Both the readings gave very diverse views on the colonial experience in Latin America. I was especially drawn to Lieutenant Nun, which read like something right out of a novel. It gave the experiences of a somewhat common Spaniard woman and contrasted them to those of Spanish explorer in the New World. It was fascinating to see how those two worlds differed so greatly for example through their setting. Even when disgused as a male in Spain, Catalina experienced some hardships and was also constantly lacking adventure, which fuelled her life, and often led her to behave mischeviously.
Her narrative in Latin America was quite fascinating. She talked greatly of conquest as well as the significance the Spanish had placed on their own culture. There was little concern given to the locals, who were greatly demeaned. The encounter in Valdivia serves as a perfect example of such. Her pursuit of the Indian and his battallion that had stolen the flag showed how much the Spanish refused to be devalued by the Indians and how highly they held themselves in their own opinion. They would rather die in the battlefield, than have the natives believe they could defeat them. In conclusion, I found her experience very riviting and admirable. She sought out to be the best conquistador she could possibly be and she epitomized that role to the very letter.
The Casta Painting article discussed how important the depiction of the colonial experience is through art. Castas great visual symbolisms of the intermarriage of the different cultures in Mexico as well as the socio-economic situation of the colonies. While there were some people who felt that placing mulattos and zambos on the same canvases as creoles and spaniards as demeaning, it helped in painting the bigger picture of the society they were a part of.
One thing that stood out to me in the discussion concerning these images was the note concerning the social statuses. Never was a mulatto or zambo or any other racial class usually viewed to be at the bottom of a social hierachy pained as idle or drunk. Considering that this was such a popular view of many to use when describing them, this felt like a more honest representation of them and their work ethic.
Yes, the story of Catalina de Erauso is quite something... and it's perhaps hard to figure out quite how to judge her. On the one hand, she was trying to escape from the confinement of the few possibilities available to women in Spain. On the other hand, she fully and enthusiastically took part in the colonial project.
ReplyDelete