Considering our discussion of The Captive, compare Samuel Sewall's personal account with Rowlandson's captivity narrative. Where do you see similarities? Differences? To what themes do these similarities and differences speak? Return once again to our question about the purpose of literature.
Keep in mind, also, the historical context of these pieces; the introduction to Sewall's personal diary mentions that issues of materialism and loss of faith were becoming more prevalent in Puritan society at that time.
How might this knowledge affect our reading of Settlement Literature and its purpose in the scope of American Literature?