Paper Summary:

Using as a background Bernal Diaz del Castillo's book "Historia de Conquista de la Nueva Espaa", written about the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the sixteenth century, the paper discusses the Indian women who were lovers to these Spaniards, the most famous being La Malinche, lover to Hernan Cortes himself. The paper uses the character of Maria - lover of one of Cortes' officers - to show the history of these women and what drove them to so-call betray their people by 'sleeping with the enemy'. The paper shows how La Malinche (and others) have been portrayed in Mexican cultural history as mothers of the mestizo - children of mixed Spanish and Indian race. The paper discusses too how public opinion of La Malinche has changed during recent years, mostly due to the influence of feminist movements, who see her as a symbol of the endurance of the Mexican people.

From the Paper:

"But there is another element to the original and long-enduring disregard and even hatred that has been cast upon La Malinche, and the other women who (like the Maria of our story) shared similar structural positions. Women who produced Mexican " mestizo " children have been hated by many Mexicans until the most recent generation not because of their betrayal of the Aztecs but because of their engendering of the entire race of Mexicans. It is because Mexicans have for so long hated themselves, hated their own mixed heritage, that they hate La Malinche and other women like her. It is only when Mexicans come to peace with their own mestizo heritage that they can possibly come to terms with La Malinche and revere her as the founder of the race. It seems fairly certain that she was indeed Cortes's lover but also that she was faithful to him. This should hardly brand her as a whore."

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