Perpetua's Commitment To Religion

“And I who knew myself to have speech of the Lord, for whose sake I had gone through so much, gave confident promise in return…” (Musurillo 71). Relying heavily on her faith is the key to Perpetua’s survival and acceptance for the difficult journey she faces. From the moment she begins telling her story, it is perfectly clear that she believes her religion will guide her through her endeavors. Perpetua encounters many disheartening challenges as explained in her narrative. She never wavers from stating that she is a Christian, even when her father begs and pleads for her to recant her claim. Moreover, without guidance from her visions from the Lord, Perpetua would not have been brave or strong enough to endure the hardships, the humiliation,
Although the translation involves commentary from an editor, in Perpetua’s own writing, her voice is distinct in the fact that it is not overly emotional, even when she is fearing her situation, “A few days after we were lodged in prison; and I was in great fear, because I had never known such darkness. What a day of horror!” (Musurillo 71). Additional words she uses to express emotions are: ‘anxiety,’ ‘sorrow,’ ‘fear,’ ‘grieve,’ ‘triumph.’ These basic words provide insight into how critical her faith is to her in order to push through the onslaught of positive and negative feelings she experiences while imprisoned. Futhermore, when addressing family members, Perpetua remains calm and poised. For example, when her father throws a tantrum regarding her choice, she explains, “‘It shall happen on that platform as God shall choose; for know well that we lie not in our own power but in the power of God’” (72). Without reassurance from her faith, visions, friends, and the Lord, Perpetua’s moods may have been more hysterical while facing