Malintzin's Choices Analysis

Camilla Townsend’s Malintzin’s Choices depicts the ways in which one young Indian woman’s bold decision impacted the outcome of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The master narrative is commonly told through the perspective of the conquistadors themselves, rendering the history largely biased and lacking the views of the indigenous communities that were conquered. The inclusion of indigenous experiences challenges white male authority by shedding light on the inaccuracies of the major accounts and proving that a significant portion of history is based on the outlook of the person who writes it. Malintzin’s story deconstructs the widely-accepted Eurocentric narrative of the Spanish conquest of Mexico while simultaneously demonstrating the importance …show more content…
Despite being sold into slavery at a young age, Malintzin was conscious of her importance because women were emphasized as essential in the Nahua culture. Townsend highlights this fact in saying, “Like all girls, she knew that women had their own importance, that the men needed them as much as they needed the men” (17). Nahua cultural functions thrived on the complementary lifestyles of men and women. Contrary to their European oppressors, domestic and family life in the Nahua lifestyle was praised as a respectable form of work. The Nahua men revered their mothers and wives as protectors of the home, and, therefore, the protectors of life itself. Whereas European cultures regarded domestic work as a means of belittling women, Nahua men were appreciative of their wives’ efforts in the home. For example, it was believed that women who died in childbirth would go to a special part of heaven, similar to the belief of men who died in battle. Women could hold positions of power, though it was uncommon, but it was not prohibited like it was in Europe. Status was typically a more divisive factor in the Nahua lifestyle, while gender differences were much less influential in the inner workings of daily …show more content…
Though attempts were made to preserve the indigenous cultures, certain parts of the native history are lost when events are only observed from the lens of wealthy white men. The Nahua, for example, gradually adopted the Spanish language as well as ethics derived from Christianity, letting go of a large portion of their native identity. The influence of gender was also altered upon facing European influence, and Townsend emphasizes the paradoxical nature of post-conquest indigenous life — some aspects of their lives changed drastically while some remained constant. She says, “The Indians were violently defeated; the Indians could never be permanently defeated” (177). The Nahua people, therefore, cannot merely be viewed as victims, but the narrative also cannot be blind to their suffering. However, deconstructing the Eurocentric view of the past, such as in the telling of Malintzin’s vital role in the Spanish conquest, is essential in understanding the concept of victimization of underrepresented communities and praise of the master narrative. Malintzin’s story challenges the idea that history lies in the hands of white male authority, effectively proving that the widely accepted narrative is too often written by those who are biased toward its