Identifier	Thesis 1410
Author	Diana, Linda M.
Title	El papel de la literatura en la conquista de América / Linda M. Diana.
Publisher	Central Connecticut State University
Date of Publication	1996
Resource Type	Master's Thesis
Abstract	Literature is very powerful and, as such, has been manipulated often to effect certain responses in society. The purpose of this investigation is to discuss the role that literature played in the Conquest of America. Of utmost importance is the theory that literature served as a tool and weapon in the struggles accompanying the Conquest of the New World and, therefore, offers another means of viewing the events of the times with an eye to understanding better the ramifications of those events. The perspective that this type of study affords is different from a purely historical one, because it does not concentrate so much on what literature recorded as on haw literature was used and manipulated to impact history. The study explores the role of literature along an historical continuum that stretches from the fourteenth century to the present day. In order to accomplish this, attention is focused on classic epic literature as well as the works of individual authors who either participated in the Conquest itself or who wrote their works as a result of the social and economic conditions which resulted from the European invasion of the New World. Also used are secondary sources whose authors dedicated themselves to researching the impact of the Conquest on America. The findings show that indeed, in the majority of the works studied, literature had influenced the Conquest, often times being manipulated deliberately to serve individual needs or to confront oppression. As such, literature had alternately served as a means of motivation, justification, defense and resistance in America. Historical studies show that the suffering of the Spanish during the fifteenth century was so profound that many took refuge in classic epic literature ultimately identifying with heroes like Amadis de Gaula and El Cid. The adventures and heroes of this literature inspired those who were desperately seeking to escape the limitations of their lives by providing them with models and motivation for their own experiences in the New World. Studies of the relaciones or chronicles of Christopher Columbus, Hernan Cortes and Bernal Diaz de! Castillo demonstrate how literature was manipulated to justify the behavior of the conquerors in America. Each of these men took advantage of the opportunity which their written works provided to win the favor of the Crown and avoid condemnation and prosecution for the destruction which accompanied their explorations. Literature was used as defense by a select group of Spaniards who were unable or unwilling to tolerate the opression and persecution of the Conquest. Bartolome de Las Casas, Vasco de Quiroga and Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca all defended the indigenous people through written documents and literary works that focused on the suffering of the natives and suggested practical solutions. Finally, the testimonies of the victims of the Conquest itself served as a means of resisting and surviving the Conquest. Guaman Poma de Ayala, the nahuas of Mexico and Rigoberta Menchu all chose to confront the persecution and opression that their peoples suffered through literature. In this study I conclude that literature exerted considerable influence over the events of the Conquest of America. However, the study also reveals several other findings, among them the fact that some works were not intentionally written for that purpose. It is further noted that two of the works were unknown at the time they were written and, therefore, although they had the potential, could not have had any direct influence over the events of the Conquest. Surprisingly, the investigation also demonstrates that many of the authors chose to challenge the authority of the Crown in an indirect conciliatory manner rather than a defiant confrontational one. Additionally and perhaps most importantly, besides revealing the operational relationship of literature to the Conquest, the study also allows first hand glimpses into the forces that shaped and defined the Conquest. There is a definite repetition of themes in the works studied, especially those of prejudice, justice and pessimism. These are significant because they represent the opportunity to penetrate the Conquest from a different perspective-- one in which the participants themselves unwittingly reveal the events which gave birth to the racism and persecution which still persist in the Americas today.
Notes	"Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Spanish."; M.A.,Central Connecticut State University,1996; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-142).
Subject	Spanish American literature--To 1800--History and criticism. America--Discovery and exploration--Spanish--Historiography. America--In literature. Latin America--In literature.
Department	Department of Modern Languages
Advisor	Caliendo, Gloria Marie
Type	Text
OCLC number	36222786
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El papel de la literatura en la conquista de América / Linda M. Diana.

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