Redemption and revenge: The legacies of Mary Rowlandson and Hannah Duston

Abstract

Mary Rowlandson's The Sovereignty and Goodness of God and the various accounts written about Hannah Duston's captivity have become notable as a result of how these two women reacted while taken captive by Native peoples. Both Duston and Rowlandson's narratives differ in some ways, but ultimately the agency they take while captive has led to their texts' continuous popularity in American literature. In my essay titled "Redemption and Revenge: The Legacies of Mary Rowlandson and Hannah Duston", I examine how Duston's agency when seeking revenge is described as heroic, a characteristic not normally associated with women. I do this through focusing on two male writers in particular, Cotton Mather and John Greenleaf Whittier, whose accounts of the captivity helped propel the narrative's popularity. I also explore whether Rowlandson's text, when read through a religious lens, is notable because of her ability to write about her experiences, all while seeking restoration instead of revenge, a choice more appropriate with the female gender and her religious beliefs. Through this exploration, I compare and contrast the Mary Rowlandson and Hannah Duston narratives, and illustrate that although they had individual experiences, the narratives are successful in perpetuating the marginalization of the Natives.