"The Unredeemed Captive" by John Demos

In The Unredeemed Captive, John Demos illustrates the complexities of the relationships among the puritan settlers of New England, the Roman-Catholic French of New France (currently parts of Canada), and the Native Americans both nations forcefully relocated. He also shows how undercurrents of racism and moral superiority often trouble these relationships, especially with the Native Americans. With the narrative style of a novel rather than a historical record, Demos tells the story of Eunice Williams, a captured daughter of honored minister John Williams, to turn the worlds of master and captive upside down. This narrative is far different than the autobiographical narratives written by former prisoners. It provides an honest look into the captivity of prisoners by Native Americans, a story of prejudice in the usual prisoner's narrative.…