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John Smith, Mary Rowlandson and Native Americans

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Although it can be taken for granted that both authors wrote with propaganda purposes, obvious differences characterize their works, by which their distinct use of metaphorical language can be explained. The only similitude to remark is that they both coincide on describing the Natives through pejorative terms. Likewise, Native terms are present on their texts, e.g., poconos (line 36) and papooses (line 9, The Fifth Remove), even though Smith adds on military technical words such as fly and needle and vambrace (lines 15 and 35, respectively). On one hand, John Smith calls them savages or grim courtiers (lines 1 and 52) and also compares them to devils (line 50). As his was third-person narrative, there exists more objectivity on his texts. This is one of the reasons why his metaphors are not as reiterated as Rowlandson's. His tale background is a blend of fact and fiction, so that third-person helps to give more veracity to the events. On the other hand, Mary Rowlandson's, which tells about the sack by the Indians and her later captivity, is related in first person. Therefore, hers is a much more extensive language, richer in metaphors, especially in the first passages. She portrays the natives as heathen (line 26-49, first passage; line 8, The Fifth Remove), wolves (line 49, first passage), hell-hounds (line 50, first passage) or ravenous beasts (line 57, first passage). Moreover, she uses a simile to express her sorrow on the loss of her six-year old child my sweet babe like a lamb departed this life (lines 14-15, The Third Remove) and also to dramatize the colonists state when the raid was over like a company of sheep torn by wolves (line 49, first passage). All these words contain a clear religious connotation. Once she is taken captive, she starts interacting with them so that, as time goes by, inevitably, her perspective onto them progressively turns around. Thus, her terms to refer to them get more neutral and softer as well;

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