Captivity narrative Summary

In the following essay, Pearce examines the evolution of the style and intent of captivity narratives, from religious confessional to pulp thriller, and argues that they provide a window into American... Read more

In the essay below, Vanderbeets urges readers to view captivity narratives as a unified genre built upon common rituals. All civilized peoples have recognized the value of tempering their joys with a ... Read more

In the following excerpt, Namias explores the changing images of males in captivity narratives from 1608 through the nineteenth century. In the first and most famous captive story of an Englishman on ... Read more

In the following essay, Carroll investigates Cotton Mather's underlying message in his account of Hannah Swarton's abduction, comparing it to Mary Rowlandson's narrative. Properly... Read more

In the following essay, Fast examines the modern poetry of Native Americans Louise Erdrich and Maurice Kenny, which attempts to re-read the captivity narratives written by Europeans. Many contemporary... Read more

In the following excerpt, Ebersole discusses the role of gender and religion in the captivity narratives of the nineteenth century, with particular emphasis on the peculiar combination of entertainmen... Read more

Critical Essay by Wilcomb E. Washburn SOURCÉ: Introduction to Narratives of North American Indian Captivity: A Selective Bibliography, by Alden T. Vaughan, Garland Publishing, 1983, pp. xi-lvii... Read more

In the essay that follows, Kolodny examines the conflict between the nineteenth-century ideal of white womanhood and the captivity narratives authored by "Indianized" women. Always distu... Read more

In the following essay, Levernier maintains that nineteenth-century captivity narratives written specifically for children and young adults were intended to convey moral, religious, and political less... Read more