Wewere hurried up and down in our thoughts
Even after the is no longer physically held captive, her loss of her daughter and her anxiety about the state of her other children are a prison of their own that keep her "unsettled in [her] mind".
10 Matching Annotations
- Aug 2023
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strangely did the Lordprovide for them; that I did not see (all the time I was among them) one man, woman, or child,die with hunger
Although she clearly hates them as evidenced by her language describing them as heathens, beasts, etc. and finds them "strange," she has a sort of admiration for their persistence and ability to survive, "strengthened...to be a scourge" by God.
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when Daniel was cast into the den
Daniel disobeyed the king's new law to only pray to the king and no other gods and was cast into the lion's den as punishment. He remained steadfast in his faith and God controlled the lions to protect hum, synonymous to Mary's faithfulness and what she sees as God controlling the natives in opposition to their nature.
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Then I went home to mymistress's wigwam; and they told me I disgraced my master with begging, and if I did so anymore, they would knock me in the head. I told them, they had as good knock me in head asstarve me to death
Sort of a role reversal here. A few removals ago, she complains of her skin being removed from her back by her load and they tell her they wouldn't care if it were her head removed from her soldiers. Then, her life was leverage for them. Now, she uses the threat of her death as leverage for herself.
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there was one benefit in it—that there was more room
Irony of her suffering when her own child died but now benefitting when another's child dies.
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But I thank God, He has now given me power over it
Her captivity freed her from a different vice, tobacco.
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Lot's wife's temptation, when she looked back
In Genesis, Lot and his family are warned by angels to flee their home to avoid being caught when their city is destroyed, but Lot's wife looks back and is turned into a pillar of salt as punishment.
Mary's understanding is because she resonates with the wish of Lot's wife to return to what once was.
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I cannot buttake notice of the strange providence of God in preserving the heathen
Notably, this is the first time there is any evidence of her faltering in our doubting her faith but it's fleeting; she immediately states that "God would have found a way for the English to have passed this river" if they were ready to be saved.
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it seemed at present worse than death that it was in such a pitifulcondition
She makes an interesting point here. Loss can sometimes feel better than loss or pain that you know is coming but you feel you are incapable of stopping.
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for thebenefit of the afflicted
The statement that Mary's testimony is "for the benefit of the afflicted" reminds me of what Professor Marr mentioned in class about how sharing an experience (or someone sharing an experience a captive resonates with) can be freeing even if one is still being held captive.
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