The Relation of My Imprisonment: A Fiction

The Relation of My Imprisonment is a work of fiction utilizing a form invented in the seventeenth century by imprisoned Puritan divines.

Designed to be exemplary, works of this type were aimed at brethren outside the prison walls and functioned primarily as figurative dramatization of the test of fait all true believers must endure.

These "relations," framed by scripture and by a sermon explicating the text, were usually read aloud in weekly or monthly installments during religious services.

Utterly sincere and detailed recounting of suffering, they were nonetheless highly artificial.