In the Song of a Humming Bird by Graciela Limón, the author tells the story of a young monk named Father Benita Lara, who is called to a convent in the area of Mexico City in 1583. An old woman, "Hummingbird" (Huitzitzilin) is asking for a confessor. In the first confession-interview, the young monk discovers she tells of the events of the coming of Cortes and the Spanish in a manner quite different from much of what he read and studied in Spain. He sets out not only to confess her but to write down her account of the changes in her country since the arrival of the Spanish. I like how the author Graciela Limon presented the history of the conquest of Mexico from the point of view of the local native people, and this helps us understand this critical encounter of Europe with America. The reminds me of my history book I am reading The Broken Spears by Miguel Leon-Portilla and uses native accounts of the conquest of Mexico. In the book, both Huitzitzilin and the priest begin to create a relationship. The priest Benito Lara begins to see the story of the conquest of Mexico from Huitzitzilin perspective with great sympathy, but that very …show more content…
fact brings danger to both his personal faith and puts him in danger of The Inquisition were this sympathy were to become known to Spanish religious authorities.
In the book, there are many interesting details that Huitzitzilin discusses. For example, there is an especially fascinating description of the burning at the stake of her own estranged husband. "Then Tetla began to dissolve! His flesh became liquid; it dripped unevenly running off his body in globs. I saw his body quiver but yet no sound came from his mouth. What had once been Tetla became smaller, shorter, reduced first to the shortness of a stalk of maize, then the size of those dwarfs who entertained Moctezuma, then smaller still to the size of a low chair, until there remained only a head that soon
became obscured by swirling ash and thick gray smoke"(pg.110-111).The monk is deeply moved and finally shouts for her to stop telling him so many gruesome details. He had been trained to see the Mexican natives as totally "other," and Huitzitzilin's descriptions humanize her people. There are daily meetings between the two and Huitzitzilin tells him much about her culture, most of which he has not read in his schooling in Spain, and each day she tells him, and shocks him, with some new "sin." He keeps a careful account of her version of this history, to eventually record it in Spain. The priest is deeply troubled by both her attitude toward sin and her ancient native religion, and what she is telling him of the "true" version of the Conquest itself. The troubled Father Benito goes and seeks the advice of Friar Anselmo Cano, who is cautioning him about what is happening to him and about the dangers of some of what he has heard. So far I am enjoying the book I still need eight more chapters to read and analysis.
When it comes to analyzing the “banana massacre” scene in chapter 15, I found three narrative techniques the author used to describe this scene. Therefore, one can notice that this part of the book is the climax. As a result, one infers what the author is trying to say about Latin American history and politics.
While there are many themes that can be found in this novella, Benitez skillfully uses the Mexican culture and the beliefs to improve her story, giving it understanding beyond the traditional American thoughts that many foreign writers are unable to achieve.
The story is told in the first person and it seems to be reasonable, because the author tells his own story. Although, he is very careful, while talking about the facts, because even the fact of the existence of this book exposes him to danger. Because the content of it, revels the reality of life in Mexico, including the life of criminals, and the way they influence the life and career of the author and the ordinary people. The story is gripping, and it simultaneously appeals to both: ethos and pathos. At the same time the author seems to be worth believing, because, on one hand, he worked for Dallas Morning News, and got...
Portilla starts out by giving a thorough background of the culture and religious beliefs. The reader can draw many theories on how this carried over to the Aztecs way of thinking and fighting. In addition to the religion and culture, Portilla shows the technology advantages the Spanish had over the Aztecs. He also goes on to describe the poor leadership of Motecuhzoma. Motecuhzoma will be portrayed as a coward. Portilla also writes about the strategy that worked rather well for the Spanish as they made alliances with the Tlaxcalatecas and other cities. He finally talks about plague that wiped out much of the Aztecs. This may have been the greatest factor in the fall of the Aztecs Empire. All of these factors combined effectively show how the Spaniards prevailed over this great Aztec Empire of the 15th and early 16th century.
