Quotation: “I would also suggest that Maria Micaela’s “playing dumb” (“… Since I’m a woman I don’t know what rey común means”) was a kind of strategic essentialism which, by playing into Spanish prejudice, was often deployed by Andeans. That is, since her Spanish captors would expect her to be ignorant, she could easily plead ignorance.”(Penry, 226)
Argument: The author, S. Elizabeth Henry, is arguing that the Andeans were able to take advantage of the stereotypes the Spaniards had of them. The Spaniards saw the Andeans as ignorant, uncivilized pagans. They believed that because lack of civilization among the people of Andes resulted in them not being rational human beings. Which means that, according to the Spaniards the native people were not able think for themselves. This often worked in the favor of the …show more content…
He talked about the justification the Spanish gave for the conquest of the Indians. As evident in the quote, the Spanish used the excuse that the Indians were ignorant and uncivilized, and thus needed to be brought to the right path. The right part being ruled by the Spanish and forced conversion to Christianity. They thought the Indians were missing the concept of civitas and needed to convert to bueno policia. Many Spanish authors of the fifteenth century argued that rational people like the Spanish were obliged to invade the Indians and dethrone their “tyrant” leader. This quote also relates to Professor Abercrombie’s lecture on October 6th, 2015. During this lecture, Professor Abercrombie talked about how women had no rights under Spanish rule. Their political and social standing was depended on their relation to a man. They were viewed as irrational human beings. This relates to the quote because Maria was a women, so it was easier for her to act as being ignorant. People already thought women were not able to think for themselves and Maria used it in her
Argument: The author, S. Elizabeth Henry, is arguing that the Andeans were able to take advantage of the stereotypes the Spaniards had of them. The Spaniards saw the Andeans as ignorant, uncivilized pagans. They believed that because lack of civilization among the people of Andes resulted in them not being rational human beings. Which means that, according to the Spaniards the native people were not able think for themselves. This often worked in the favor of the …show more content…
He talked about the justification the Spanish gave for the conquest of the Indians. As evident in the quote, the Spanish used the excuse that the Indians were ignorant and uncivilized, and thus needed to be brought to the right path. The right part being ruled by the Spanish and forced conversion to Christianity. They thought the Indians were missing the concept of civitas and needed to convert to bueno policia. Many Spanish authors of the fifteenth century argued that rational people like the Spanish were obliged to invade the Indians and dethrone their “tyrant” leader. This quote also relates to Professor Abercrombie’s lecture on October 6th, 2015. During this lecture, Professor Abercrombie talked about how women had no rights under Spanish rule. Their political and social standing was depended on their relation to a man. They were viewed as irrational human beings. This relates to the quote because Maria was a women, so it was easier for her to act as being ignorant. People already thought women were not able to think for themselves and Maria used it in her