SPAN 3302
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
mid term preguntas
What are the differences and the similarities between the Spanish Reconquista and the idea of Manifest Destiny ?
Monday, February 19, 2007
Alamo
The racism of D W Griffith can be seen in the way African Americans are portrayed in his movies, and precisely in “The martyrs of the Alamo.” In his movie “Bamboozled,” Spike Lee mocked the way white directors used to use makeup white men in order to play African Americans in old movies. Such is the case in D W Griffith’s film.
It’s interesting how the immoral Santa Anna is pictured at the end of the movie, and how the concept of morality and immorality in times of war plays an important part in this movie. The liberation of Texas by Texians is seen as something morally good and the oppression of Mexicans is seen as immoral. Otherwise, I don’t necessarily find that this movie is too racist.
Also, women are willing to sacrifice their marriage so that Texas can be liberated. They accept to sacrifice their love for the sake of the state’s independence. Other women consider fighters as national heroes. Women played an important part in that liberation as they allow the men fighting for Texas’ freedom to be heroes; they do not fight against their husbands’ desire to give up their lives for their country. This is very similar to the attitudes of the wives of soldiers fighting today in Iraq who stand steadfastly by their husbands and support them and their sense of duty, regardless of whether or not they agree with the politics of the war.
It’s interesting how the immoral Santa Anna is pictured at the end of the movie, and how the concept of morality and immorality in times of war plays an important part in this movie. The liberation of Texas by Texians is seen as something morally good and the oppression of Mexicans is seen as immoral. Otherwise, I don’t necessarily find that this movie is too racist.
Also, women are willing to sacrifice their marriage so that Texas can be liberated. They accept to sacrifice their love for the sake of the state’s independence. Other women consider fighters as national heroes. Women played an important part in that liberation as they allow the men fighting for Texas’ freedom to be heroes; they do not fight against their husbands’ desire to give up their lives for their country. This is very similar to the attitudes of the wives of soldiers fighting today in Iraq who stand steadfastly by their husbands and support them and their sense of duty, regardless of whether or not they agree with the politics of the war.
Education and Virtue
The approach of education that Lizardi has is really interesting.
“They know and we know that most of us students don’t go to the University to learn anything . . . The classes are more important than learning itself, because you’ll have to get that grade . . . Even if you don’t get it, he tells us, “you’ll be a bachelor” (34).
Some comedians, such as Carlos Mencia, have based entire routines on how, in their opinion, American schools have lowered the standard just to have better test results and while the literacy level of the average student is falling. Nowadays, no child is left behind, but sometimes their education is. When Lizardi tells us that “enlightenment is being utterly neglected by those who should be educating them,” he mocks his education (7). After having learned to read and write in Tepotzotlžn, he was sent to Mexico City at the age of 6 to learn and to study……latin !!!! This another reason why he states: "I left with my head filled with rules, riddles, phrases, and false knowledge of Latin, but as regards intelligence in the purity and propriety of the language, not a word." For him the educational system is corrupted and has lost its proper function. Lizardi’s education came from what he read but not from the system he portrays in his book. I believe that just as his hero, Lizardi learned from the school of life.
In addition, the word “virtue” is repeated constantly thoroughout the book. The concept of virtue (arête) describes a type of excellence that can be attainable in the context of a proper education and training. That’s what Lizardi leans: a proper training geared toward virtue rather than the vice.
“They know and we know that most of us students don’t go to the University to learn anything . . . The classes are more important than learning itself, because you’ll have to get that grade . . . Even if you don’t get it, he tells us, “you’ll be a bachelor” (34).
Some comedians, such as Carlos Mencia, have based entire routines on how, in their opinion, American schools have lowered the standard just to have better test results and while the literacy level of the average student is falling. Nowadays, no child is left behind, but sometimes their education is. When Lizardi tells us that “enlightenment is being utterly neglected by those who should be educating them,” he mocks his education (7). After having learned to read and write in Tepotzotlžn, he was sent to Mexico City at the age of 6 to learn and to study……latin !!!! This another reason why he states: "I left with my head filled with rules, riddles, phrases, and false knowledge of Latin, but as regards intelligence in the purity and propriety of the language, not a word." For him the educational system is corrupted and has lost its proper function. Lizardi’s education came from what he read but not from the system he portrays in his book. I believe that just as his hero, Lizardi learned from the school of life.
In addition, the word “virtue” is repeated constantly thoroughout the book. The concept of virtue (arête) describes a type of excellence that can be attainable in the context of a proper education and training. That’s what Lizardi leans: a proper training geared toward virtue rather than the vice.
Monday, February 5, 2007
QUESTION
QUESTION
How should this passage be interpreted?
Page 66: “The Indians who had fled from there came to us in peace, asking us for their women and children. And we gave them to them, except the governor kept with him a cacique of theirs, which was the cause of their being greatly offended.”
Were these women hostages, or is there a hint that they were sexually abused by the governor?
How should this passage be interpreted?
Page 66: “The Indians who had fled from there came to us in peace, asking us for their women and children. And we gave them to them, except the governor kept with him a cacique of theirs, which was the cause of their being greatly offended.”
Were these women hostages, or is there a hint that they were sexually abused by the governor?
