The Tale of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson's Captivity and Restoration reveals that the horrific portrayal of Indian religion (or what Rowlandson perceives as a lack of religion) in narrative is directly linked to the ideologies of his Puritan upbringing. Furthermore, Rowlandson's experiences in captivity and her encounter with the new, or "Other" religion of the Indians cause her to rethink and question her past; her experiences however do not cause her to redirect her life or change her ideals in any way. The function of religion plays a significant role in the narrative, particularly the differences between the narrator's religious beliefs and the "Other" religion of his captors. More specifically the narrator's Puritan ideology reveals the differences between religions and cultures in this novel. History has shown that although the Puritans fled to America for religious freedom, they brutalized those outside of their religion and customs. After being captured by American Indians, or "ravenous bears (14) as Rowlandson describes, she transmits her strong puritanical values, criticizing and humiliating the religion of the Indians, or as illustrated by Rowlandson, their complete lack of values, morals and religious Rowlandson describes the Indians as a horrible species; yet what Rowlandson considers evil and frightening, may be the ideals of other human beings. For example, Rowlandson, in his first encounter with the Indians, is quick to observe: "Oh what a roar . and the singing, dancing, and screaming of those black creatures in the night, which made the place a lively resemblance to hell..." (14). It is obvious from this statement that Rowlandson, because of his strong principles , immediately judges those different ... half of the paper ... confirms his faith to his readers and proves to the Puritan society that religion came first even during the hardships he endured in captivity It is for this specific reason that Rowlandson paints such a horrific image of the Indians in the narrative and constantly refers to God throughout the text If she had shown sympathy towards the Indians and their religious beliefs, she would probably have been ridiculed by her peers. To conclude, in today's context this narrative. through Rowlandson's words, she demonstrates that religious ideologies can be incredibly firm, hypocritical, and full of prejudice Mary Rowlandson is proof of how constraining and influential the Puritan lifestyle was during that time. All references are taken from Woman's Indian Captivity Narratives, ed. Kathryn Zabelle Derounian-Stodola, (Penguin).