Topic > Review of Mary Rowlandson's Biography and "Incidents in the Life of a Slave"

Slavery is a common literary issue mentioned in works of the past and present day. Despite its negative connotations and implications of abuse, slavery is still a common practice for much of the world. Slavery is a means of obtaining cheap labor, easy exploitation, and carrying out illegal activities through another individual. However, in the three personal narratives that follow, the female protagonists share a common character trait: strength. Despite finding themselves in scenarios and situations that succumb to the powerless roles of women, each heroine is able to provide a glimpse of a future that embodies powerful actions on the part of women, instead of having to wait for a man to assist them. They all give women hope and motivation to stay strong, despite society's standards and their hidden positions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Mary Rowlandson's autobiography about her experiences as a Native American captive, she transforms from fragile damsel in distress to independent spirit. Although Mary is terrified of being caught, she continues to have good spirits regardless of her current living situation. Because Mary is more optimistic, the tribe is also friendlier to her. In one case, Mary is given plenty of food to eat because she passes the tribe's test. “Another squaw gave me a piece of fresh pork, with a little salt, and lent me his pan to fry it in; and I cannot help but remember what a sweet, pleasant, delicious taste that little piece has tasted to me, to this day” is one of Mary's many bright spots during her state of captivity (Rowlandson, 177). The most obvious reason for Mary's strength is due to her faith in Jesus Christ and God. She realizes that to survive her condition, she must be on friendly terms with the very people who captured her. The longer Mary is there, the more she connects the biblical text with the daily life interactions around her. For example, Mary uses the following verse to show her appreciation of the native woman who feeds her: “He also made them pitied by all those who carried them captive (Psalm 106:46) [Rowlandson, 174].” Mary's constant use of the biblical text begins to rub off on the tribe, who eventually agree to release her. Mary's survival relies solely on her consistency to prove she is harmless, however, the servant's strength goes beyond that. Dove's "The House Slave" is a literary piece that gives many the visualization of slavery they anticipated. Instead of being a true story told, The House Slave is a basic summary of how most African slaves feel with a light plot. twist at the end. As Dove insists, "The first horn raises his arm on the dew-lit grass and in the slave quarters a rustling is heard (Dove, 1384)," describes the true environment of slavery in the United States. There was no peace in this era; instead, slaves were expected to get up and begin their work, regardless of whether their masters were also awake or not. They had to follow orders or be beaten, but the protagonist was not on the same wavelength as her peers. Instead, he describes these episodes with slaves who wake up in the morning and are already tormented by nostalgia. His sister shouts: “Oh! Pray!" at first it seems that she is trying to save the main character from an accident. The case, however, is different: she has already escaped. It is a nightmare that the slave is enduring, regretting that her family was left behind. “ I cry..