La Malinche
La Malinche
When I first read about La Malinche I did not know who or what she was and as I started to read I learned that she was first a slave. She became a slave for Cortes. She was offered to him as a slave by the Cacique of Tabasco, along with 19 other young women. Cortes discovered that he could not communicate with the Indians. That night he was recommended to him that one of the women given to him in Tabasco spoke Spanish. When he found out that could speak Spanish. At that point in time Marina spoke no Spanish. Cortes was happy because he could now communicate with the Indians. So she came along with him on his trips translating for him. With her translating Cortes was able to meet and make friend with very important people. She was totally loyal to Cortes, and became his mistress and gave birth to his first son, Martín, who is considered one of the first Mestizos. Mestizos are people of mixed European and indigenous American ancestry. I think she is a very strong woman to be a slave at first and then her life changes just by translated what the Aztecs said into the Mayan dialect understood by de Aguilar and he relayed it to Cortes in Spanish. The process was then reversed, Spanish to Mayan and Mayan to Nahuatl. She was very loyal and even when people said she was going to be a trader and she found out Cortes had a wife. She still showed her love to Cortes and her people. It takes a lot to stand up and change the world not just to better herself but her people. Today, in Mexico a derogatory name to call someone is a “malinchista”, a person who turns their back on their own culture. Interestingly enough some do not consider Malinche a traitor. Some view her as a heroine, helping spread the word of Christianity. For others, she was a woman in love, who had no choice, but to follow her heart and protect her beloved Cortes.
Works Cited
Lenchek, S. (1999). La Malinche - harlot or heroine? mexonline.com. (n.d.). LA MALINCHE - Translator and
When I first read about La Malinche I did not know who or what she was and as I started to read I learned that she was first a slave. She became a slave for Cortes. She was offered to him as a slave by the Cacique of Tabasco, along with 19 other young women. Cortes discovered that he could not communicate with the Indians. That night he was recommended to him that one of the women given to him in Tabasco spoke Spanish. When he found out that could speak Spanish. At that point in time Marina spoke no Spanish. Cortes was happy because he could now communicate with the Indians. So she came along with him on his trips translating for him. With her translating Cortes was able to meet and make friend with very important people. She was totally loyal to Cortes, and became his mistress and gave birth to his first son, Martín, who is considered one of the first Mestizos. Mestizos are people of mixed European and indigenous American ancestry. I think she is a very strong woman to be a slave at first and then her life changes just by translated what the Aztecs said into the Mayan dialect understood by de Aguilar and he relayed it to Cortes in Spanish. The process was then reversed, Spanish to Mayan and Mayan to Nahuatl. She was very loyal and even when people said she was going to be a trader and she found out Cortes had a wife. She still showed her love to Cortes and her people. It takes a lot to stand up and change the world not just to better herself but her people. Today, in Mexico a derogatory name to call someone is a “malinchista”, a person who turns their back on their own culture. Interestingly enough some do not consider Malinche a traitor. Some view her as a heroine, helping spread the word of Christianity. For others, she was a woman in love, who had no choice, but to follow her heart and protect her beloved Cortes.
Works Cited
Lenchek, S. (1999). La Malinche - harlot or heroine? mexonline.com. (n.d.). LA MALINCHE - Translator and
Cited: Lenchek, S. (1999). La Malinche - harlot or heroine? mexonline.com. (n.d.). LA MALINCHE - Translator and Companion to Cortes. wikipedia.com. (n.d.). La malinche.