Next I will explore how through the dominant gaze, both Columbus’s letters and Rowlandson narrative transmits the colonizer’s Christian values and influences, further affirming the colonizer’s dominant position in the New World. Both Columbus’s and Rowlandson’s texts are rich with references to Christianity. As Christians themselves, both writers are able spread their Christian influences and values in their writing. And by using the dominant gaze, Columbus and Rowlandson are able to identify America as a symbol and model of the Christian religion. America is portrayed as a Christian civilization specially made and provided for the European colonizer to dominate. For example, Christopher Columbus’ descriptions of discovering the New World in …show more content…
As a Puritan, Rowlandson believed all events that occur in life have meaning and purpose given by God. Humans have no choice in it and must accept God’s will. And so, as devout followers of Christianity, Puritans are told to practice patience, to accept things as they are, tolerate suffering and delay gratification as they submit themselves to God and strengthen their faith. These are the Christian values Puritans must uphold. And Mary Rowlandson definitely displays and maintains these values even when she is held captive by the native Indians. During her captivity, Rowlandson draws parallels between her own situation and verses from the Bible. Biblical verses, such as “Wait on the Lord, Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine Heart, wait I say on the Lord. [Psalm 27]” (para. 3.3a), gave Rowlandson relief, strength, comfort and hope. The Bible she carries and the biblical verses she reads allow Rowlandson to find the strength and confidence to tolerate her suffering. And by doing so, she reinforces her people’s Christian values, along with the traditional concept of providence of the Puritan. Scholars such as Slotkin and Folsom (1978) comment how Mary Rowlandson’s captivity narrative is recognized as “symbolizing the values of Christianity and American civilization” (p. 302). In the end, despite her long suffering, Rowlandson is triumphant as her narrative reveals that by remaining faithful and patient, she is finally liberated by God. Rowlandson is victorious in withstanding the pain inflicted to her during her captivity while her captives appear to have lost. In the end, Christianity prevails. This idea along with the Christian values of the colonizer are propagated from Rowlandson's text to her readers, establishing how dominantly influential the colonizer's religion is. Through the dominant gaze, the European colonizer is proven to be the more powerful and