Mary Rowlandson thought very lowly of the Indians even before her capture. She makes several references to an anticipation that they would attack her village, once saying "if the Indians should come, I should chuse rather to be killed by them then taken alive."� When the Indians did come to Mary's village she let them take her alive, even though she previously would rather be dead than in their presence. In the first part of her capture, Mary refers to the Indians as "ravenous beasts"� and "inhumane creatures"� whose "savageness and bruitishness"� "made the place a lively resemblance of hell."� The Indians would not feed Mary or her wounded child properly, the latter dying nine days after their capture.
One of the Indians, who had just come from a battle, gave Mary a bible that he picked up at the battle earlier. Mary was extremely grateful and the bible became her only hope left in the world, being without her children and husband.
Site at which Mary Rowlandson was captured by Nati...
Site at which Mary Rowlandson was captured by Nati...
English: Illus. from: Mary Rowlandson. A Narrative...On a later date, when Mary asked the Indians if she could rest on the Sabbath they replied, "they would break my face."� Mary was thankful to the one Indian who gave her the bible but the others were still very harsh toward her.
During the eighth remove, the Indians ate, laughed, and conversed civilly with Mary. This was a gigantic leap from the cruel treatment she was receiving when the Indians first captured her. When the Indians finally allowed Mary to go home, they all treated her like one of their own. Several Indians offered her clothes, tobacco, and food while one Indian stated, "he and his Squaw would run away, and go home along with me."� Mary and the Indians did not treat each other with respect when Mary was captured, understandably so for both...