Inventing the Caribbean: Columbus’s Creation of the Other
Columbus’s invasion of the Caribbean in 1492 brought Native American and European cultures together for the first time in a startling encounter that reshaped the worldviews of both groups. In The Conquest of America: The Question of the Other, Tzvetan Todorov seeks to understand the ways in which the Spanish worldview shaped Columbus’s perception of the natives of Hispaniola, as he fashioned an other from his own sense of self. In Todorov’s model, the other is defined in terms of its correspondence, or lack thereof, to different facets of the self, including culture, language, physiognomy, religion, and knowledge; furthermore, the other is valued, distanced, and understood in relation to the presumed supremacy of the self. In this way, the other can only be seen as an “imperfect state of oneself” and never as a distinct entity judged according to its own values and defined on its own terms (Todorov 42). Todorov explores Columbus’s letters and journals, various first-hand accounts of the discovery, and the writings of Las Casas in order to understand the ways in which the distinct self of the native population was transformed into an other, whose identity depended on European values to define it.
Todorov argues that Columbus’s self (and, consequently, the other, which he created in the image of that self) is defined by three spheres: the divine, nature, and humans. Each of these spheres is integral to Columbus’s worldview and colors his perception of that which is outside his world. Within these spheres of perspective, Columbus’s identity is shaped by Catholicism, a reverence for nature, and European society and culture – particularly that of Portu...
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...her and reveals the complex process of suppression and projection, which attempted to impose the “Old World” view on the “New World” in the sixteenth century Caribbean.
Bibliography
1. Columbus, Christopher. The Journal of Christopher Columbus. New York: Burt Franklin, 1968.
2. Knight, Franklin W. The Caribbean: The Genesis of a Fragmented Nationalism, 2nd edition. New York: Oxford University Pres, 1990.
3. Sider, Gerald. “When Parrots Learn to Talk, and Why They Can’t: Domination, Deception, and Self-Deception in Indian-White Relations.” Comparative Studies in Society and History 29, no.1 (1987), 3-23.
4. Steward, Julian H. and Louis C. Faron. Native Peoples of South America. New York: McGraw Hill, 1959.
5. Todorov, Tzvetan. The Conquest of America: The Question of the Other. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1984.
John Grady’s transformation from a broken family as well as abandoned by his father was unexpected. Growing up around friends who were also abandoned and no mentor or role model made his transition difficult. His love and passion for horses is strong as it was one of the few family traditions he held onto his entire life. His views on emotions and depth of relationships changed once he met Alejandra. In addition, his view on blood as a metaphorical description, to the true life force of all beings is another lesson he learned during his transformation into a young adult. In All The Pretty Horses, McCarthy uses both motifs to spread his theme throughout the novel and portray John Grady’s metamorphosis dramatically from the beginning to the end.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus was a self-made man who worked his way up to being the Captain of a merchant vessel. He gained the support of the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, for an expedition to the Indies. With the support of the Spanish monarchy, he set off to find a new and faster trade route to the Indies. Upon the arrival of his first voyage, Columbus wrote a letter to Luis de Santangel, a “royal official and an early supporter of his venture,” in February 1493 (35). The epistle, letter, entitled “Letter to Luis de Santangel Regarding the First Voyage” was copied and then distributed in Spain before being translated and spread throughout Europe. The Letter is held in such regard with the people as it is considered the first printed description of the new world. Through his description of the nature of the islands, Columbus decided the future fate of the islands. His description of the vast beauty of the nature around him, declares both the economic and nationalistic motivations for colonizing the new world.
A People’s History begins with a recounting of first encounters of the Native people with Christopher Columbus. Zinn’s opinions of the reality of these first encounters are substantially different from the stories we hear as children. We find Columbus traditionally depicted as a peaceful e...
