Title: Printing, Captivity Narratives, and the Puritan Literary Marketplace
1Printing, Captivity Narratives, and the Puritan
Literary Marketplace
- English 441
- Dr. Roggenkamp
2Why is history of printing technology and
publishing important?
- Age of print coincides with era of discovery,
exploration, settlement of New World - Print a major factor in publicizing New World
forming perceptions (stories) about it - Official history is printed historystory of
America -
- Image Cristofor Co lombo, De insulis in
mari Indico nuper inventis, 1494.
3Where did books come from in British North
America?
- At first, imported only
- Phenomenally expensive
- Printing technology even more expensive
- First printing press in North America Mexico
(1540) - But first English press not until 1638
Cambridge, Mass (Harvard U) - FYI First surviving publication The Bay Psalm
Book, 1640 - Image Whole Books of Psalmes, Cambridge,
Mass, 1640
4Why is the literature of British North America
all about religion?
- First 25 years of American literature
(American-printed) hymnals, religious primers,
theologies, sermons, almanacs - Next press in America not until 1685 in
Philadelphia - Boston most bookish of Colonial cities through
Revolution - Seat of American literaturesets pace for what is
printed in America and what people in America
read until mid-nineteenth century
51660s A First Literary Boom
- New kind of literary marketplace starts to
develop 1660s - First best-sellers in America
- Prices start to come down slightly
- Genres captivity narratives, sensational and
vivid jeremiadsboth the result of and a
contributor to new popular marketplace
6First 50 Years of American Best-Sellers
- Over 1000 copies sold
- 1662 The Day of Doom (Wigglesworth)
- 1664 A Call to the Unconverted
- 1665 A Practice to Piety
- 1679 A Guide to Heaven
- 1681 The Pilgrims Progress
- 1682 Captivity and Restoration (Rowlandson)
- 1688 Essays (Sir Francis Bacon)
- 1699 Gods Protecting Providence
- 1707 Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion
7Michael Wigglesworth, The Day of Doom (1662)
- Adulterers and Whoremongers Were there,
with all unchast There Covetous, and Revenous,
That Riches got too fast Who us'd vile ways
themselves to raise t estates and worldly
wealth, Oppression by, or Knavery, By force, or
fraud, or stealth.
8Best-sellers!
9Indian Captivity Narratives
- Dominated popular publications from late 17th
century, well into 19th century - Initially First person, non-fictional accounts
written by people who survived experience of
captivity, usually English taken captive by
Native Americans - Reasons revenge, ransom, replacement of lost
tribe members - Around 750 captivities 1677-1750
10Real-Life Endings
- Ransomed for money
- Traded for Indians taken captive by English
- Escape from captors
- Murder captors
- Assimilation and adoption into Native culture
- Conversion (e.g. to Catholicism)
- Killed by captors
- Suicide
11Development of Captivity Narrative
- Late 17th century Direct religious documents
first person (Mary Rowlandson) - Early 18th century propagandistic tracts
anti-French, anti-Catholic, anti-Indian (e.g.
John Williams) - Mid to late 18th century stylized, melodramatic
resemble newly popular sentimental novels - 19th century almost wholly fictionalized works
incorporating motif of captivity - Appropriation in slave narratives, Native
American narratives
12Captivity Narrative Basic Formula
- Separation Description of event leading to
captivity - Trials and sufferings Traveling deeper into
wilderness, farther away from Puritan
civilization - Struggle between assimilation and maintaining
separate cultural identity - Growth in moral and spiritual strength
- Return to Puritan society to write account
- Allegory of Christian salvation
13Captivity and the Puritan Myth of a Chosen People
- New Israel crossing sea to enter wilderness full
of devils - Meet trials
- Captivity gives clues to what damnation feels
like - Redemptionallegory for souls salvationa lived
allegory of salvation - Captives ultimate redemption likened to
regeneration of soul
14Development of captivity narratives . . .
Rowlandson in 1682, Boston vs. England
15Development of captivity narratives . . .
Rowlandson in 1773
16More examples . . .
- John Williams, The Redeemed Captive returning to
Zion (1707)
17More examples . . .
- Mary Jemison Narrative, 1824