Surviving and Succeeding Through Pluck and Luck

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Surviving and Succeeding Through Pluck and Luck
Throughout America’s history, Americans have sought to survive and succeed through pluck and luck by looking to themselves and their own energy, fortitude, innovation, and opportunities. A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, a book written by Mary Rowlandson, illustrates the fortitude of early Americans as well as the unabashed seizing and celebrating of personal skill, serendipity, and savviness. The book starts with a narration of how a horde of Indians during King Philip’s War sacked her village, causing mass casualties and destruction in their wake (Mary White Rowlandson). Mrs. Mary Rowlandson is captured in the attack and taken captive: she confesses that she would have chosen to be killed than taken alive owing to their barbarity. During her captivity, Rowlandson is forced to trek hither and thither as the Native Americans avoid capture by moving to different regions of the New England wilderness. The Indians are indifferent to her suffering during the long rough journeys, and her Bible becomes her sole companion: she unceasingly prays that the Lord save her for the predicament.
The long journeys across the rough landscape of the New England wilderness serve to fortify her religious sensibility. She even admits to neglecting her spiritual development before the attack, but the brutal weeks of captivity work to bolster her Puritan beliefs since her only hope lies in God’s intervening. Rowlandson presses home the advantages of the Puritan belief over the heathen Indian religion. She even accentuates this belief of religious superiority by parodying the garden. For instance, she calls the American Indians pagans and merciless “heathens” “who make a lively resemblance of hell by their chants and dance.” When she finally manages to escape from her captors, she attributes this fortune to her benevolent God. Throughout the text, Rowlandson makes several references to the Bible, and it is clear that the intention of writing the book was to have other Puritans read it. Rowlandson was a cherished member of the Puritan society, and therefore her account of captivity was meant to embody all that was accustomed of fine Christian women. Another quintessential characteristic of America is that of opportunity. Different biblical verses in the story are used to express gratitude to God for having sustained the prisoners thus far. The main purpose of the Puritans in the New World was to develop even more stringent religious practices than those in England in order to avoid displeasing God.
One of the most defining qualities in America is hard work, which is the ability to survive by one’s strength and fortitude. Benjamin Franklin believed that every person had an opportunity to be wealthy and healthy, but only if they were self-disciplined and worked hard. Franklin did not believe in luck but only in hard work, a willingness to learn, and ambition, which saw him become successful relatively early. Franklin’s career took an illustrious turn after he became the most prosperous printer during his time in America. His 1758 essay, The Way to Wealth, outlines several of his famo...