Conquest in reverse
“What is worse than doing evil is being evil”
Deitrich Bonhoeffer.
On page 156, Cabeza de Vaca writes “And we said to the Indians that we were going to look over them (the Spaniards) to tell them that they should not kill them or take them as slaves.”
What? Cabeza de Vaca is writing to the King of Spain that he told the Indians that he would try to convince the Spaniards not to kill or enslave them!!!! That’s exactly what Conquistadores are required to do: kill and enslave (as long as they refused to become Christian, which was actually the case among the native who did not show a great interest in Christianity).
From a Conquistadore subjected to the Requiremiento, Cabeza de Vaca evolves into a new man: a Chicano.
Deitrich Bonhoeffer.
On page 156, Cabeza de Vaca writes “And we said to the Indians that we were going to look over them (the Spaniards) to tell them that they should not kill them or take them as slaves.”
What? Cabeza de Vaca is writing to the King of Spain that he told the Indians that he would try to convince the Spaniards not to kill or enslave them!!!! That’s exactly what Conquistadores are required to do: kill and enslave (as long as they refused to become Christian, which was actually the case among the native who did not show a great interest in Christianity).
From a Conquistadore subjected to the Requiremiento, Cabeza de Vaca evolves into a new man: a Chicano.
The process of Transculturation through the lenses of injustice
“Men are so simple that…one who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived”
—Niccolo Macchiavelli
“We know what justice is when we feel the wounds of injustice “
—Aristotle
Aristotle could not be more correct. The concept of human rights is at the center of the idea of justice. On page 161, we learn that “annoyances and great disputes” developed between the Spaniards and Cabeza de Vaca regarding whether or not Indians should be enslaved.
In addition, this particular passage is really interesting considering the fact that it was written to the King of Spain in order to convince him to let Cabexa de Vaca return to the New World. Cabeza de Vaca is actually advocating a new form of “Conquista.” The fact that Cabeza de Vaca writes to the King to tell him that he sides with the Indians on numerous occasions on pages 161 and 162 is particularly interesting. At the same time, on page 162, Cabeza de Vaca gives us the way Conquistadores are seen by the natives. The natives do not fear the Spaniards or the Conquistadores anymore. Cabeza de Vaca has a hard time convincing the Indians that the Spaniards were as much Christians as him.
The framework of Cabeza de Vaca Chicano’s identity is exemplified on page 162.
For 9 years, Cabeza de Vaca experienced a form of syncretism that mixed his Christians beliefs with shamanism in his healing type of ministry among the natives. But the process of transculturation does not end here since an entirely new identity is formed, one which would transcend the Spaniard and the Native one.
The Chicano’s identity of Cabeza de Vaca is certainly experienced when Indians tell him that he is a different Christian than the Spaniards, even though he tries to convince them that they share the same faith. The natives make him realize that he is naked and barefoot but not the Spaniards, that he is a healer but the Spaniards are killers, that Cabeza de Vaca did not covet anything but Spaniards do.
Such honesty in Cabeza de Vaca’s letter to the King of Spain is intriguing. Should the King send back to the New World someone who does not fit into the Spaniard identity? I still wonder why the King of Spain agreed to allow Cabeza de Vaca to return to the New World in the position of governor since he does not exemplify the Spaniard identity.
—Niccolo Macchiavelli
“We know what justice is when we feel the wounds of injustice “
—Aristotle
Aristotle could not be more correct. The concept of human rights is at the center of the idea of justice. On page 161, we learn that “annoyances and great disputes” developed between the Spaniards and Cabeza de Vaca regarding whether or not Indians should be enslaved.
In addition, this particular passage is really interesting considering the fact that it was written to the King of Spain in order to convince him to let Cabexa de Vaca return to the New World. Cabeza de Vaca is actually advocating a new form of “Conquista.” The fact that Cabeza de Vaca writes to the King to tell him that he sides with the Indians on numerous occasions on pages 161 and 162 is particularly interesting. At the same time, on page 162, Cabeza de Vaca gives us the way Conquistadores are seen by the natives. The natives do not fear the Spaniards or the Conquistadores anymore. Cabeza de Vaca has a hard time convincing the Indians that the Spaniards were as much Christians as him.
The framework of Cabeza de Vaca Chicano’s identity is exemplified on page 162.
For 9 years, Cabeza de Vaca experienced a form of syncretism that mixed his Christians beliefs with shamanism in his healing type of ministry among the natives. But the process of transculturation does not end here since an entirely new identity is formed, one which would transcend the Spaniard and the Native one.
The Chicano’s identity of Cabeza de Vaca is certainly experienced when Indians tell him that he is a different Christian than the Spaniards, even though he tries to convince them that they share the same faith. The natives make him realize that he is naked and barefoot but not the Spaniards, that he is a healer but the Spaniards are killers, that Cabeza de Vaca did not covet anything but Spaniards do.
Such honesty in Cabeza de Vaca’s letter to the King of Spain is intriguing. Should the King send back to the New World someone who does not fit into the Spaniard identity? I still wonder why the King of Spain agreed to allow Cabeza de Vaca to return to the New World in the position of governor since he does not exemplify the Spaniard identity.
