To this point in the course we have studied a great number of texts written by men for other men. This episode--which is a little longer than usual--concentrates on unlocking the complicated lives of two women whose experiences illustrate both their own personal desires and the world around them. Anne Bradstreet was a clever, intelligent woman who was a member of a culture that forty years later came to fear the power women might hold; her desires, doubts, and arguments could not be plainly presented, so they are nestled inside of other tropes. On the other hand, Mary Rowlandson's account stands the test of time and is still read in Bible studies today, for it shows the solid foundation that unshakable faith can provide to a person in dire times. It also shows the basic humanity of Native Americans, though Rowlandson sometimes misses this herself.

Image:

Garrett, Edmund. "Frontispiece for an Account of Anne Bradstreet, Puritan Poetess, and Kindred Topics." Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Bradstreet#/media/File:Frontispiece_for_An_Account_of_Anne_Bradstreet_The_Puritan_Poetess,_and_Kindred_Topics,_edited_by_Colonel_Luther_Caldwell_(Boston,_1898)_(cropped).jpg. Accessed 31 Aug 2020.