Captive Selves, Captivating Others: The Politics And Poetics Of Colonial American Captivity Narratives (Institutional Structures of Feeling)

This book reexamines the Anglo-American literary genre known as the “Indian captivity narrative” in the context of the complex historical practice of captivity across cultural borders in colonial North America. This detailed and nuanced study of the relationship between practice and representation on the one hand, and identity and alterity on the other. It is an important contribution to cultural studies, American studies, Native American studies, women’s studies, and historical anthropology. This Book Reexamines The Anglo-american Literary Genre Known As The Indian Captivity Narrative In The Context Of The Complex Historical Practice Of Captivity Across Cultural Borders In Colonial North America. More Familiar Captivity Narratives Such As That Of Capt. John Smith Appear In A New Light When Read Alongside Less-familiar Stories Of Captivity, Particularly Those Concerning Native Americans Captured By British Explorers And Colonists. This Detailed And Nuanced Study Of The Construction Of Identity And Difference Is An Important Contribution To Cultural Studies, American Studies, Native American Studies, Women's Studies, Ethnohistory, And Anthropology.--jacket. Chronology Of Events, 1576-1776 -- Introduction: Captivity As Convergent Practice And Selective Tradition -- Identity, Alterity, And The Process Of Typification -- Scholarly Traditions Of Captivity -- The Politics And Poetics Of Captivity: An Overview -- Indian Captives, English Captors, 1576-1622 -- European Devourers And Their Prey -- Kidnapping Tokens And Informants: Frobisher's Inuit Captives -- Capturing Allies And Enemies: Tisquantum, Alias Squanto -- Captivity And Hostage-exchange In Powhatan's Domain, 1607-1624 -- A Christian For A Savage: The Middle Ground Of Hostage-exchange -- The Captivity And Transformation Of John Smith -- The Captivity And Typification Of Pocahontas -- Captivity, Conquest, And Resistance -- The Politics And Poetics Of Captivity In New England, 1620-1682 -- Indigenous And Convergent Captivity Practices -- Metacom's War, Wetamo's Grievances, And The Captivity Of Mary Rowlandson -- Wilderness Trials: A Gentlewoman's Conversion Narrative -- Captivity, Servitude, And Authority -- Seduction, Redemption, And The Typification Of Captivity, 1675-1707 -- To Live Like Heathen: The Two Hannahs -- Texts Written In Blood: Cotton Mather And The Production Of Meaning -- Redeemed And Unredeemed Captives: John And Eunice Williams -- Typification, Subordination, And The Limits Of Hegemony -- Captive Ethnographers, 1699-1736 -- Shared Substance, Shared Light: The Dickinson And Hanson Narratives -- Manners And Customs: The Transculturated Captive -- Captivity And Colonial Structures Of Feeling, 1744-1776. Pauline Turner Strong. This Book Reexamines The Anglo-american Literary Genre Known As The 'indian Captivity Narrative' In The Context Of The Complex Historical Practice Of Captivity Across Cultural Borders In Colonial America--jacket. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 219-251) And Index. Captive Selves, Captivating Others reexamines the Anglo-American literary genre known as the "Indian captivity narrative" in the context of the complex historical practice of captivity across cultural borders in colonial North America. This detailed and nuanced study of the relationship between practice and representation, on the one hand, and identity and alterity, on the other, is an important contribution to cultural studies, American studies, Native American studies, women's studies, and historical anthropology. In a selective tradition that dates to the seventeenth century, Anglo-American identity is represented as the product of struggles in and against the wild: struggles of a collective Self surrounded by a threatening but enticing wilderness, a Self that seeks to domesticate this wilderness as well as the savagery within itself, and that opposes itself to Others Portrayed as savage, bestial, demonic, and seductive. This book considers two key typifications within the Anglo-American captivity tradition: the Captive Self and the Captivating Other. It analyzes a hegemonic tradition of representation and illuminates the processes through which typifications are constructed, made authoritative, and transformed.