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Miranda

Jorge F. Miranda

Ms. Saravia

English 11 period 4

22 September 2016

Comparative Essay

There are many books, movies, and stories about being captive, but in the case of Mary

Rowlandson in Captivity(by Mary Rowlandson) and Gracia Burnham in Missionary tells

story of being kidnapped, held hostage (by Bethany Pico) they share a lot in common. There are

many similarities but there are many differences as well. They may share their belief of their own

religion, how they feel about the captures, and they both lost someone they loved. But they are

different in ways such as why they were captured, when they were captured and the lost of the

loved one was different.

Both women felt that their religion was gonna help them get out of the situation, but it

wasnt always like that there was a time in their life where the questioned why did God do this to

them. At the end they felt more of a bound with them and God. They sought to follow their

religion and at the end of the day that is what actually saved their lives. Both women were being

held captive for two different reasons. In the case of Mary Rowlandson, she was being held by

the Wampanoag for ransomed while for Gracia Burnham the Abu Sayyaf Group held her captive

held her for political reasons.

Mary Rowlandson was captured February of 1676 and Gracia Burnham was captured

May 21 of 2001. By the end of there captivity they felt the captors were part of their family. Like

Gracia Burnham states My hatred was replaced with concern and even love for them,(Pico).

Also in Marys point of view as she states And bade me come again: and told me they would
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Miranda

buy me, if they were able, and yet these were strangers to me that I never saw before.

(Rowlandson).

These two women have been through a lot including losing a loved one. For Mary she

lost her daughter who was six years old, and Gracia lost her Husband. Marys Daughter died of

malnutrition while the captors killed Gracias husband. Even though they lost a love one thanks

to the captors they sought to find peace with themselves and their captors.

Both Mary Rowlandson and Gracia Burnham forgave their captors and ended having a lot

in common even though they were taken in different time periods. They both survived thanks to

their strong faith in their religion. Thats is how Mary Rowlandson and Gracia Burnham share

things in common.