“The Conquest of New Spain” is the first hand account of Bernal Diaz (translated by J.M. Cohen) who writes about his personal accounts of the conquest of Mexico by himself and other conquistadors beginning in 1517. Unlike other authors who wrote about their first hand accounts, Diaz offers a more positive outlook of the conquest and the conquistadors motives as they moved through mainland Mexico. The beginning chapters go into detail about the expeditions of some Spanish conquistadors such as Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, Juan de Grijalva and Hernando Cotes. This book, though, focuses mainly on Diaz’s travels with Hernando Cortes. Bernal Diaz’s uses the idea of the “Just War Theory” as his argument for why the conquests were justifiable
We firstly delve into the city and what it means to the Mexica people. Then, we enter the minds of the people who enjoy their part of society in different ways. From the warriors and priests, to the mothers, wifes and children of Tenochtitlan. Next, Clendinnen enters the world of rituals, sacrifices and aesthetics before finishing off with the defeat of the Mexican city of Tenochtitlan by the forces of Cortes in 1521.
Rain of Gold, is a true story about the history of Mexican people, their culture, traditions and customs that were passed down from the Euro-Indian heritage of Mexico. Rain of Gold was written by Juan Villasenor in search for his ancestral roots. The people of this story are real and not fiction. The places that are discussed are true. And the incidents did actually happen to his family. There are several underlying themes that need addressing. Such as: the importance of family, the importance of religion and spiritualism, woman as center of home and family, respect--protection of woman's virtue; ideal of women as pure, power of the woman--the mother, being a man-man as protector of the family, pride of man to be a provider, importance of traditions, respect for life, work and education/learning, death as part of life, honor, dignity, and finally discrimination and prejudice. I will be using this book as a reference and as a guide throughout this review to discuss the themes that are stated above.
Malintzin was an indigenous woman of Nahua who, despite all odds, thrived throughout the Spanish conquest of the Americas. The story of Malintzin is beautifully and elegantly portrayed in Camilla Townsend’s novel, Malintzin’s Choices. Townsend discusses the life of Malintzin and debunks the myths associated with the era of conquest, as well as signifies the grandeur manifested within her time period. In determining Malintzin’s unique characteristics which allowed her survive and prosper throughout the conquest of mexico, one must assess the social, political, and psychological feats depicted through Malintzin’s journey. The traits that led to Malintzin to her uttermost success prevailed through: her intelligence, her charm and beauty, her loyalty, and her courage. Thus, the life of Malintzin does, in fact, represent a story that should inspire and exhilarate those who espouse for the ideals of growth and prosperity.
Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca. "The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca" University of Nebraska Press, 2003.
6. Love, Edgar F. “Negro Resistance to Spanish Rule in Colonial Mexico.” The Journal of Negro History 52, no. 2 (1967): 89-103.
The feelings and thoughts of the characters are shown in limited omniscient. At one point of the story, Benito says to Huitzitzilin ‘ Senora you must forget the past beliefs and they are gone, never to return. Mores especially those ways belonged to the devil, they are filled with sin”(23). Huitzitzilin immediately becomes infuriated by the sound of this. She doesn’t want to bother telling her story to someone who will not try to understand her culture.
Author’s Techniques: Rudolfo Anaya uses many Spanish terms in this book. The reason for this is to show the culture of the characters in the novel. Also he uses imagery to explain the beauty of the llano the Spanish America. By using both these techniques in his writing, Anaya bring s the true culture of
The main characters in the film include Sebastian and Costa, who happen to be lifelong friends. Sebastian is a compulsive visionary who strives to direct controversial a film about one of history’s most influential figures, Christopher Columbus. He is determined to escalate the “myth” that western civilization's arrival in the Americas was a force for good. Instead, his story is about what Columbus set in motion; the hunt for gold, captivity of, and penal violence to those Indians who fought back. His story is counteracted by the radical priests Bartolome de las Casas and Antonio de Montesinos, the first people to ra...
Imagine living in a civilization that practiced beautiful ritual dances and ceremonies. Then one day, that civilization does not exist anymore because another civilization decided to conquer them. In the novel “Song of the Hummingbird,” written by Graciela Limo, an Aztec women named Huitzitzilin, which means Hummingbird, tells her life story to a Father Benito Lara, along with confessing her sins from her lifetime. I find this novel to be very informative because it tells the reader the truth on what actually happened between the Spaniards and the Aztecs. As I read this novel, I could picture the events in my head as Huitzitzilin described them. The lesson I appreciated the most is that one should not give up on something they believe in, just like how Huitzitzilin did not stop believing in her religious beliefs, even though the Spaniards want her to transition.
...eedom was found and cultural boundaries were not shattered, simply battered, the narrator’s path was much preferable to that of her sisters (those who conformed to cultural boundaries). Through this story we can see how oppression in certain cultures changes individuals differently, creates tension between those who do not wish to be subjugated and those doing the subjugating, and we see the integral opposition between the path of Catholicism and that of curandismo.