La Malinche Thesis

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La Malinche
Today in Mexico, the word “malinche” or “malinchista” is used to describe a person who betrays his or her own people. This term has its origins on the name of the Native American woman, la Malinche or Doña Marina. She played an important role in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire. La Malinche became Hernan Cortez’s translator, advisor, and lover during the conquest period. Her knowledge of Mayan and Nahuatl languages gave Cortez the necessary tools to conquer the Aztec empire. Malinche was the daughter of a noble Aztec ruler of a Nahuatl speaking village. According to historians, she was born around the 1505. La Malinche was educated since her early years, something that was not very common for women in those days, but being …show more content…

As part of their customs, the Tabascan chiefs gave the Spaniards many gifts as symbol of peace. Among those gifts were twenty Indian slaves, including La Malinche. At first, the Spaniards did not want to cohabit with them because they were not baptized. Once baptized, la Malinche received the Christian name of Marina. Her knowledge of the Maya and Nahuatl languages were notice by Hernan Cortes and soon after she become one of his translators when he needed to speak with the Indian tribes. Hernan Cortes also had another translator, Jeronimo de Aguilar, who had been rescued by Cortez after spending eight years of slavery with the Mayans. During his years of slavery, Aguilar learned the Mayan language, which turned out to be a valuable asset for …show more content…

She did not only translate for him but she also served as a spy for the Spaniards. She also saved Cortes and his men from many embarrassing moments, as well as bloodsheds, and her knowledge of Aztec culture gave Cortes many advantages. One of these advantages was that the natives believed that Cortes was Quetzalcoatl reincarnated, and that he was coming back to reclaim his people. Even though, this belief did not last for long time, it gave Cortes the opportunity to attract Moctezuma’s attention. Without her, many negotiations between Moctezuma and Cortes would have been

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