Mary Rowlandson
“A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mary Rowlandson”
Study Questions: Exposition through 8th Remove
You may answer questions on this sheet or on loose-leaf paper.
1. Why was Mary Rowlandson’s published recollection of her abduction by the Wompanoag so popular and widely read in the 17th Century? Is there any comparison you can draw upon in contemporary American society that mirrors or parallels the public’s interest in Rowlandson’s work? Explain.
2. In the first paragraph of the exposition of “A Narrative of the Captivity…,” would you consider the author’s tone objective, subjective or both? Cite examples to support your answer.
3. In the remaining portion of the exposition, the author offers several Biblical allusions. Using the two below, state the author’s intended purpose of these passages:
a. “And he said unto me, my Grace is sufficient for thee” ( 2 Cor. 12.9).
b. “Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he has made in the earth” (Psalm 46.8).
4. What simile is used to describe the author’s situation in “The First Remove”? What emotions is this figurative language meant to evoke?
5. Identify the tonal shift in “The Second Remove” and indicate how particular words reveal change in voice.
6. The “Third Remove” contains emotional turmoil, as does much of the passage. What epiphany or realization does Rowlandson experience when regarding the holy day? What emotions does this epiphany evoke and why?
7. What role does the author perceive her God having throughout the “Third Remove”?
8. How does the tragic story in the “Fourth Remove” impact the author’s own experiences?
9. According to the author, why does the army not attempt to save the captives? What does this tell the reader about Puritan society?
Study Questions: Exposition through 8th Remove
You may answer questions on this sheet or on loose-leaf paper.
1. Why was Mary Rowlandson’s published recollection of her abduction by the Wompanoag so popular and widely read in the 17th Century? Is there any comparison you can draw upon in contemporary American society that mirrors or parallels the public’s interest in Rowlandson’s work? Explain.
2. In the first paragraph of the exposition of “A Narrative of the Captivity…,” would you consider the author’s tone objective, subjective or both? Cite examples to support your answer.
3. In the remaining portion of the exposition, the author offers several Biblical allusions. Using the two below, state the author’s intended purpose of these passages:
a. “And he said unto me, my Grace is sufficient for thee” ( 2 Cor. 12.9).
b. “Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he has made in the earth” (Psalm 46.8).
4. What simile is used to describe the author’s situation in “The First Remove”? What emotions is this figurative language meant to evoke?
5. Identify the tonal shift in “The Second Remove” and indicate how particular words reveal change in voice.
6. The “Third Remove” contains emotional turmoil, as does much of the passage. What epiphany or realization does Rowlandson experience when regarding the holy day? What emotions does this epiphany evoke and why?
7. What role does the author perceive her God having throughout the “Third Remove”?
8. How does the tragic story in the “Fourth Remove” impact the author’s own experiences?
9. According to the author, why does the army not attempt to save the captives? What does this tell the reader about Puritan society?