The Conquest of America by Tzvetan Todorov
The Conquest of America
In the book The Conquest of America by Tzvetan Todorov, Todorov brings about an interesting look into the expeditions of Columbus, based on Columbus’ own writings. Initially, one can see Columbus nearly overwhelmed by the beauty of these lands that he has encountered. He creates vivid pictures that stand out in the imagination, colored by a "marvelous" descriptive style. Todorov gives us an interpretation of Columbus’ discovery of America, and the Spaniards’ subsequent conquest, colonization, and destruction of pre-Columbian cultures in Mexico and the Caribbean. Tzvetan Todorov examines the beliefs and behavior of the Spanish conquistadors and of the Aztecs. Initially, I thought of Columbus as someone primarily seeking gold for the glory of the King and Queen. This is a driving force, primarily because the gold will serve as a future funding for the grand ideas of Columbus. It is interesting to consider that one of the primary goals, especially when encountering the native population, is the conversion to the Christian faith for the glory of God. God and money go hand in hand in Columbus’ exploration. Crimes against humanity in the name of any god seem to be a constant part of the human psyche. Columbus lays claim to any island he can see, claiming it for the glory of God and the King and Queen. Everything instantly becomes property of the Spanish Empire. The natives initially have no understanding of the events that Columbus and his entourage perform when they lay claim to a new land. Religious dedication and a greed for gold caused Columbus to exaggerate his claims of the amount of gold available and the cowardly nature of the native population. Columbus describes the natives in near animal or beast of burden terms, because of the nature of the culture of the natives. The natives are dressed simply, if dressed at all, and have no religion that is apparent to Columbus. Based on first
In the book The Conquest of America by Tzvetan Todorov, Todorov brings about an interesting look into the expeditions of Columbus, based on Columbus’ own writings. Initially, one can see Columbus nearly overwhelmed by the beauty of these lands that he has encountered. He creates vivid pictures that stand out in the imagination, colored by a "marvelous" descriptive style. Todorov gives us an interpretation of Columbus’ discovery of America, and the Spaniards’ subsequent conquest, colonization, and destruction of pre-Columbian cultures in Mexico and the Caribbean. Tzvetan Todorov examines the beliefs and behavior of the Spanish conquistadors and of the Aztecs. Initially, I thought of Columbus as someone primarily seeking gold for the glory of the King and Queen. This is a driving force, primarily because the gold will serve as a future funding for the grand ideas of Columbus. It is interesting to consider that one of the primary goals, especially when encountering the native population, is the conversion to the Christian faith for the glory of God. God and money go hand in hand in Columbus’ exploration. Crimes against humanity in the name of any god seem to be a constant part of the human psyche. Columbus lays claim to any island he can see, claiming it for the glory of God and the King and Queen. Everything instantly becomes property of the Spanish Empire. The natives initially have no understanding of the events that Columbus and his entourage perform when they lay claim to a new land. Religious dedication and a greed for gold caused Columbus to exaggerate his claims of the amount of gold available and the cowardly nature of the native population. Columbus describes the natives in near animal or beast of burden terms, because of the nature of the culture of the natives. The natives are dressed simply, if dressed at all, and have no religion that is apparent to Columbus. Based on first