Survival of the Fittest

Survival of the Fittest
It is hard for most people to imagine what they would do if they were taken captive for a great length of time. It seems safe to say that the vast majority of us will never face those circumstances; however, that situation became very real for Mary Rowlandson, as she describes in her narrative “The Sovereignty and Goodness of God.” Being a devout Puritan and wife of a minister, Rowlandson quickly turns to God to for guidance through the three months she was enslaved. Not only does her strong religious faith aid in her survival, her housewife skills and family do as well.

Rowlandson does not down play the barbaric nature or violent tendencies of the Native Americans. Again and again she describes their threats on her life and the lives of all other Englishmen. During their first few days in captivity, Mary and her baby were both suffering from the severe wounds inflicted on them during the hostile takeover of Lancaster, and the rough conditions of the wilderness were drawing them closer and closer to mortality. Miraculously, both awake in the morning and Mary credits God with this saying “...still the Lord upheld me with his gracious and mercifull Spirit, and we were both alive to see the light of the next morning” (73). During the eighth remove, Mary unexpectedly sees her son, Joseph. By this point, their morale is low and the Bible is all they have to bring them comfort. Together, they read from Pslams 118, which says “I shall not dy but live, and declare the works of the Lord: the Lord hath chastened me sore, yet he hath not given me over to death” (82). She believes God will preserve them in the wilderness, “while under the enemie's hand,”   and then return them to safety (82). Throughout all of the hardships she faces, the sadness, sickness, and starvation, she holds on to her faith. She says “Oh how doth God shine forth in such things as these” (67).

A few weeks into her captivity, Mary begins to trade labor for food from the...