Elizabeth Hanson

We are to the part about captivity narratives in my women's history class.  Seven years ago I took a Lit. class that focused on this genre for a month solid.  At the end I HATED Mary and Elizabeth and every other stupid Puritan frontier lady who got herself captured by Native Americans, was freed, and published her story.  Yeah, apparently you could get book deals back then if something crazy happened to you.  You probably didn't make millions in royalties like now, but you got fame and a spot in history. 
Tonight I re-read Elizabeth Hanson's "God's Mercy Surmounting Man's Cruelty".  I thought it was FASCINATING this time around.  Now, let me say I don't think I'll be devoting any more time to captivity narratives than is necessary, but I found redeeming value in her story this time.  Maybe I'm just a more mature student and can read things with a new appreciation now.  I don't know.  However, if you haven't read her story, it's worth a glance--if only so you have a better command of colonial American history.
I was struck by Hanson's portrayal of her captors--she vascilates betwee calling them civilized and savage.  Every good thing is interpreted as Divine Providence, and every bad thing is a test she must pass to achieve salvation.  She eats some crazy stuff, walks hundreds of miles, sleeps on the ground in the winter, watches her children killed or taken by other Indians, gives us a view of life as an Indian, and talks with French people!  If it hadn't been traumtic, it would have been a pretty cool adventure.  A side note: Hanson's a big fan of inserting prayers, cliches and exhortations into her account.  Given her pious and captivity narrative-loving audience, it certainly makes sense, but you should be prepared for some serious moralizing!
So I guess I'm saying that sometimes you have to give something a second chance.  Hanson wasn't terrible the second time around.