Everyone has their own way of defining the world, their own views of what's right or wrong. When two people of opposing cultural backgrounds come into contact with each other there is bound to be some type of cultural exchange.
Some people respond with a cold front and a refusal to change their view.
Others, through extended exposure to a foreign culture learn to accept differences which once set them apart. Rowlandson is brought into contact with the American Indian culture in a very violent way. The invasion of her town by the Indians killed numerous people she knew. This brutality was sure to force Rowlandson to act like a stone wall. At first she is shocked by the change in atmosphere.