Captivity Narratives and the Puritan Literary Marketplace

1
Captivity Narratives and the Puritan Literary
Marketplace

• English 516
• Dr. Roggenkamp

2
Where did books come from in British North
America?

• At first, imported only
• Phenomenally expensive
• First printing press in North America Mexico
  (1540)
• But first English press not until 1638
  Cambridge, Mass. (Harvard)
• FYI First surviving publication The Bay Psalm
  Book, 1640
• Image Whole Books of Psalmes, Cambridge,
  Mass, 1640

3
Early Literary Trends in Puritan America

• First 25 years of American literature
  (American-printed) hymnals, religious primers,
  theologies, sermons, almanacs
• Next press in America not until 1685 in
  Philadelphia
• Boston most bookish of Colonial cities through
  Revolution
• Seat of American literaturesets pace for what is
  printed in America and what people in America
  read until mid-nineteenth century

4
1660s A First Literary Boom

• New kind of literary marketplace starts to
  develop 1660s
• Prices start to come down slightly
• Genres captivity narratives, sensational and
  vivid jeremiadsboth the result of and a
  contributor to new popular marketplace

5
First 50 Years of American Best-Sellers

• Over 1000 copies sold
• 1662 The Day of Doom (Wigglesworth)
• 1664 A Call to the Unconverted
• 1665 A Practice to Piety
• 1679 A Guide to Heaven
• 1681 The Pilgrims Progress
• 1682 Captivity and Restoration (Rowlandson)
• 1688 Essays (Sir Francis Bacon)
• 1699 Gods Protecting Providence
• 1707 Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion

6
Indian Captivity Narratives

• Dominated popular publications from late 17th
  century, well into 19th century
• Initially First person, non-fictional accounts
  written by people who survived experience of
  captivity, usually English taken captive by
  Native Americans
• Reasons revenge, ransom, replacement of lost
  tribe members
• Around 750 captivities 1677-1750

7
Real Life Endings

• Ransomed for money
• Traded for Indians taken captive by English
• Escape from captors
• Murder captors
• Assimilation and adoption into Native culture
• Conversion (e.g. to Catholicism)
• Killed by captors
• Suicide

8
Basic Formula of Narratives

• Separation Description of event leading to
  captivity
• Trials and sufferings Traveling deeper into
  wilderness, farther away from Puritan
  civilization
• Struggle between assimilation and maintaining
  separate cultural identity
• Growth in moral and spiritual strength
• Return to Puritan society to write account
• Allegory of Christian salvation

9
Captivity and the Puritan Myth of a Chosen People

• New Israel crossing sea to enter wilderness full
  of devils
• Meet trials
• Captivity gives clues to what damnation feels
  like
• Redemptionallegory for souls salvationa lived
  allegory of salvation
• Soul held in bondage to flesh
• Captives ultimate redemption likened to
  regeneration of soul

10
Development of Captivity Narrative

• Late 17th century Direct religious documents
  first person (Mary Rowlandson)
• Early 18th century propagandistic tracts
  anti-French, anti-Catholic, anti-Indian (e.g.
  John Williams)
• Mid to late 18th century stylized, melodramatic
  resemble newly popular sentimental novels
• 19th century almost wholly fictionalized works
  incorporating motif of captivity
• Appropriation in slave narratives, Native
  American narratives

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Development of captivity narratives . . .
Rowlandson in 1682, Boston vs. England
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Development of captivity narratives . . .
Rowlandson in 1773
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More examples . . .

• Panther Narrative, 1777

• John Williams, The Redeemed Captive returning to
  Zion (1707)

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More examples . . .

• Mary Jemison narrative, 1824

• 1853 captivity narrative