In order to understand what Ambivalent means, I will use Van Harrelds definition being, "Ambivalence is experienced as psychologically unpleasant when the positive and negative aspects of a subject are both present in a person's mind at the same time. This state can lead to avoidance or procrasticantion, or to deliberate attempts to resolve the ambivalence. There for the book is called amivalent conquest because it relays the postive and heroic actions of the conquest and acknowledges how the conquistodors were also neglecting the suffering, injustice, cruel, and failures of the conquest in their probanzas, and other official reports.
By this definition I will attempt to describe from page 1 - 13 an ambivalent example of the conquest.
The author is primarily using Bernal Diaz's History of the Conquest to describe the Spaniards first encounter with the Yucatec Maya. In these encounters, Diaz decribes a state of ambushes, and attacks perpetrated by the Indians. The author places a fearful environment which the outnumbered Spaniards were fighting for their lives. They are weary of the indigenous population, and the land is itself an obstacle. They are disorganised, thirsty, and bleeding from their wounds (page 11) on the edge of death. Upon their returning to Cuba, these horrors quickly dissapear. The negative aspect of the conquest is erased. Instead the positive aspect of conquest quickly replaces the psychologicialy unpleasant aspect.
" At last the expedition found its way back to Cuba. Hernandez de Cordoba was to die of his wounds soon after his ships made port, but before he died he wrote a report to Governor Velazquez celebrating the land he had discovered, with its fine cities of masonry houses, its abundant populations, its plantations, and its gold. Above all, the gold. the gold which obliterated the memory of suffering, and transmuted disaster into triumph." (Clendinnen page 13)
Thus this is an example of ambivelant conquest, the obliterating the memory of suffering and disaster, and turning it into triumph. We see that in this example of conquest, the postive and negative aspects were present in Cordoba's mind as well of that is Diaz's. To resolve this unpleasant state of mind, Diaz and Hernandez focus on the signs of wealth which the Yucatec Peninsula offered. People in clothes, houses of masonry, fertile land, and that mysterious place Castilan where more Gold unknowingly lies. Suffering, death, thirst, and failure are all avoided in the report because what mattered the most, was making their mission a success, thus creating a postive aspect in their exploration of the Yucatec Peninsula.
I could not agree more. I think that your choice of definitions fits completely with the title. The hardships and failures ignored due to the findings of minute amounts of gold in the temple goes hand in hand with Van Harrelds definition. Its odd to see how men from the first "conquest" of the mainland were willing to go back to the same places where they almost lost their lives. It is as if they had forgotten the disaster and, as you said, turn it into a triumph. Its hard to imagine how a decade in between the first expedition and the next was enough time for the Spaniards to forget the failure.
ReplyDeleteHowever, on page 13, Clandennin offers a possibility as to why the first bout of failures were so easily forgotten. She expresses her belief that gold in the "New World" could act as a liberating agent. It could offer lower men a chance at something more. This explanation is plausible seeing the options available to lower class men in the 16th century.
I agree with your definition given. And it is a very good starting point. but, I think maybe you should emphasis the gold a little less, it's maybe a little premature considering it is the very first pages of the book. Gold is what brought them in, but what made them stay is what you mention in the last paragraph (People in clothes, houses of masonry, fertile land). The Spaniards emphasis the productive land and people, noticed through trade, to justify their going to Yucatan the second time, which is permanent (pg. 29). The real importance of gold and silver is the fact that they are liquid money assets. With them a Spaniard could go anywhere he wanted, usually Spain. However, the conquest of Yucatan was ambivalent mostly due to its lack of gold, forcing the "conquistadors" to seek, at the very least, encomiendas. There was no insurance policy for not finding gold, which they didn't, so the next best thing was to extract labor and goods from new indigenous peasents to generate wealth. This meant staying on the land, and it gave no guarantee as to what was to be gained, whereas gold did. Also, Castilan is obviously a reference to Castile or Castellano, a person from Castile. The natives pointed to the rising sun, or eastwards, towards the Atlantic and Castile (Spain) (pg. 9). Later in the book the author says such is the case as well (pg. 17). It explains the "ambushes", the natives who attacked them had already made contact with Gonzalo Guerrero, who obviously had less than ideal things to say about his fellow Castilians considering he refused to be “rescued”.
ReplyDeleteI think it was very helpful to give a definition of “ambivalent” in order to help understand how the title, Ambivalent Conquests, fits with the content of the book. I like how you discuss how Bernal Diaz’s experience begins negative, describing the immense hardships faced during his time in the Yucatan Peninsula, and then reverts to positive once he reaches Cuba and realizes the wealth he received in the Yucatan Peninsula. I also agree with the first commenter – my first reaction was confusion when I thought of how it was so easy for them to let go all of the turmoil experienced during their time in the Yucatan Peninsula and feel triumphant in the end. However, as Philip noted in his post, it makes sense that the Spaniards felt a sense of triumph and pride when they realize the wealth the Yucatan Peninsula could bring. There was a lot of land, people, plantations, and gold.
ReplyDeleteClendennin makes a great emphasis on the importance of gold to the Spaniards. She quotes: “It is difficult for us to grasp the peculiar glamour and significance the yellow metal held for the conquistadores…[Columbus] tells us more, as he writes the closing lines of a letter to the Spanish monarchs: ‘Gold is most excellent; of gold there is formed treasure and with it whoever has it may do what he wishes in this world and come to bring souls into paradise’” (13). All in all, I agree with Philip’s post because he discusses how important gold was to the Spaniards and the significance it has in their life. Although they risked their lives during their conquest in the Yucatan Peninsula, they were able to forget their woes in order to gain wealth and a more fulfilling life. Therefore, their conquest was ambivalent.