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O Savage Where Art Thou, O Christian Where Art Thou?

O Savage Where Art Thou, O Christian Where Art Thou?

Many writers have contributed to the telling and re-telling of the war between the Indians and the English from perspectives all across the scale.   However, William Apess “From Eulogy On King Philip speaks in such a way as to stand to the face of the so-called Puritans. Effectively he rebuffs their Anglo-American idea of religion and true Christianity by acknowledging his own conversion and contrasting the notion of Christianity with the outrageousness of the English’s self-righteousness by challenging, “How they could go to work to enslave a free people and call it religion is beyond the power of my imagination and outstrips the revelation of God’s word.” He then goes on to accuse them saying, “O thou pretended hypocritical Christian whoever thou art, to say it was the design of God that we should murder and slay one another because we have the power.” P.110.
In another context, Apess confronts Increase Mather, “But we might suppose that men like Dr. Mather, so well versed in Scripture, would have known his work better . . .” He chastises Mather, “He ought to have known that God did not make his red children for him to curse …” (p.110)

Finally, and in the most confrontational of questions, Apess challenges, “And do you believe that Indians cannot feel … and see as well as the white people?”
This was a long and arduous reading overall, but one I found to be most compelling.   Moreover, while impassioned by Apess’s words and conviction, it was after I read another authors impression of this composition that I truly gained insight into the complexities of the time and the enormous differences in perspective among the many players.   What with Mather and his preaching, and Rowlandson’s lamenting, Gussman’s words came as a real portrayal as to who was the definite offensive and who was the factual defensive on this great and terrible playing field.
Deborah Gussman, Associate of Literature at the School of...