Out of this weeks reading the chapter that interested me the most, was that on Malinche as an interpreter. In a book I read a long time ago it made mention of Malinche, and her significance in the Conquest. In this book it left the impression that Malinche was not an Indian that had betrayed her people, for her own benefit but was a example of how the Spanish used/abused the Indians. I remembered that message while I read this chapter and found that I did not believe in that theory, of Malinche being a victim. There are so many theories on Malinche, and her role as a interpreter. Even though Cortes himself gave little credit to her significance as an interpreter, Restall makes the point that she was “an invaluable member of the expedition” due to her abilities (83). Even the name “Malinche” was a product of her significance as on page 83, we find that her name is changed when Indians accept her role as interpreter and added honorifics to her name. For the Spanish she was also know as Dona Marina, with yet again, an added honorific (82). Bernal Diaz labeled this as not only for her “noble native origins” but also to her deserved respect “among the Spaniards for her loyalty, tenacity, and intelligence”(83). Gomara mistrusted interpreters, making an exception only for Malinche and Aguilar as “trustworthy interpreters” (86). Diaz believed that she saved the them a couple of times, because of her abilities (83). Through the readings I found that it was common practice for the Spanish to seek out potential interpreters. Malinche, was but one of many significant interpreters, like Martinillo/Martin Pizarro. He gained status, receiving even some of the spoils in an expeditious, two encomiendas , and the position of Interpreter General (88). The significance of interpreter had been pushed to the side by many of the conquistadors in word alone, because even they knew how invaluable this people really were to their expedition. A perfect example was of how Cortes waited till Tenochtitlan had fallen till sleeping with Malinche, for fear of her becoming pregnant and loosing his tool (83).
Out of all the chapters, I too enjoyed The Lost Words of La Malinche: The Myth of MisCommunication. Through out the book Restall had made reference to strong men involved in the conquest such as native allies and Africans. Restall also wrote highly of Valiente and Garrido, talking about their significant role in the conquest along with their own individual journey. Restall states, " Juan Valiente's movements and motives thus made him an unexceptional member of the African diaspora that was part of Spanish expansion in the sixteenth century" (P.58). As the recognition of other conquistadors was appreciated and the history of men was demonstrated, the importance of women was not dipicted until chapter 5.
The role of Malinche as an interpreter plays a huge significance to the Spanish conquest during the sixteenth century. With cultural differences between the Native Americans and Spaniards communication was difficult and often formed into a sense of miscommunication. The lack of knowledge between two cultures often provided conflict and confusion although with the aid of an interpreter it had demonstrated some success. Malinche was both honored by many and discredited at the same time. Being able to educate themselves to learn another language as well as being able to translate important messages is a rewarded achievement alone. Malinche as a child was stolen by slave traders or sold into slavery as mentioned by Restall (P.82) although with her great contribute to the Spaniards she was given a noble woman's name, "dona Marina". The Spaniards recognized her contribution to their expedition and valued her importance. Through all the invaders and conquistadors Malinche was able to contribute more than a sword and a fight; Malinche provided communication which is the most important role in any conquest.
I also enjoyed the Lost Words of La Malinche. I thought it was interesting how La Malinche ended up in the group with Cortes. She ended up as part of this group along with 19 other women as a peace agreement between the Chontals and Cortes and his colleagues. It was clear that the Spanish were there to take over. La Malinche, or Dona Marina, as she was later baptized as, knew little to no Spanish at all. She rapidly learned it after Cortes found out of her ability to communicate in the Nahuatl language with some of the lords from which lands they were passing through. Although Cortes merely gave Dona Marina and Mr. Aguilar credit for their success in the conquest, Diaz does them right by saying that without the interpreters, success and conquest would have never been achieved. Diaz also says that Dona Marina "saved the expedition on number of occasions"(pg 83). This was fascinating to me because before reading this book, it had never ocurred to me that the language barriers was the biggest problem faced by the Spaniards in Latin America, therefore backing up the idea that the interpreters were extremely significant in the conquest.
