Malinal, Marina, Malinche: Mexican identity as moulded by and against the myth of a woman

Résumé du document

Historians made it clear: women left few traces in History and their life is often re-written to fit contemporary political and cultural purposes. In 16th century New Spain, one woman was known for her voice; and it is a irony of History that none of her own, personal words were ever noted down. Among her many names, one has remained famous and full of connotations: la Malinche. A Mayan woman, she sided with the Conquistadores as Cortés's interpreter; a former slave, she was a major character of her time; a woman, she was the only bridge between two patriarchal cultures; later vilified as a whore, she bore Cortés's son, the first mestizo child. Who then was this living paradox of a woman? The lack of information on Malinche allowed a myth to develop, making Mexican writer Rosario Castellanos say: ‘some call her a traitor, some consider her the foundress of our nationality, according to whatever perspectives they choose to judge her from'.

Extraits

[...] Paz sees the symptom of this paradox in language: the ‘forbidden' verb chingar, which means aggression and deceit, is associated with the Macho, the Stranger, and by extension the Conquistador; on the other hand, the victim of the chingón is la Chingada, a passive and open victim, the archetype of which is Malinche[28]. In Mexican language, unlike in Spanish, the ultimate sin is to be chingada. The shame arises from being the offspring of a victim, not of a prostitute[29]. Consequently, Malinche is a traitor because she created a race of new sons who were born from violation and therefore humiliated. Thus, Mexican identity cannot be female. [...]

[...] La Malinche in Mexican Literature from History to Myth. Austin : University of Texas Press Paz, Octavio. The Labyrinth of Solitude: Life and Thought in Mexico. New York: Grove Press Spanish103 coursebook, University of Auckland, First Semester 2004. Illustrations: History 110B - The Conquest of Mexico. Guide to the Digitized Primary Sources Located at this Website' (California State University Faculty - Fullerton May 2004) Duby and Perrot's thesis s explained in Lanyon, Anna. Malinche's Conquest. St Leonards N.S.W.: Allen&Unwin (p.xiii) Fuentes, Carlos. [...]

[...] Malinal, Marina, Malinche: Mexican identity as moulded by and against the myth of a woman Historians made it clear: women left few traces in History and their life is often re-written to fit contemporary political and cultural purposes[1]. In 16th century New Spain, one woman was known for her voice; and it is a irony of History that none of her own, personal words were ever noted down. Among her many names, one has remained famous and full of connotations: la Malinche. [...]

[...] La Malinche in Mexican Literature from History to Myth. (p.7) Paz, Octavio. The Labyrinth of Solitude. (p.83-86) Rodriguez, Richard. Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father. Quoted in Lanyon, Anna. Malinche's Conquest. [...]

[...] La Malinche in Mexican Literature from History to Myth. (p.41-43) Criollos: name given to Mexican people of European descent. Chicanos: people of Spanish descent living in the United States. Like Malinche, they are of mixed culture, and fear to be accused of renouncing their traditions to blend in another society malinchismo. Messinger Cypess, Sandra. La Malinche in Mexican Literature from History to Myth. (p.12-13) Lanyon, Anna. Malinche's Conquest. (p.118) According to the Florentine Codex. See Lanyon, Anna. Malinche's Conquest. (p.73) Lanyon, Anna. [...]