Sherman Alexie, "Captivity"


1. In 1682, Mary Rowlandson published A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. It has become one of the most read works in American literature, and its portrayal of American Indians has had a broad effect on Anglo-Indian relations. In her Narrative, Rowlandson describes an Indian attack upon her family in 1676, her subsequent captivity, and her ultimate return to Puritan society. She portrays the Indians as "merciless heathens," and herself as a Christian being tested, like Job, by God. Alexie begins his "Captivity" with a quotation from Mary Rowlandson. What does that quotation suggest that Alexie believes about Rowlandson's deeper relationship with the Indians? How does Alexie's portrayal of contemporary relations between specific Indians and Anglo-Americans in the story support that viewpoint? In Alexie's "Captivity," who is captive, and who is captor?

2. In section 3 of "Captivity," Alexie (or at least his narrator) asks Rowlandson, "Was it 1676 or 1976 or 1776 or yesterday when the Indian held you tight in his dark arms and promised you nothing but the sound of his voice?" In section 9, he writes that "the best weapons are the stories and every time the story is told, something changes." What do these quotations suggest about Alexie's definitions of time and of history? For instance, does he really believe that he is speaking to Rowlandson? Similarly, when he writes that "every time the story is retold, something changes," what does he reveal about the overriding purpose of his story, and of his decision to address Rowlandson directly?

3. In "Captivity," Alexie tells the reader that there are only two things to "depend on." What are those things, and how do they answer the question of what "has changed" with Alexie's particular retelling of the "captivity" narrative?