In general I find Restall's book both unsettling and enlightening. Throughout the book Restall dispels many of what most people presume to be true historical accounts of what transpired during the Spanish Conquest of Latin America. Of course, historians must analyze and consider where most of the information is coming from and attempt to be both objective and skeptical regarding what was written and why it was written. In chapter 5, Restall addresses the "myth of (mis)communication" which I too found to be interesting. (77) One can only imagine how difficult it must have been to translate through another's translation of what was said and then reverse the process without presuming that something was lost in translation. This appears to be commonsensical but I agree with Restall that this translation process added to the myths of what was said and by whom and depending on the varying degrees of political agendas, perception, and of course the fallibility of eye witness accounts. Restall said "Cortes makes no mention of an interpreter" as if they spoke the same language. (82) This was an example that led to the myth that there wasn't any communication problems and overshadowed the importance of Malinche as his translator. Restall points out further of the importance of Malinche both from Cortes and Diaz's occasional reference to her in their writings. Diaz said that Malinche had earned the respect from the Spainiards "for her loyalty, tenacity, and intelligence". (83) Restall further stated that "Cortes never seemed to cast her aside" and suggested that "she was too valuable" for him to do so. (83)
I thought it was interesting reading about the role of Malinche during the Spanish Conquest. Although, Cortes only mentions her a few times in his letters to the king, I can understand why he did so. Earlier on in the book, Restall explains the purpose of the probanzas. These promoted personal deeds and downplayed others, such as the natives and Africans. This is where much of the Conquest mythology comes from, and also why I believe Cortes makes little mention of Malinche. There is no doubt in my mind how important she was to Cortes, but in order for him to be successful in the eyes of the king and get support, he had to glorify himself. Surely anyone would be impressed of the communication between two (or more) people of different civilizations with completely different languages. Although I believe that Malinche deserves more credit than she is given by Cortes, I can understand why she is mentioned little by him. I thought it was interesting to learn that he named their illegitimate son after his father, Martin.(83)I am not familiar with customs of naming children of that time, but it seems to me that is of importance to name your child with a woman who has helped with your conquest.
Thankfully from Diaz we can see the importance of her and her help to the Spaniards. He states that, "Although a native woman, dona Maria possessed such manly valor... [and] betrayed no weakness but a courage greater than that of a woman." (86) Giving her such praise considering she is a woman shows her importance to the Spanish Conquest.
Out of this weeks reading the chapter that interested me the most, was that on Malinche as an interpreter. In a book I read a long time ago it made mention of Malinche, and her significance in the Conquest. In this book it left the impression that Malinche was not an Indian that had betrayed her people, for her own benefit but was a example of how the Spanish used/abused the Indians. I remembered that message while I read this chapter and found that I did not believe in that theory, of Malinche being a victim. There are so many theories on Malinche, and her role as a interpreter. Even though Cortes himself gave little credit to her significance as an interpreter, Restall makes the point that she was “an invaluable member of the expedition” due to her abilities (83). Even the name “Malinche” was a product of her significance as on page 83, we find that her name is changed when Indians accept her role as interpreter and added honorifics to her name.
ReplyDeleteFor the Spanish she was also know as Dona Marina, with yet again, an added honorific (82). Bernal Diaz labeled this as not only for her “noble native origins” but also to her deserved respect “among the Spaniards for her loyalty, tenacity, and intelligence”(83). Gomara mistrusted interpreters, making an exception only for Malinche and Aguilar as “trustworthy interpreters” (86). Diaz believed that she saved the them a couple of times, because of her abilities (83). Through the readings I found that it was common practice for the Spanish to seek out potential interpreters. Malinche, was but one of many significant interpreters, like Martinillo/Martin Pizarro. He gained status, receiving even some of the spoils in an expeditious, two encomiendas , and the position of Interpreter General (88). The significance of interpreter had been pushed to the side by many of the conquistadors in word alone, because even they knew how invaluable this people really were to their expedition. A perfect example was of how Cortes waited till Tenochtitlan had fallen till sleeping with Malinche, for fear of her becoming pregnant and loosing his tool (83).
DeleteOut of all the chapters, I too enjoyed The Lost Words of La Malinche: The Myth of MisCommunication. Through out the book Restall had made reference to strong men involved in the conquest such as native allies and Africans. Restall also wrote highly of Valiente and Garrido, talking about their significant role in the conquest along with their own individual journey. Restall states, " Juan Valiente's movements and motives thus made him an unexceptional member of the African diaspora that was part of Spanish expansion in the sixteenth century" (P.58). As the recognition of other conquistadors was appreciated and the history of men was demonstrated, the importance of women was not dipicted until chapter 5.
