One similarity that Rowlandson describes is the experience of living in a society of two distinct cultures. Rowlandson was captured by Native Americans and forced to live among them for about three months, during which time she experienced two different ways of life. She notes that both societies had their own languages, customs, clothing, and religious beliefs; although they were vastly different from each other, there were still some similarities. For example, both societies respected land and natural resources in similar ways; they hunted animals for food and used whatever resources nature provided to sustain themselves. Additionally, both societies observed similar kinds of hospitality when it came to sharing meals with guests or strangers.
Discuss one similarity and one difference that Rowlandson describes.
The main difference that Rowlandson describes between these two societies is how they viewed property ownership and labor practices. In her English Puritan culture, people owned private property such as land or tools for work; this idea was completely foreign to the Native Americans who believed that all things belonged to everyone collectively. Furthermore, while an Englishman might be considered lazy if he didn’t work hard enough on his own farmland or business enterprise, the people of the native tribe valued leisure activities more than labor. This may have been due in part to their understanding that Mother Nature would provide whatever resources were needed without human effort—a perspective that was widely shared by many indigenous groups throughout North America during this time period.