Captivity An Analysis of culture
Imagine being taken by the enemy far from civilization only to find love of the enemy
and love for the world in which the enemy lives. Any preconceived notions about this enemy are
abandoned as time progresses, leading to new opinions, discoveries, and perceptions about the
world, challenging morality on a fundamental level. This transposition of worldly views is
illustrated by Louise Erdrich in her poem, “Captivity”, in which she impersonates Mary
Rowlandson who was captured by Native Americans in 1676. Erdrich opines Rowlandson’s
experiences and dynamic opinion of the Native American people. Through symbolism and
situational irony, combined with the juxtaposition of earthborn and monetary culture, Erdrich
explores the relationships between white settlers and Native Americans.
In the beginning, Erdrich describes a stream as “swift and so cold I thought I would be
sliced in two”. This vivid image represents a cultural split between the Indians and the white
people; the difference in culture is evident. This concept appears repeatedly throughout the
poem. Erdrich describes the white men as “God’s agents or pitch devils” revealing contradictory
feelings about the white men. The white men carry guns loaded with “swan shot” which implies
that killing an Indian is like killing and innocent swan in its own habitat. All of these excerpts
symbolize a confliction of beliefs between the Indians and their stereotype. After the reader
witnesses acts of kindness from the Indians, the “forest closed, the light deepened”. The forest
closing symbolizes the experiencing of more Indian culture were as the light deepening describes
the awareness and understanding of the differing culture. In the same fashion, Erdrich continues
to reveal the kindness of the Indian captors. The Indians offer tribal delicacies which symbolize
the kindness of the Native Americans towards the outsider. Following these kind
and love for the world in which the enemy lives. Any preconceived notions about this enemy are
abandoned as time progresses, leading to new opinions, discoveries, and perceptions about the
world, challenging morality on a fundamental level. This transposition of worldly views is
illustrated by Louise Erdrich in her poem, “Captivity”, in which she impersonates Mary
Rowlandson who was captured by Native Americans in 1676. Erdrich opines Rowlandson’s
experiences and dynamic opinion of the Native American people. Through symbolism and
situational irony, combined with the juxtaposition of earthborn and monetary culture, Erdrich
explores the relationships between white settlers and Native Americans.
In the beginning, Erdrich describes a stream as “swift and so cold I thought I would be
sliced in two”. This vivid image represents a cultural split between the Indians and the white
people; the difference in culture is evident. This concept appears repeatedly throughout the
poem. Erdrich describes the white men as “God’s agents or pitch devils” revealing contradictory
feelings about the white men. The white men carry guns loaded with “swan shot” which implies
that killing an Indian is like killing and innocent swan in its own habitat. All of these excerpts
symbolize a confliction of beliefs between the Indians and their stereotype. After the reader
witnesses acts of kindness from the Indians, the “forest closed, the light deepened”. The forest
closing symbolizes the experiencing of more Indian culture were as the light deepening describes
the awareness and understanding of the differing culture. In the same fashion, Erdrich continues
to reveal the kindness of the Indian captors. The Indians offer tribal delicacies which symbolize
the kindness of the Native Americans towards the outsider. Following these kind