LITR 5535: American Romanticism

Student Presentation on Reading Selections 2006

Monday 28 August: Columbus, N 25-29; Selections from Genesis (handout); John Smith, N 42-53. Mary Rowlandson, N 135-152. Thomas Jefferson, N 334-342.

selection reader / discussion leader: Devon Kitch

The Captivity Narrative of Mary Rowlandson

Objective 1a.  Romantic Spirit or ideology: Attitudes associated with romanticism (desire and loss), A romantic hero or heroine may appear empty or innocent of anything except readiness or desire to transform or self-invent.

Objective 2: Cultural issues:  American Romanticism exposes competing or complementary dimensions of the American identity: is America a culture of sensory and material gratification or moral, spiritual, and idealistic mission?

p. 139 The Third Remove (About half-way down)

          “I then remembered how careless I had been of God’s holy time; how many Sabbaths I had lost and misspent, and how evilly I had walked in God’s sight; which lay so close unto my spirit, that it was easy for me to see how righteous it was with God to cut off the thread of my life and cast me out of his presence forever.  Yet the Lord still showed mercy to me, and upheld me; and as He wounded me with one hand, so he healed me with the other”

p.151  (Middle of the page) 

“I have seen the extreme vanity of this world: One hour I have been in health, and wealthy, wanting nothing.  But the next hour in sickness and wounds, and death, having nothing but sorrow and affliction. 

Before I knew what affliction meant, I was ready sometimes to wish for it.  When I lived in prosperity, having the comforts of the world about me, my relations by me, my heart cheerful, and taking little care for anything, and yet seeing many, whom I preferred before myself, under many trials and afflictions, in sickness, weakness, poverty, losses, crosses, and cares of the world, I should sometimes be jealous least I should have my portion in this life…” 

·        Mary deals with desire and loss as she loses all she is familiar with, including her friends and family. 

-Perhaps her desire, or wish for affliction, led to her loss.

·        Her constant references to the Bible give the image that she is trying to reinvent herself, redeem herself before God’s eyes by showing others just how spiritual she is.  Potentially an exaggerated spirituality from the way she was before her captivity.

·        Mary before captivity= sensory and material gratification

Mary after captivity= moral and spiritual transformation

Question(s):  Bringing to class…still thinking!