LITR 4326 Early American Literature Research Posts 2016 (research post assignment) Research Post 1

Mariah Glidden

3/3/2016

Gender and Age in Captivity Narratives

Indians captured settlers for many, many reasons the chief among them being to replenish their populations that had been decreased by war and disease. Those who survived and escaped from their captors often wrote captivity narratives. The narratives described their time with the Indians that took them and how they survived, adapted, and escaped. Major factors in their survival are their gender and age. Indians chose women and children over men as captives.

Women and children were taken more often than men. Many believe that is because they are easier to control and their will is not as strong. Age has  lot to do with how a person dpts to their new life with the Indians. In the stories of Cynthia Ann Parker and Mary Rowlandson are vastly different. This is because Parker was captured as a young girl and grew up learning their customs. She adapted to their way of life and came to view herself as one of them. In Rowlandson’s case, she was captured as an adult. She was already set in her way’s and found living with the Indians difficult.

          The stories of male captives seem to be much different than those of females, unless they are taken at a young age. Herman Lehmann was captured at age eleven. He spent nine years with the Indians and completely adapted to their culture, even earning himself the title of petty chief. He was allowed to go on expeditions and fought against white settlers beside the Indians. John Smith, however, has a very different story. Unlike the women and Herman, Smith’s life was threatened several times in his short captivity. He managed to survive his captivity by trading with the Indians. As an adult male, he was more of a threat to the Indians and it is amazing that theylet him live.

          Indians captured people for their own benefit and those who would not benefit them, such as adult males that would rather fight than adapt, were killed or left alone. Women and children were their main target because of their weakness and ability to adapt to what others expect of them. Children made the best captors because they often assimilated completely to the ways of the Indians and became a part of the community.

Works Cited

White, Craig. Early American Literature. U Houston Clear Lake. Literature Department. n.d. Web. 3 March 2016

Heard, Norman J. “Indian Captives”.  Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Web. 15 June 2010

Lewis, Jone Johnson. “Women in Indian Captivity Narratives” About Education. n.p. Web. 23 February 2016

Greene, A.C. “Lehmann Herman”. Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Web. 15 June 2010.