Tradition enacts the deepest spaces and smallest fissures of human life, filling and influencing them as they persist above and below of the surface. It can be used to express, share, memorize, stabilize. Traditions can remind us of our identity and our place in the world, establishing boundaries and creating rules for existence. Viewing the tradition in this light, Mary Rowlandson's account must be studied not as a single text, but as a product of the Puritan tradition of her time. His article, although written by Rowlandson, is not his. Rather, it is a result of the community in which she lived – of its historical influences, the Puritan doctrine, and the forces of power that shaped its history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Rowlandson's story, described as a captivity tale, details his capture and travels with the natives over an 11-week period. After residents of her town are killed by Wampanoags, she is taken hostage with her injured baby and travels through the region, suffering various eliminations as she notes how God saves, condemns and controls the actions of those who surround it. Eventually, Rowlandson was published based on the work of Mr. Hoar and James the Printer. She concludes her story by reflecting on how the Puritan community later rallied around her and her own development throughout the trial. As the wife of a minister, Rowlandson's story is what one would expect of a respectable Puritan woman in a patriarchal society. God, as the focal point of one's life, deserves worship, respect and attention. All glory and honor belong to her, and Rowlandson develops her story in a respectful and faith-filled manner expected of a woman of her status. However, this sense of religious duty may extend beyond her role as a pastor's wife in her writings. The Church placed severe restrictions on the publication of female authors, allowing only works that would be "limited to pious or otherwise traditional subjects" (Davis 49). For Rowlandson to have the chance to share her story, she had to adhere to the Puritan rules developed by powerful men. He was asked to express his story in a way that brings everything back to God, showing how God is present in every situation and that all activities are connected to Him. Tradition dictated that she be submissive, and Rowlandson fell into this category without seeming to bat an eyelid (Davis 52). God, much like the patriarchal system she lives in, is authoritative and she follows the will of this great puppet master, explaining her actions as the will of God and to accomplish a higher purpose. Fitting into the traditional role of a wise and pious woman, Rowlandson repeatedly describes herself as passively receiving and interpreting events controlled by God. He gives and takes away, and Rowlandson accepts this in his writing. Diving in headfirst, Rowlandson fulfills this role in his narrative with a puritanical emphasis on spiritual development. She tells her story around the growth of faith, showing how she moves from fear of death to a martyr's mindset. Initially, the “glittering weapons of the natives so intimidated my spirit” that she chose to be captured rather than die (Rowlandson 129). Later, however, she completes her spiritual journey, noting that she has "learned to look beyond present and minor problems, and to calm down in the face of them" (Rowlandson 143). Inasmuch asChristian and Puritan, her time of trials and tribulations has made her stronger, and although she is unwilling to suffer at first, Rowlandson expresses this willingness over the course of the narrative, fostering a greater appreciation of the ordinary life and greater self-confidence. the Lord. His dedication to integrating Puritan doctrine is also revealed through extensive use of scriptural references. To build credibility and verify that the material is publishable, Rowlandson includes links to Scripture, even at the most arbitrary moments. To Rowlandson, it seems that anything and everything can be linked to God, from God "sending" him a Bible to his son's visit (Rowlandson 133). Often this relationship to the Bible is stated explicitly through verbatim quotations, such as when she writes about Deuteronomy 28 and subsequent revelations (Rowlandson 133). The Bible must be fulfilled and it presents itself as a testimony of God's work in one's life. Other times, however, Rowlandson falls back on her identity as a Puritan writing to other Puritans and making unidentified references to the biblical text. Rowlandson writes, for example, that she travels "through the valley of the shadow of death," but does not make a point of stating that this phrase is found in Psalm 23 (King James Version, Psalm 23.4). A few sentences later, she says that “we were between them, one in the east and one in the west” (Rowlandson 141). This likely refers to a scriptural passage from Psalm 103:12 which states, "As far as the east is from the west, so far is our transgression from us" (King James Version). Using these psalms, readers understand more deeply that God brought her out of her time of suffering and that the “wicked” natives cannot win. In reality, Rowlandson knew his audience well. She knew her place in the religious tradition, she knew what would resonate with listeners, and she knew the hurdles she had to overcome to get her message across. During his narrative, however, Rowlandson does not rely solely on sporadic scriptural quotations to convince. readers of his dedication to the Puritan cause. The Puritans identified strongly with the Hebrews in the Old Testament and their exodus, and Rowlandson alludes to this at length throughout his work in light of historical events (Downing 255). Rowlandson's capture, prompted by King Philip's War, draws parallels to the Israelites leaving Egypt and wandering the wilderness for 40 years, and Rowlandson has no shortage of comparisons to draw. His sojourn in the desert is representative of the Israelites crossing their own desert many years before. The natives who captured her were pagans – pagans – just like the Egyptians. One native even had a “hard heart” like the Pharaoh during epidemics (Rowlandson 135). Historically, the Wampanoags attacked in a last attempt to stop English expansion into their lands (Baym & Levine 126). For Rowlandson, however, calling the homeland "wilderness" meant that it was a place where the Puritans could go just as the Israelites did. The land would be a place where one's religious tradition could draw closer to God, and the community should embrace it. Despite positive descriptions of the wilderness, Rowlandson continues to promote Puritan beliefs by portraying the wilderness's current occupants, the natives, as the antithesis of the Puritan way of life. They are depicted as pagans and pagans, the very embodiment of “immorality and sin outside the Puritan community” (O'Hara 44). In the first removal, Rowlandson clearly lays out these images, describing their.