Comparing The Names Of Malinche, Malintzin, And Doa Marina

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The historical figures La Malinche, Malintzin, and Doa Marina are all names of the same indigenous woman who was vital in the conquest of Mexico. It is a complex story due to not only her agency but also the difficult choices she faced during this tumultuous period in history. She was an influential advisor, mediator, and interpreter during the early 16th-century Spanish conquest of Mexico. Essentially, these variations in her name, La Malinche, Malintzin, and Doa Marina, all indicate varied viewpoints and analyses of her historical significance. However, what do each of these names mean? In Mexican literature and history, the title "La Malinche" combines her given name, Malintzin, and the Spanish article "la." However, the word "malinche" …show more content…

Consequently, Malinche's original Nahuatl name, Malintzin, reflects her indigenous ancestry. Malintzin was born into the elite Nahua tribe of Mexico (Kartunnen). Still, after being sent away due to her parents wanting her brother to earn status rather than herself, she ended up in the hands of Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquerors, who took her as a slave (Castillo). In means of survival and essentially no other choices after being abandoned by her family, she took on the role of Cortés' "mistress" as well as his interpreter, greatly aiding in the communication between the Spanish and the native peoples. Malintzin's cultural history and the ambiguities of her identity as both an indigenous woman and a mediator between different cultures during the conquest are highlighted and empathized with in talks of when her Nahuatl name, Malintzin, is used. Finally, the Spanish conquistadors gave Malintzin the name Doa Marina, often used in talks to represent her status as a Christian convert and her duties to Hernán Cortés as advisor and

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