A review of “The Unredeemed Captive” by John Deemos about the adoption of a Puritan child by the Indians.
This paper analyzes John Deemos’ The Unredeemed Captive about the adoption of Eunice Williams by Indians at a time when the Puritan settlers of New England Colonies did not get on with their neighboring Indians. It discusses the Puritan’s stereotype views of the Indians and how the only way to ‘redeem’ oneself if captured was by escape or by being freed. It tells the story of Eunice’s capture and evaluates how this stereotype only increased Eunice’s repulsion of how her father viewed the Indians,. making her adopt their way of life and marry an one of them and thus remaining “unredeemed”.
“The Mohawk Indians attacked the frontier village of Deerfield in 1704, taking a number of Puritans captive. The whole Puritan Indian cross-cultural encounter brought out the Puritan’s view of other societies and how their lack of Puritanical beliefs made them savages, uncivilized and wild. On release, some captives decided to remain behind with the Indians, one of them being Eunice Williams, daughter of the Puritan minister John Williams. This horrified the other Puritans, as they could not understand how one would be willing to turn away from God and adopt heathenic ways ensuring their souls would never attain salvation.”