Indian captivity tales

Abstract

This bachelor paper analyzes the narratives of captured European settlers by the native American Indians – the "Indian captivity tales”. Primarily it focuses on three female captives and their experiences from Indian captivity, each imprisoned in different century and area of the American continent. The paper begins with presenting the motives that led the American Indians to their acts. Second part of the paper describes themes of the individual period that apply to three chosen narratives. Attention is turned especially to the Puritan era by reason of paralleling personal experiences of the captives with biblical stories. Last part of the paper is devoted to analysis of pleasant or painful experiences of three female captives as well as of their different perception of the American Indian culture.