Captivity narratives are typically personal accounts of people captured by an enemy, generally one of a foreign culture. The genre is best known in North America through accounts of Europeans and Americans held captive by Indigenous peoples, though earlier examples include English captives of Barbary pirates and others taken in the Middle East, and the form has remained significant in literature, history and ethnographic study; since the late twentieth century scholars have also applied it to accounts of contemporary religious cults.
Facts
Place of OriginNo single point of origin: the best-known tradition is North American accounts of captivity among Indigenous peoples, preceded among English speakers by narratives of English captives held by Barbary pirates. 1 Notable ExampleMary Rowlandson's 1682 account of her 1676 capture during King Philip's War is regarded by historians as one of the first and most famous captivity narratives. 1 Defining TraitMany narratives placed the ordeal within a religious framework, crediting God or Providence for the captive's eventual freedom or salvation. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Captivity Narrative (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)lede, second paragraph
These accounts established some of the major elements of the form, often putting it within a religious framework, and crediting God or Providence for gaining freedom or salvation.
lede
A famous example of a captivity narrative, that historians regard as one of the first of its kind, is the personal account of Mary Rowlandson.
lede, Barbary paragraph
They were preceded, among English-speaking peoples, by publication of captivity narratives related to English people taken captive and held by Barbary pirates, or sold for ransom or slavery.
lede, opening sentence
Captivity narratives are typically personal accounts of people who have been captured by an enemy, generally an enemy with a foreign culture.
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