Mary Rowlandson faced what would be many people's worst nightmare, when she witnessed the massacre of her family and neighbors, described in her autobiography , An Account of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Rowlandson. As if that horror wasn't enough, Rowlandson was kidnapped and held hostage by hostile Native Americans. During his captivity, Rowlandson experienced complete culture shock and was both a victim and witness to a series of events that naturally changed his life. The chaos and uncertainty that Rowlandson faced in captivity caused her to reevaluate her perception of civilization and ultimately inspired her to have a deeper union with God and a greater appreciation for her life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay All of Rowlandson's ways of perceiving the changing world are a product of his state of uncertainty in the face of the chaos of captivity. One could only imagine the chaos and horror of witnessing the sights Rowlandson speaks of during the attack on the settlers: "Some in our house were fighting for our lives, others were wallowing in their blood, the house was on fire above our heads” (258). . The sacking of his village was only the first of many chaotic experiences Rowlandson faces. In fact, throughout his story, no stable environment is mentioned, as Rowlandson is constantly in a state of fear or confusion and never knows what to expect next. The unknown itself is the only immutable element. Faced with a state of culture shock, Rowlandson observed: "If you looked in front of you, there was nothing but Indians, and behind you, nothing but Indians, and so on either side, me- even in the middle, and no Christian soul near me” (266). ). Native Americans are unfamiliar to Rowlandson and live very different lives in a very different environment. After being taken into captivity, she is quickly separated from her children and no longer knows for sure where they are or what their condition is most of the time. As Rowlandson puts it, “my children are gone, my relations and friends are gone, our home and all our comforts… everything was gone… and I did not know that the next moment that might be gone too” (259). . If the upheaval in her life didn't create enough confusion, then she surely faced dismay when her youngest child's life was taken. Rowlandson remembers his state of despair: "There I left this child in the wilderness, and I must entrust him, and myself in this state of wilderness, to him who is above all" ( 262). It is not only the death of her child that upsets her, but also the fact that her child was not properly buried at home, in civilization. Tragic events and culture shock lead her to question civilization as she knows it and seek ways to better understand her situation. At first, Rowlandson is under the impression that the Native Americans are completely different from the settlers. Rowlandson describes Native Americans as “wretches,” “merciless heathens,” and “barbaric creatures.” She describes her first impression of living among them: "Oh, the roars, the songs, the dances, and the cries of these black creatures in the night, which made this place a vivid resemblance to hell" (259). Her expressions carry the connotation that she believes their way of living is uncivilized to the point of being animalistic, and that she feels that her usual lifestyle is the proper and most virtuous way of living. It is for this reason that when. » (265).” (288).