Essay Questions

Despite John William’s years-long attempts to be re-united with Eunice, it is not until after his passing that Eunice’s brother, Stephen, is finally able to convince her to agree to a meeting. Why might Eunice’s brother have been more successful in persuading her to visit than John Williams?

It is very evident that Eunice’s family loved her dearly and wished to see her returned to them. Despite this, however, Eunice outright refused to even see her father, a fact that distressed him greatly. After Eunice’s father—John Williams—died in 1729, her brother continued the task of trying to get her returned to them. In a change of pace, Eunice agreed to meet with Stephen once in Albany, New York. After this meeting, which was reportedly very bittersweet, Eunice agreed to pay Stephen another visit, this time accompanied by her husband and staying more than four days. Stephen’s success in coaxing Eunice from her refusal to meet may be due to the fact Stephen’s relationship with her was one of sibling love, rather than parental love. Eunice likely viewed her adoptive Native American parents as her true parents and, as such, may have refused to meet with John Williams for fear that he would try to unseat the family she had grown used to and grown to love. Stephen, however, did not represent a threat of kidnap or abandonment. Rather than remove Eunice from her Native American home, Stephen merely wanted to reunite and rekindle their sibling relationship. This likely posed less of a threat to the world Eunice had become familiar with, which may explain why she agreed to meet with him.

Why might Eunice have refused to see her father and/or family ever again?

Given that Eunice began living with her adoptive Native American family when she was very young—only seven years old—Eunice’s understanding of her past and birth family was likely shaped by the Native Americans with whom she was living. Eunice was raised as a Native American, immersed in their culture—even provided a traditional name. Given that she was so young, it is likely that Eunice replaced her memories of her birth family with the new customs and cultures of her Native American life. It is therefore entirely possible that she did not have any memories of her birth father and, as such, had no interest in reuniting with him when he came to visit. Eunice may also have been told by her Native American parents that her father was an evil or unkind man; if she believed this, it would explain her lack of emotion regarding her father, as well as her insistence that she not see him.

How might Eunice’s young age at the time of her kidnap have contributed to her ultimate future?

At the time of her capture and departure from the family she had known, Eunice was just seven-years-old. These formative years—when a child is still young and impressionable—are incredibly important in that child’s development. Though Eunice would have undoubtedly felt an emotional connection to her family, her brain was still very flexible and malleable. As such, when she was adopted by the Native Americans and immersed in their culture and customs, she likely became so used to this new way of her life that her brain adapted, allowing her to form a new understanding of family, culture, and customs. As such, it is likely that it was because of Eunice’s young age that she was able to forget her birth family so quickly and become indoctrinated in the ways of the Native Americans whom had adopted her.