Travel - Female Captive Narratives Rowlandson · Less descriptive - more of a captive and less scientific . Her account is about her journey . Was held for ransom . Makes it clear she is a good housewife, head of the household and remained pious throughout her life (Puritan) · She takes orders from Indian men as she believes women are subservient to men, however she stands up to the Indian women as she felt she was more powerful · No actual violence towards her by a man, only by women · Threats of violence and punishment that never really materialised - this is something that is common in most captive narratives . Much lower level of literacy in the region at the time · Only intended her story to be for private consumption until friends and relatives persuaded her to put it up for public viewing - hugely popular in the colonies but not in the UK at first · Comparisons made to a moral Christian journey and a religious experience - a divine martyrdom - their faith kept them from being submitted to savagery . Her interaction with her children was strange - not close and concerned they would become savage · Sermon wrapped in a captivity narrative - huge amount God references and a way of saying if this woman can remain pure and Christian in all this horror, anyone can be pure · When her daughter died, she said she contemplated suicide but the wisdom of God stopped these thoughts . Most likely edited by men as there were roughly 15 editions and women were not highly literate (25%) · She had a very subsistence living · The opening is very disturbing and evocative of savagery and violence · Says she became somewhat estranged from her two other children but that she could not confide in the natives as they were not Christian but also it was because the children weren't acting in a Christian way · Predictable narrative of suffering · Do we ever hear her personal voice? - when she broke down p. 22 · Mentions a lot of the physical experience - predominantly hunger - she is different to other travel writers here . She communicates with the Indians through spoken word be that Indian dialect or English -Puritans were writing dictionaries in native languages p. 33 Marsh . Her father was crucial in the Navy so they had some societal standing · She was captured by Moroccan pirates and taken to Marrakesh - she pretended to be married to the ship's Captain as it gave her more protection · She was asked to go to the Sultan's chamber and have her for sexual purposes - her writing is very coy about this fact which reflects the novel element of it . She became very paranoid that her lie would be uncovered and she would be forced to stay - convinced she won't escape so forces him to buy her a gold ring