Allusions Chart for
A Narrative of the Captivity
Mary Rowlandson
Each of the “Removes” that you read yesterday contain at least one specific biblical allusion. On
the provided chart, fill in the biblical allusion on one side of the chart and the connection
Rowlandson was making with her particular situation at that moment. You might need to look up
the verses in the Bible to help you understand the allusion. At the bottom of the chart, you will
assess what the overall impact of these allusions are for the audience of Rowlandson’s text.
Remove Lines Biblical Allusion Rowlandson’s Connection
Third
Remove
42-44 Me (as he said) have ye bereaved
of my Children, Joseph is not, and
Simeon is not, and ye will take
Benjamin also, all these things are
against me
Genesis 42:36
One of her children were dead, and
the other was out in the wilderness.
She was deprived of her children.
The verse she used was when Jacob
was derived of his children. Both of
them felt like everything was
against them.
Fifth
Remove
87-88 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the
rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you
ablaze.
Isaiah 43:2
We crossed the river that evening,
but the rest of the company didn't
cross until the evening after the
Sabbath. We drank the soup
prepared from an old horse leg that
had been boiled on Saturday as
soon as they thought it was ready,
and when it was almost gone, they
filled it up again.
Eighth
Remove
108-
109
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and
wept
when we remembered Zion.
Psalms 137:1
They gathered around me when I
landed, with me sitting alone in the
heart of them. I watched as they
spoke, laughed, and congratulated
each other on their achievements.
My heart appeared to stop beating
at that point, and I began to cry in
front of them for the first time in
my life. Despite having gone
through so much anguish and
having my heart on the verge of
breaking, I couldn't cry a single tear
in their company. Instead, I looked
to be lost in a maze, confusing the
Ninth 160- Cast your cares on the Lord But I was hungry, so I wandered
Remove 161 and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.
Psalm 55:22
about the wigwams and entered
one, where I encountered a friendly
squaw who offered me a piece of
bear.
Twentieth
Remove
197-
198
So he subjected them to bitter
labor;
they stumbled, and there was no
one to help.
Psalm 107:12
I didn't want to run; instead, I
wanted to wait for God's timing so
that I might safely return home.
Looking at the chart above, what is the overall impact or effect of such a large number of biblical
allusions? What does it tell us about Rowlandson’s familiarity with Scripture, her understanding
of the the world, and her use of Scripture? What lessons might Rowlandson offer us in these
areas?
