Malinche Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Malinche - Research Paper ExampleAccording to Hampton,1 Malinche was born to chief Oluta, who was a member of the regal house of the Aztecs in 1502. 2 Her father died when she was still very young. According to the culture of her people, she was the doctor heir of her fathers wealth and position as the chief. This, however, never happened. Malinches mother remarried and had a son with her stepfather. Her mother and stepfather then formulated a plan and sold her to slave traders, for her son to remain the sole heir of the throne. In her plan, Malinches mother took advantage of the death of one of her slaves daughters. She blackmailed this slave and ended up burying the slaves daughter as Malinche. 3 The slave was told to remain silent, or be sent away with the merchants who were buying slaves. 4 Not all sources concur on Malinches origin. However, it has been established by Joan Hershafield that she was a Nahuatl with the original name of Malimalli. Her province of birth was Coazacu alco. According to the author, stories of Malinches slave life that led her to Cortes are contradictory. On the one hand, Lee Stacy presents Malinche as a member of the royal house of the Aztecs and the legal heir of her fathers throne as do sources in the previous paragraph. However, on the other hand, Hamptons contradicts that information, blackmails the family relations of Malinche, and argues that she was the daughter of a slave. The translation process was long-drawn-out, involving the Spanish, Mayan, and Nahuatl languages. When Cortes wanted to communicate with Nahuatl speakers, among whom were the influential Mexica or Aztec people, he would first propound Jeronimo de Aguilar, who would then translate into Mayan for La Malinche, who then further translated Cortes statement to the Nahuatl speakers, those reply was communicated by the reverse process. Due to this three-way interaction, the Nahuatl-speakers called her Malintzin. The Spanish upon hearing the natives calling her Malintzin, tried and true calling her the same, but their mispronounced version was Malinche. 5 Hampton tells us that La Malinches father placed a golden necklace around the little girls neck and said, That this necklace will be the sign forever that shows you are a member of the Royal Aztec house, and your name is Malintzin. 6 The Mexican citizens considered Malinche a traitor because she was Cortes working girl and was his translator. When she was baptized, she adopted a new name because she had no choice. Having been sold by her own mother into slavery, she had no choice but to obey the ways of slavery. slaveholding led her into Cortes hands. Castillo, Bernal, Janet Burke and Humphrey tell us that Malinche that she was under captivity in Maya before being offered to Cortes as a war trophy by the Maya people. 7 Cortes wanted to conquer Mexico no matter what. It was one of his targets. Malinche,therefore should, not be blamed for some other persons political and individualised i nterests. Appreciation should be given to Malinche for making negotiations possible. 8 Levesque suggests that Malinche willingly offered herself to Cortes, making her a betrayer to Mexico. 9 She is considered a representation of Mexicos Eve, mans first other and Christian history