Captivity Narratives and the Puritan Literary Marketplace English 516 Dr. Roggenkamp.
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Transcript of Captivity Narratives and the Puritan Literary Marketplace English 516 Dr. Roggenkamp.
Captivity Narratives and the Puritan Literary Marketplace
English 516
Dr. Roggenkamp
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
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 literature—sets pace for what is printed in America and what people in America read until mid-nineteenth century
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 jeremiads—both the result of and a contributor to new popular marketplace
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 Pilgrim’s Progress 1682 Captivity and Restoration (Rowlandson) 1688 Essays (Sir Francis Bacon) 1699 God’s Protecting Providence 1707 Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion
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
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
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
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 Redemption—allegory for soul’s salvation—a
lived allegory of salvation Soul held in bondage to flesh Captive’s ultimate redemption likened to
regeneration of soul
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
Development of captivity narratives . . . Rowlandson in 1682, Boston vs. England
Development of captivity narratives . . . Rowlandson in 1773
More examples . . . John Williams, The
Redeemed Captive returning to Zion (1707)
“Panther” Narrative, 1777
More examples . . . Mary Jemison narrative,
1824
1853 captivity narrative