On p. 62, Todorov asks: "Did the Spaniards defeat the Indians by means of signs?" Well, did they?
Well, the Foreword specifically says "the answer to Todorov's question, 'did the Spaniards defeat the Indians by means of signs?' is clearly yes" (page xi). So I would say so but here's some more evidence. First, there is no assumption of natural linguistic inferiority on the Indians side (page 62), it is actually that the cultural worlds are less adaptable to resisting the Europeans. So, specfically, since the Aztecs had no formal script, they could not generate "signs" to communicate with the Europeans, which hindered positive relations. Additionally, the Europeans used language to communicate rather than external signs so they were able to understand the Aztecs better and more easily than the Aztecs were able to understand them. This information was then enough for Cortes and his men to turn the Aztecs' cultural expectations against them. Next, the Europeans were unable to conquer the people of India and Asia because these people could manipulate signs in almost identical ways, which then allows for communication. I also think that interpretation of signs across the European-Aztec communication barrier play a pivotal roll in the conquest of the Indians by the Spaniards. On page 70-71 Todorov describes how Montezuma refused to communicate with the Spaniards because he "shows himself literally incapable of communicating, and the text establishes a significant parallel between mute and dead." This lack of 'signs' "symbolizes defeat, since the Aztec sovereign is above all a master of speech- the social action par excellence-and since the renunciation of language is the admission of failure" (page 71). Basically, when the Spaniards first arrive Montezuma already knows because he has this huge system of spies and won't, in my opinion, dignify the Spaniards arrival with words because he is afraid of them. Montezuma, I think, believes his silence shows strength in fortification of his empire but the Spaniards view his silence as a weakness, which then contributes to their defeat of the Aztecs. And lastly, Montezuma's first message states that the Spaniards can have everything in his kingdom as long as they don't come to see him. This shows his weakness in wanting to understand their arrival and makes the Spaniards decision to conquer the Aztecs much easier.
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AuthorI'm Hannah Andress from Atlanta, GA! I am an SIS major and I am on the Women's Swim Team. I am interested in national security, policy making, and the Middle East as my country of interest! Archives
December 2018
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