Some would say that Christopher Columbus was a devout Christian. He believed that "his was a mission that would put Christian civilization on the offensive after centuries of Muslim ascendancy" (Dor-Ner 45). Columbus' original mission was to find a western route to the Indies. But when that failed, his mission became clear: convert these new people to Christianity. Throughout this paper I will show the view of the natives by Columbus and Christendom and how these views changed over a span of fifty years.
The letter Christopher Columbus wrote back to Spain to report his findings in the New World sparked intrigued me and sparked my imagination. Why I have been so absorbed in this letter I can not explain. This letter is supposed to be about describing an unknown land, a land that has not been seen by anyone besides the natives, but it seems that there is more to it than that. Columbus is known in elementary schools as the man who found the New World, and is regarded as a hero. To the contrary, historians who have done more research on Columbus say that he was driven by fame and fortune and that he was tyrannical in his ways with the indigenous peoples of the places that he came to find. I feel that the contradictory tones Columbus uses gives this letter an eerie feel, and Columbus’s eventual desire to take over the indigenous peoples brings doubt on his reliability as an accurate and fair eyewitness.
One such horse went by the name of Lomitas. A chestnut, sixteen hands high Thoroughbred stallion, he was an up and coming talent in the racing circuit. The problem though, was that after several starts as a two-year-old, he came to be terrified of the starting gate. His refusal to enter resulted in Lomitas actually injuring someone when he turned vicious after being pushed, shoved, hit, blindfolded, and whipped by the track officials who were meant to load him in. He was finally banned from the track for being too dangerous in the starting gate, which is when the owner called in Roberts with a plea for help. Roberts began soon after, experimenting with the horse and learning his nature. After achieving join-up, he tested the stallion’s limits, and discovered that he was incredibly claustrophobic. “He was prepared to blame us for placing him inside enclosed structures such as starting gates and vans,” writes Roberts (212). Thus, although he had always been treated well in the eyes of his handlers, Lomitas interpreted being forced into the starting gate as though his people were treating him unfairly. Robert’s first goal was to load the horse on the van, which after earning the stallion’s trust, was not an issue whatsoever, whereas previously the horse would not go near the van, much less
While John and Rawlins were working for the ranch while on top of a mountain, Grady reflected on what an indigenous native Mexican stated, “...he said that it was good that God kept the truths of life from the young as they were starting out or else they'd have no heart to start at all” (McCarthy 284). This shows that in order for man to discover the truths about himself and other things around him he must first uncover the truth that lies in the unification with nature. This philosophical nuance of McCarthy’s is further detailed by Zheng when he states, “One striking characteristic of Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses is the philosophical descriptions of horses that relate the protagonist John Grady Cole's mind and love” (Zheng). This continues to tie in and interlock with the ideas addressed through McCarthy’s characterization of Grady and serves as a reminder of the example that Grady sets for unification between humanity and nature. Therefore, McCarthy’s use of nuances that approach the philosophical side of nature are able to serve as a reminder of the availability of a deeper connection with nature that can reside in a human for the rest of their
Although this essay is historically accurate it lacks important details, which might paint a different view of Columbus. Boorstin writes favorable of Columbus and depicts him as a heroic and determined figure who helped shape history, but he neglects to include Columbus’ unethical acts committed in the world that was not supposed to exist, the Americas. When Columbus first discovered the New World, he took care that the royal standard had been brought ashore and he claimed the land for Spain in front of all, including the indigenous population who had been sighted even before Columbus made landfall. According to the medieval concepts of natural law, only those territories that are uninhabited can become the property of the first person to discover them. Clearly this was an unethical act. Thus, the first contact between European and non-European worlds was carried out through a decidedly European prism, which ensured Spanish claim to the islands of the Americas. Faced with a colony in an inhospitable area, the Spanish soon inaugurated the practice of sending regular military parties inland to subdue the increasingly hostile natives. Members of the indigenous population were captured and enslaved to support the fledgling colony. The object of Columbus’ desire changed from exploration and trade to conquest and subjugation.
