Mary Rowlandson's narrative about her captive life showed her Puritan values. She quotes the Bible frequently which shows how much her faith is intertwined in her life. When her baby was sick and died, Mrs. Rowlandson took comfort in the fact that God was with her and "preserving" her which allowed Mrs. Rowlandson to have the faith and courage to continue on (Rowlandson 83). In the writing she also showed a Puritan belief of the "elect" helping out the rest of the Puritans and leading them in their faith. Mary Rowlandson was concerned for her son as he did not have any Christians with him to help him keep his faith and offer any "office of love" to him in his time of need (Rowlandson 84). Mrs. Rowlandson also took heart in Psalm verse that stated, "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee" (Rowlandson 85). The Puritan belief that everyone's faith is predetermined is supported in Rowlandson's use of the quote as she knew that she was destined to move forward, but was comforted by the knowledge that to get through today, God was with her and her children.
Anne Bradstreet broke the mold on traditional Puritan poetry by firstly, being a female author, and secondly writing using her emotions and her own style. She used metaphors and other figures of speech that were traditionally left out of Colonial Puritan writings. "Framed by the mighty Architect" is one example of Bradstreet comparing God to an architect (Bradstreet 91). Bradstreet showed her firm Puritan beliefs through the lines, "I blest His name that gave and took/That laid my goods now in the dust" (Bradstreet 91). Puritans believed their fate was predetermined by God. By saying that even though all of her belongings were burned in the fire, Bradstreet was thankful to God. She was a very good Puritan, as I wouldn't be thanking anyone if all of my belongings and house were burned up in a fire. At the end of the poem, Bradstreet writes, "The world no longer let me love/My hope and treasure lies above" reiterating the belief that their fate is predetermined and no matter what they own on Earth or what their status is, if they are the "Elect" then they will see the riches of Heaven (Bradstreet 91).
The Puritans may have been very religious, but as Mary Rowlandson exhibited, were very business like. She traded her sewing goods for food (Rowlandson 85). She used her skills to barter for food that she wasn't getting enough of. Rowlandson's narrative also showed how even though they would be punish and prosecuted for showing their religious beliefs, Rowlandson's son still prayed in disguise (Rowlandson 84). Both Mary Rowlandson and Anne Bradstreet's writings were in a diary or journal format. Rowlandson told her story by organizing it by "removes" or every time the Indians moved camp. Bradstreet told her poem through a journal entry relating the events of that day. Both authors reflect Puritan values in their writing and life.
Bradstreet, Anne. "Upon the Burning House." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 91. Print.
Rowlandson, Mary. "A Narrative of Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 82-85. Print.
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