Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Cortes and the Aztecs: Conquest, Resistance, and Interpreters


After your group has discussed the film and the various primary sources, make a post to the blog that responds to the following questions:

How did Cortes conquer such a thriving civilization (in other words, was Spanish/European civilization superior, or were other factors inolved)?

Why was Aztec resistance not successful?

What do you think of the role played by Dona Marina?

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I believe that Dona Maria had an affiar, but not neccasiarly a love affiar with Cortez. Also I feel that by this she did notactually have a chance o survive if she disobeyed. If she had been killed then another translator could easily have been found. What people need to do is seperate between Dona Maria and the translater. People blame "the translator" it could have been anyone and "the Dona Maria" does not count. So in the end Dona Maria does not count, just the role she played. People say they blame, (but really scapegoat) Dona Maria as the triator, but they really blame the translator, and give the translator the name Dona Maria. In the end because the Spanish had noo really feelings towards her she was replaceble in all respects and therefore she was really forced to be "the translator." I am not saying this to excuse "Dona Maria" the "translator" I feel no real sympathy for, but i want people to see the "Dona Mairia" in a slightly brighter light.

-Jeremy R. Biskind

11:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I believe that there are reasons for both calling Marina a traitor, and for calling her a mistreated slave. As for calling her a traitor, those arguments are based on the foundation of, "She WILLINGLY helped Cortez to conquer/annihalate the Aztecs." Also, she had an affair with Cortez. This is being a traitor some would say, because she would be fratinizing with the enemy. The latter however, has a few good points too. How could she refuse Cortez, he was in essence holding a gun to her head. If she refused to translate, then he would just kill her, and find himself another translator. Some say that he might have just returned to Spain. The problem with that however, is that he had sank his ships in his determination to show his soldiers that they were not going back to Spain without a large supply of treasure. Since, she couldn't refuse him without dying for no reason, and she obviously didn't feel suicidal, her only option was to comply with complied with Cortez.

Jayce

11:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think that Dona was not a slut because her story is one of love, and love is something that doesn't obey the normal rules.
This is an old saying that states it perfectly:
"Alls fair in love and war."
and it seems true because in love, Dona was bought and sold until she found her true love and the war with the Mexicans was 'fair' in the Spaniards view.

Catherine Y
Period 3+4
11/12/06

10:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cortex would never have killed her, and it was wrong what she did. I don't care how "underpriviliged" she was. Think about the man she was MARRIED to. Not to be rude or anything, but it as an extremely stupid thing to do.
Unlike Jeremy, I feel sympathy for Dona, but not in the same way. She was abandoned at a young age, and her parents faked her death. She had a troubled life...

9:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That was Nathan posting that blog.

9:37 PM  
Blogger mayaandizzy said...

I am comparing the two stories the first one is the story of sylvia on NPR and the story two kinds.

I think that sylvia is tying to get out of her box by getting a good education but her mom wants her to be a stay at home mom and let the men do the work and in two kinds amy is trying to get out of the box by stopping all the quiz's and trying to stop her mom trying to find a prodigy in her when all she want to be is a normal girl. How they are not alike is amy is trying to fight against her trying to be great and with sylvia her mom is trying to make her just a regular house mom

Fiona
period 3-4
11/18/08

11:24 AM  

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