on to write their own personal narratives. One such narrative is Mary Rowlandson’s A Narrative of the Captivity… Mary’s narrative chronicles her experiences while being held captive by Native American who raided her village. Rowlandson’s strong Puritan faith helped her through troubling times. An excerpt from the narrative can be found in the Elements of Literature textbook or the complete narrative can be found using the link below. Keep the following questions in mind as you read the text: 1. How did Mary feel about the Native Americans who destroyed her village and kidnapped her? 2. How did Mary’s faith provide comfort?

1. How did Mary feel about the Native Americans who destroyed her village and kidnapped her? Mary’s feelings and attitude towards the Native Americans change throughout her narrative. At the opening after her and her daughter were wounded and kidnapped, the Native Americans were presented as inhuman savages. At the beginning, the kidnapped received no food and little water. The captors threatened to kill Mary’s child for moaning. Later Mary was forbidden to see her other daughter because of the crying by the two. At another time Mary asked her mistress, a Native American women, for a spoon of cornmeal because she was feeling faint. Her mistress refused her request. A lighter side of the Native Americans was also presented in the text. After the death of her daughter, the Native Americans buried the child. She was also given a Bible by a Native American. When Mary had an emotional breakdown before them, they brought her meal and peas in an effort to comfort her. When Mary earned “money” and other items from sewing, her master allowed her to keep her earnings.

2. How did Mary’s faith provide comfort? Throughout the narrative Mary references the Bible. She drew strength relating her experiences to Bible scriptures. For example after the Native Americans threaten to kill her daughter, Mary makes an allusion to Job 16:2. Mary experienced the death of her youngest daughter. She was forbidden to see her other daughter who was in a different Native American village. She had also finally seen her son. Mary recalls Genesis 42:36. She grew strength from the story of Jacob and him losing all but one of his children. Faith also helped Mary to get rid of the ill feelings she had for the Native Americans when she read Deuteronomy: 28.

“The Sky Tree” This exemplifies traditional Native American stories. It is a myth. It was originally told orally and passed down. The purpose of the myth was to show how Earth was created. The story also included animals and natural elements. A Narrative of Captivity This text exemplifies Puritan literature. It gives an in-depth look at how religion shaped Puritan mentality. Although Mary Rowlandson experienced adversity, she remained steadfast in her faith. After being separated and losing her family, she found strength in the word of God.

Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc. (2007). Holt elements of literature. Fifth course. Essentials of American literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Lavender, C. (2000, August 19). [Web log message]. Retrieved from Stewart. (2012). [Web log message]. Retrieved from Sky Tree.pdf