Although women were subordinate in the eyes of both church and government, women found ways to express authority both intentionally and unintentionally. Women began to act independently in patriarchal society. In the 17th century Euro-American Puritan society believed that men played a patriarchal role over women and that this role was instituted by God and nature. The seniority of men over women resided in both the domestic and public spheres. The nuclear family, the immediate family living in the same house was subject to the male as the main figure of the house. The public sphere, also known as social life within the Puritan community, was composed of two levels. These levels consisted of formal and informal audiences. The formal audience consisted of women and indentured servants. Women were expected to remain within the informal public and remain in the shadow of men. Among these women are Anne Hutchinson and Mary Rowlandson. Both women were similar in social status, both high status and well-educated women. Social and religious patterns were two of the determining factors for the role of women in the New England colonies. Anne Hutchinson's independence led to her exile while Mary Rowlandson's independence led to the publication of her spiritual experience. Anne Hutchinson, of Massachusetts Bay, was a woman of Euro-American society in the early 17th century. Born in the late 16th century, Hutchinson was baptized in the Puritan church. He was self-taught and also learned by reading books from his father's library. His family was middle class and church members. His father was a reverend. She married William Hutchinson, a magistrate of the colony. Hutchinson, like many other women, played a role in the child beari...... middle of paper...... her personal relationship with God, in which Mary Rowlandson examined the Scriptures for spiritual interpretation . The men were against Anne Hutchinson's action but they were not against Mary Rowlandson's. The reason lies in the patriarchal society. The men were able to have some control over Rowlandson and not over Hutchinson. Rowlandson was the perfect example of Puritan piety, and Hutchinson was not. Hutchinson also posed a threat to them because she showed her power in the courtroom when they had such a hard time finding her guilty. Did Rowlandson learn from Hutchinson's mistakes to push the envelope, or did the Puritan government learn throughout the 17th century that by empowering women, as Rowlandson did, they could keep women in their gender roles. Regardless, both women had a say, and regardless of the results, both voices were heard.