Mary Rowlandson The Sovereignty And Goodness Of God Summary

In “The Sovereignty and Goodness of God,” Mary Rowlandson narrates her perilous journey through captivity with a tribe of Native American Indians. In her eighteenth remove, she writes about how due to her extreme hunger, she steals food from a child, and relates herself to the desperate Old Testament character, Job. Rowlandson, a devout Christian, resorts to actions that would normally be considered despicable according to her religion, but the severity of her situation excuses them. Rowlandson as an author, intelligently influences her audience to focus more on her despair and less on her behavior. Rowlandson writes:
“Then, I went to another Wigwam, where there were two of the English Children; the Squaw was boyling Horses feet, then she cut me off a little piece, and gave one of the English Children a piece also. Being very hungry I had quickly eaten up mine, but the Child could not bite it, it was tough and sinewy, but lay sucking, gnawing, chewing and slabbering of it in the mouth and hand, then I took it of the Child, and eat it myself, and

savoury it was to my taste. Then I may say as Job, Chap. 6. 7. The things that my soul refused to touch, are as my sorrowfull meat. Thus the Lord made that pleasant refreshing, which another time would have been an abomination.” (Cite)
Rowlandson writes in first person throughout this passage, and references a Squaw woman, two English children, Job and God.

Rowlandson in this part of the text is walking around the campground scavenging and begging for food. (Cite) She enters a Wigwam where there was a chance for food. The Squaw woman in the Wigwam boils a horse’s foot, and gives a piece to Rowlandson, and one of the children. She does not give a reason to why the other child is not given a piece, such as age or health. Also, Rowlandson does not offer her scrap to the other child, like most would expect a maternal woman to do. A mother herself, Rowlandson would normally have done the Christian act and helped the children, but her hunger overwhelmed her. She probably knew the children would not survive, and she had a better chance of living, anyway. Rowlandson ate the piece, and then makes a spiritual connection, using the Bible character Job and

God.
Rowlandson’s manner of writing is an interesting part of the text. She uses embellished wording to distract the reader from her sin. Her noticeably vivid phrasing describes the child struggling to eat the piece of meat, though she only briefly writes about herself eating the morsel. Thus, it puts less focus on the fact that she steals from a child, moreover, ignoring her disgraceful behavior. Readers can clearly imagine the child, “sucking, gnawing, chewing and slabbering of it in the mouth and hand,” and spend less time envisioning Rowlandson stealing, nibbling, biting, and enjoying a valuable piece of food. (Cite) While the author presents an example of “survival of the fittest,” she uses specific language to divert the reader.
This particular instance is similar to another, where Rowlandson minimizes a part of a story and emphasizes another. She writes,
“I cannot but take notice of the wonderfull mercy of God to me in those afflictions, in sending me a Bible. One of the Indians that came from Medfield fight, had brought some plunder, came to me, and asked me, if I would have a Bible, he had got one in his Basket.” (Cite)
Instead of being grateful to the Indian, and appreciating the rare scene of kindness, Rowlandson only acknowledges God as the source of the gift. Instead of admitting that she stole from an infant, she only acknowledges her own hunger. She repeats the technique of ignoring the reality of a story, and using religion to overshadow it. Rowlandson skillfully uses ethos throughout her narrative to keep the audience on her side. She attempts to keep her audience against the Indians, and in support of her conduct, considering she is supported by God.
She names several Bible verses that seemed to give her hope and guidance, even when she was in complete despair. Rowlandson uses a passage from the Old Testament book of Job to reference how God had done similar things for her. She uses Job chapter 6 verse 7, “The things that my soul refused to touch, are as my sorrowfull meat.” (Cite) Job’s story is about how he lost his family, his home, and his livelihood, and God was still with him, and Rowlandson sees herself in the same way. Taking the verse in context, Job is lamenting about his current situation. According to the New International Version, verse 6 and 7, he says, “Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow? I refuse to touch it; such food makes me ill.” (Cite) Rowlandson not only uses the verse literally, but also as a comparison to her life. The food is a boiled horse’s foot covered in a child’s saliva, which is not appetizing to a woman who has lived in much better conditions. She also feels that she can relate to Job, due to the fact that God was always with her, even in her darkest hour. Job and Rowlandson were both facing their enemies, Job’s was Satan, and Rowlandson’s was the Indian tribe. Job not only succeeds against Satan, but prospers even more after his trials. Rowlandson, was able to survive by eating the valuable piece of nourishment with the Lord’s help, even though it was considered an abomination. Out of all the inspirational, or hopeful verses in the Bible, Rowlandson chooses one that she can relate to literally, and spiritually.