The role of Malinche as an interpreter plays a huge significance to the Spanish conquest during the sixteenth century. With cultural differences between the Native Americans and Spaniards communication was difficult and often formed into a sense of miscommunication. The lack of knowledge between two cultures often provided conflict and confusion although with the aid of an interpreter it had demonstrated some success. Malinche was both honored by many and discredited at the same time. Being able to educate themselves to learn another language as well as being able to translate important messages is a rewarded achievement alone. Malinche as a child was stolen by slave traders or sold into slavery as mentioned by Restall (P.82) although with her great contribute to the Spaniards she was given a noble woman's name, "dona Marina". The Spaniards recognized her contribution to their expedition and valued her importance. Through all the invaders and conquistadors Malinche was able to contribute more than a sword and a fight; Malinche provided communication which is the most important role in any conquest.
I also enjoyed the Lost Words of La Malinche. I thought it was interesting how La Malinche ended up in the group with Cortes. She ended up as part of this group along with 19 other women as a peace agreement between the Chontals and Cortes and his colleagues. It was clear that the Spanish were there to take over. La Malinche, or Dona Marina, as she was later baptized as, knew little to no Spanish at all. She rapidly learned it after Cortes found out of her ability to communicate in the Nahuatl language with some of the lords from which lands they were passing through. Although Cortes merely gave Dona Marina and Mr. Aguilar credit for their success in the conquest, Diaz does them right by saying that without the interpreters, success and conquest would have never been achieved. Diaz also says that Dona Marina "saved the expedition on number of occasions"(pg 83). This was fascinating to me because before reading this book, it had never ocurred to me that the language barriers was the biggest problem faced by the Spaniards in Latin America, therefore backing up the idea that the interpreters were extremely significant in the conquest.
DeleteIn general I find Restall's book both unsettling and enlightening. Throughout the book Restall dispels many of what most people presume to be true historical accounts of what transpired during the Spanish Conquest of Latin America. Of course, historians must analyze and consider where most of the information is coming from and attempt to be both objective and skeptical regarding what was written and why it was written. In chapter 5, Restall addresses the "myth of (mis)communication" which I too found to be interesting. (77) One can only imagine how difficult it must have been to translate through another's translation of what was said and then reverse the process without presuming that something was lost in translation. This appears to be commonsensical but I agree with Restall that this translation process added to the myths of what was said and by whom and depending on the varying degrees of political agendas, perception, and of course the fallibility of eye witness accounts. Restall said "Cortes makes no mention of an interpreter" as if they spoke the same language. (82) This was an example that led to the myth that there wasn't any communication problems and overshadowed the importance of Malinche as his translator. Restall points out further of the importance of Malinche both from Cortes and Diaz's occasional reference to her in their writings. Diaz said that Malinche had earned the respect from the Spainiards "for her loyalty, tenacity, and intelligence". (83) Restall further stated that "Cortes never seemed to cast her aside" and suggested that "she was too valuable" for him to do so. (83)
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting reading about the role of Malinche during the Spanish Conquest. Although, Cortes only mentions her a few times in his letters to the king, I can understand why he did so. Earlier on in the book, Restall explains the purpose of the probanzas. These promoted personal deeds and downplayed others, such as the natives and Africans. This is where much of the Conquest mythology comes from, and also why I believe Cortes makes little mention of Malinche. There is no doubt in my mind how important she was to Cortes, but in order for him to be successful in the eyes of the king and get support, he had to glorify himself. Surely anyone would be impressed of the communication between two (or more) people of different civilizations with completely different languages. Although I believe that Malinche deserves more credit than she is given by Cortes, I can understand why she is mentioned little by him. I thought it was interesting to learn that he named their illegitimate son after his father, Martin.(83)I am not familiar with customs of naming children of that time, but it seems to me that is of importance to name your child with a woman who has helped with your conquest.
ReplyDeleteThankfully from Diaz we can see the importance of her and her help to the Spaniards. He states that, "Although a native woman, dona Maria possessed such manly valor... [and] betrayed no weakness but a courage greater than that of a woman." (86)
Giving her such praise considering she is a woman shows her importance to the Spanish Conquest.