Mary Rowlandson King Philip’s War Representative Affliction Representation of Natives Captivity Narrative/Stockholm Syndrome Psychology of Affliction

King Philip’s War External Cause: Restoration of the Monarchy in England (1660) Reassertion of royal power in the colonies Land claim disputes adjudicated by royal appointees unfamiliar with situation

King Philip’s War Internal Cause: colonists less interested in religion than previously New class of immigrants, the frontier class, wanting more land Frontier class created more land disputes with natives Frontier class unwilling to follow the lead of Boston’s religious and ruling elite

King Philip’s War Official interpretation: God’s judgment on New England for its sins Jeremiad: sermon that castigated the people for the sins; compared them unfavorably to predecessors Mary Rowlandson’s text as Jeremiad

Representative Affliction Rowlandson’s afflictions those of New England’s Rowlandson’s internalization of her sin the message New England should take from the narrative Rowlandson an example for others: how to persevere and remain faithful in a time of great suffering

Representation of Natives Bloodthirsty and inhuman “Praying Indians”: converts to Christianity still hypocrites Indians also capable of kindness and compassion Indians unpredictable and unknowable: ultimately represent the unknowable mind of God

Representation of Natives Weetamoo: the proud squaw, Rowlandson’s chief antagonist Rowlandson wants to imagine herself different from Weetamoo, but identifies with her anyway (dead children)

Captivity Narrative White woman’s captivity to natives a metaphor for New England’s experience in the New World Anxiety of female captivity: that she may choose to stay, become part of the community Creolization: Rowlandson participates in barter economy, society of her captors

Stockholm Syndrome Captive identifies with captor Rowlandson voices complaint of New England (army is ineffectual; New England still sinful) Captivity narrative threatened the collapse of boundaries between home and captor culture, between white and native identity

Psychology of Affliction Rowlandson’s suffering ultimately private and meaningless Sleeplessness a symptom of her ongoing trauma Suffering not necessarily tied to religious significance Psychological trauma a modern rather than religious condition

American Themes White colonist struggling in the wilderness Unresolved conflict between indigenous and settler communities America as “City on the Hill” shaken to its foundations Individual vs. community