Typically, when one opens a novel or work of any sort, there is a dedicatory towards a group or individual who impacted the author and provided inspiration while writing. It demonstrates that Todorov took into great consideration the story of different groups and assessing how identity may impact the course of history. The Mayan woman represents a suppressed group that could only share her story with her people. Nevertheless, one could argue, that perhaps Mayan women were unable to pass down their history due to the tremendous amount of deaths that occurred during the Age of Exploration.
In addition, the image of a Mayan woman is fairly unique as it is not used greatly by historians. Many can easily identify a film, novel, or photograph associated with other genocides, such as the ones in Rwanda and Germany, nevertheless, the indigenous genocide during the late 15th and early 16th century has no image. This image further extends to history within the United States and in Latin America. In the U.S classroom, many become aware of the horrendous behavior of conquistadors until their later years of secondary education, while in Latin America, there is little emphasis on this time period and a greater focus during its highlights.
My point is that Todorov aims at shedding light a group that underwent such drastic changes in a short period of time without any say. It is essential to maintain this image in order to value human life no matter the point in history or group it affected. Just as this Mayan woman may have given Todorov a way of perceiving the time period in his work, History guides many in this world and we learn from it everyday.
No comments:
Post a Comment