The American dream is an ideal that most people are often left wanting. To be able to essentially rise from nothing and grow to be financially stable and live life in excess after a great deal of hard work. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, the American dream is represented in different ways by the characters, though most of the plot centers around Willy’s failed aspirations for the American dream. Miller shows that the American Dream may not actually be reachable by everybody or that it may not even be a relevant dream for everybody in America.
The United States’ future is at a risk to miss an opportunity to increase the labor force due to political stalemate. Currently in the United States over 11 million undocumented immigrants are living in hiding. Most of them want to legally work. The reality is the current law is inefficient and weak to deter migrants who know the U.S. has a demand for skilled and unskilled labor. Likewise, the lack of U.S.-Mexico border security and relaxed law enforcement for overstayed visa traveler has rewarded bad behavior by luring illegal entry. This memorandum describes motives to adopt a major immigration policy change that promotes security, freedom, prosperity and conduit to citizenship for immigrants already in the U.S., and in the long run provide positive microeconomic impact.
Horses are the most noticeable symbol in the whole book. Horses are a necessity to the boys. The horses are political and economic assets to Grady, Rawlins and Blevins. Specifically for John Grady, horses are more important to him than humans. He constantly dreams of him running with horses and always thinks about them. To Grady horses are like a way to distract him from all his problems and give him a sense of freedom because he does not have to worry about all the stress, problems, and people. Grady relates humans and horses stating that horses are superior to the human race. "Finally he said that among men there was no such communion as among horses and the notion that men can be understood at all was probably an illusion." (Page 111) Grady has a passion for horses. He tells the horses everything like his life story, his thoughts, and secrets. Since Grady does not trust humans he turns to the horses as an output. Grady’s love for horses reveals more about Grady himself. It makes Grady seem like a fairly lonely person because he only trusts horses and prefers horses over humans.
...m as an emergency political problem and citizens should become aware of the negatives that have been an inhumane result of racial profiling and anti-immigration laws in recent years. It is also necessary for the nation to become informed and concerned on the positives of immigration reform. The necessary facets to begin with,which can be backed by sociological and statistical data, include the application of a pathway to citizenship for nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants, execute family reunification in various situations, and provide a safe haven for victims of international human trafficking. After all, is it not the nation’s utmost desire to be capable of building and providing The American Dream? If so, building a foundation of these ingredients is absolutely necessary in order to maintain great opportunity beyond any either country.
We are now in the 21st century and like the beginning of the 20th century the United States finds itself in the throes of a period of mass immigration. More then one million immigrants enter the Unites States, both legally and illegally every single year. Many argue that this new wave of mass immigration may help sustain the success that our nation is having in regard to the way of living that many American have come accustomed to and yet others believe that although our nation was created by immigrants it is time to "shut down" our borders. The truth of the matter is that there will always be issues in regard to immigration and the policies that the government sets forth in order control who comes into this country. Also now more then ever immigration policy has a greater affect on the American people because of the fact that we find our selves living in a time of danger or as some might argue, a perceived danger in regard to terrorism. Also with the proposal of President Bush?s new guest-worker program raises more issues in regard to immigration. The following paper will attempt to overview current immigration policy and also state what immigration policy should be over the next 25 years.
Langley, Lester D. The United States and the Caribbean in the Twentieth Century; The University of Georgia Press (Athens, 1982).
Barack Obama made history by being elected President of the United States, twice. This is just one more example that the American Dream is without a doubt achievable. Its pursuit is not easy; it requires undeniable hard work, modesty and optimism. Armed with these characteristics, seekers of this lifestyle will undeniably succeed. Success, though, is an interesting concept, for it can entail many superficial qualities. Willy Loman, the tragic hero of the play Death of a Salesman, sees only the superficial qualities of this dream. He views success solely as likeability (linked with attractiveness), and wealth. Ignoring all methods to honorably achieve these, Arthur Miller demonstrates how Willy’s search for the superficial qualities of the American Dream lead him to his own despair.