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Early Enslavement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At a young age, La Malinche was either captured or sold into slavery. She was eventually trafficked to a group of Maya, where she began to learn Mayan as a second language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This talent would prove to be life-altering for the young woman as the Spanish conquistadors arrived on the continent shortly after. Cort\u00e9s arrived in South America with his translator Jer\u00f3nimo de Aguilar in 1519.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They quickly had a battle with the Maya at Potonch\u00e1n. Upon their defeat, they gifted Cort\u00e9s 20 enslaved women, one of whom was La Malinche<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spanish conquistadors quickly learned that she could communicate with Aguilar in Mayan. But she could also communicate with Nahuatl-speaking natives. This set her up to become the interpreter to new tribes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n She became an invaluable asset to the Spaniards. She used her natural linguistic abilities to quickly learn Spanish and become Cort\u00e9s\u2019 only translator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n La Malinche became Cort\u00e9s\u2019 most useful ally and is nearly inseparable from him in the historical record. Both Spanish and Aztec sources include her in every depiction of these societies’ meetings.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n She was the key to the Spanish plans to conquer the Aztec empire. She would coordinate every conversation between Cort\u00e9s and tribal leaders. If a plan to betray or injure Cort\u00e9s arose, she would hear of it and warn him. This led to harsh retaliation against native people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Within just a couple of years, the Spaniards had all but eradicated the Aztec empire with her help. This brought about a new era of Spanish rule. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the conquest was complete, La Malinche<\/a> gave birth to Cort\u00e9s\u2019 son, Martin. He is said to have been the first mestizo, a person with a mix of Spanish and Native blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n La Malinche took on a symbolic role in Mexican history. She was the main avenue of communication between the native Nahua people and the Spanish conquistadors who massacred their people. She was also the mother of Cort\u00e9s\u2019 son. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She was seen as a temptress who betrayed her own people and connived with the enemy for personal gain. Her reputation became so tied to that of Cort\u00e9s, that the Nahua would refer to him as \u201cEl Malinche\u201d, inseparable from her own name. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Montezuma, the head of the Aztec empire, even addressed all of his correspondence intended for the Spanish to her. To her native people, she became a part of the invading Spanish forces. To the Spanish, she was an enslaved woman helping them to conquer a new land. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Caught between two worlds, La Malinche did what she could to survive. She was judged for her actions, with many condemning her role in the conquest of Mexico. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although many hate La Malinche, some scholars of the era have offered new perspectives for people to reconsider her role in the Spanish conquest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kristina Downs is a folklorist who explored the similarities between Pocahontas and La Malinche. She pointed out that La Malinche\u2019s relationship with Cort\u00e9s was based on her enslavement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though she bore his child, there is no indication that there was any kind of romance or even consent in the process. There was no promise of safety or love inherent to the relationship. Without directly obeying Cort\u00e9s, she ran the risk of personal injury or death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cordelia Candelaria, another scholar, also argues that many of the Aztecs thought that the Spanish may have been divine or immortal. It\u2019s possible they thought that La Malinche may have also gotten absorbed in the mysticism of the Spanish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is also important to note that she was a teenage girl when she met Cort\u00e9s, not a grown woman. This is important to remember when considering if someone\u2019s decisions were rational. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although other scholars have pointed out that if La Malinche was sold into slavery by her family when she was young, it is not out of the question that she used the Spanish to seek revenge on her culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Is malinchista a valid insult then? Does this young woman, who had a phenomenal self-preservation instinct, deserve to be remembered solely as a traitor to her people? Or should she be honored for her intelligence and adaptability in the face of a rapidly changing and confusing world? <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spanish conquest of Mexico was swift. And yes, La Malinche was one of the most influential factors in its progression. However, Cort\u00e9s had come to the West to conquer the land and likely would have found a way to do so with or without La Malinche. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a difficult legacy to grapple with since her actions were so influential, yet justifiable. But in the end, it is undeniable how historically significant La Malinche was in a world that had all but thrown her aside at a young age. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Aboulhosn, Angelica. \u201cLa Malinche, Hern\u00e1n Cort\u00e9s\u2019s Translator and So Much More.\u201d HUMANITIES 44, no. 1, (Winter 2023). https:\/\/www.neh.gov\/article\/la-malinche-hernan-cortess-translator-and-so-much-more<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Downs, Kristina. \u201cMirrored Archetypes : The Contrasting Cultural Roles of La Malinche and Pocahontas.\u201d Western Folklore<\/em> 67, (2008): 397-414.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLife Story: Malitzen (La Malinche)\u201d Women and the American Story, New York Historical Society. https:\/\/wams.nyhistory.org\/early-encounters\/spanish-colonies\/malitzen\/<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nRise to Power<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Malinche Caught Between Worlds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Scholarly Debate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Was She Evil or Adaptable?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n