ESSAY QUESTION: Are the Conquistadors to be considered villains or heroes for their actions in America? The Conquistadors can be considered both heroes and villains, as well as explorers and great discoverers, for their actions in America. This can be attributed to several outstanding facts concerning what actions they partook in. Some examples concerning how the conquistadors were villains can be the actions against the native Americans of South America and Central America. In Central America, the conquistadors, along with some rival native tribes, annihilated the Aztecs, enslaved them, and proceeded onto systematically destroying the other local Native Americans.
The imagery of the Guardia Civil “leaning against their rifles” suggests the normalization of violence in war, and thus by extension the detached and ritualistic nature of the executions. This initial violence clearly mirrors that of the Republican massacre, in that both acts began with a seemingly necessary act carried out in war. The Falangists then take over from the Guardia Civil, proceeding to “herd”16 all the women to a barbershop opposite the city hall. The Falangists, members of the Spanish Fascist political party, were known for their disorderliness, poor discipline and their street violence prior to the Civil War.17 Hence their taking over of the shooting mirrors the drunkards taking over the lines in the Ayuntaimento – in both cases, their taking over represents a descent into
evidence (examples, citations) IV. Concluding paragraph Note: Longer papers probably will have more than two body paragraphs. Step 5: Write ― Introduce the work in your first paragraph by identifying the title and author, possibly using the following format as a guide: Malcolm Aikman’s “The Columbus Raid” is a short story illustrating the plight of a young American who volunteers to help a guerilla group during the Mexican Civil War of the early 1900’s. At the story’s heart is a compelling depiction of the protagonist, Tom Mix, whose sense of duty conflicts with his love for one of the guerillas, Maria. Integrated into the plot is Aikman’s real theme of the camaraderie shared by those facing death and the need to sacrifice oneself for the good of many.
Jereme Matos English 160 Midterm Essay Professor February 26, 2013 Key Tropes used by Juan Rulfo 3. Clearly identify and fully discuss the key tropes that Juan Rulfo uses in Pedro Paramo to portray conditions in Mexico after the inconclusive revolution of 1910-1917. The first key trope I would like to introduce is how the book begins and ends, with one of the characters Abundio. A reason why the author chooses to do this, is because it can chow character development throughout the story. It also illustrates if things in the story did or did not change.
In James Swanson’s book “Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln’s Corpse,” the author gave a unique perspective on two remarkable historical events. Swanson’s book described the time nearing the close of the Civil War, but took a much different approach than I have ever encountered. Rather than speaking of the Union and Confederacy and the battles the ended the war, Swanson focused on the expedition of Lincoln’s body after his assassination, while at the same time, telling of Jefferson Davis’ elaborate journey to elude capture. “Bloody Crimes” compiled two very different historical events and connected them in one novel unlike any other. First I commend Swanson on his favorable portrayal of Davis, a man who is rarely positively revered in history, undoubtedly due to his Confederacy ties.
Follow Me on Twitter @CDunkins Professor Mike Fraga CHS 100 November 13, 2012 Book Review: Song of the Hummingbird by Graciela Limon The novel, Song of the Hummingbird by Graciela Limon is a gripping and scintillating story about Mexico’s conquest by the Spaniards in the 16th century. In order to employ Chicana Literature, the author uses Huitzitzilín who is a female protagonist to recount the story from her perspective. Huitzitzilín is very adamant about contrasting the illustrious historical colonial portrayal of the conquest of the indigenous people of Mexico. She is unapologetic and quite proud of her savage roots, which were destroyed by the Spanish colonialists. The novel was set about sixty years after the fateful intrusion
But to read it as autobiography is to miss some of its complexity. The final act of the novel consists of the preparation for Amiens and the battle itself. Before being sent off, the soldiers are given a pep talk by a brigadier-general who recounts to them the news of the sinking of the Llandovery Castle, a clearly identified hospital ship that was torpedoed by the Germans in clear contravention of the international laws of war, a “wanton act of barbarism.” It is this information that steels our protagonist and his comrades to go into the bloodbath of Amiens energized by feelings of revenge. But when our hero survives and is sent wounded to Britain he encounters a hospital orderly who says of the Llandovery Castle: “That was bloody murder, brother. Our officers oughta be shot for that.
The Cry of Dolores marked the beginning of the long and bloody Mexican War of Independence, which would not conclude until 1821. Millions were killed or displaced in this long conflict. During his trial, Hidalgo seemed to understand what he had wrought and recanted his actions, perhaps foreseeing the bloodbath to come. The Cry of Dolores was the spark that ignited the tinderbox of long pent-up resentment of the Spanish in Mexico. Taxes had been raised to pay for fiascoes like the disastrous (for Spain) 1805 Battle of Trafalgar and in 1808 Napoleon invaded Spain, deposed the king and placed his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the throne.
A tough federal response smothered Klan terror in a wave of prosecutions. Martial law and the suspension of habeas corpus were necessary to remove the threat from South Carolina. In 1915 the Hollywood spectacular Birth of a Nation reframed historical events to give credence to the Klan’s conspiratorial interpretation.38 As the economic order changed, different visions of the future battled for power. Conspiracy was a prominent theme in the competition. Capitalists denounced radicals for scheming to overthrow the government and cited as proof events like the 1886 Haymarket Square bombing that left seven policemen dead.
The Role of Purpose in Life in Graham Greene’s “The Power and the Glory” Graham Greene, born in 1904, was a British novelist who survived an unhappy childhood and a suicide attempt. His conversion to Catholicism in 1926 most likely stemmed from his firm belief that evil existed in the world. Many of Greene’s works focus on religious themes with the main protagonist being of dubious character and far from the idealized picture we have of the archetypical hero (Kopper 5-6) Greene was extremely interested in politics and political movements, so he traveled to Mexico in 1938 to investigate the religious persecution that had taken place under President Calles and Governor Canabal (x). Research in this area shows that Latin American countries have been dealing with religious persecution for more than 6 decades with Penny Lernoux chronicling various movements well into the mid and late 1970’s in her book Cry of the People: United States Involvement in the Rise of Fascism, Torture, and Murder and the Persecution of the Catholic Church in Latin America. Pope Pius XI’s Acerba Animi – On Persecution of the Church in Mexico – 29 September 1932 also validates the persecution activities represented in The Power and the Glory.