Inventing the Caribbean: Columbus’s Creation of the Other Essay

Inventing the Caribbean Columbuss Creation of the Other Columbuss assault of the Caribbean in 1492 brought Native the Statesn and European cultures together for the first time in a startling encounter that re do the world prognosiss of both groups. In The Conquest of the States The indecision of the Other, Tzvetan Todorov seeks to understand the ways in which the Spanish world count on shape Columbuss perception of the natives of Hispaniola, as he fashioned an other from his own guts of self. In Todorovs model, the other is defined in terms of its correspondence, or lack thereof, to different facets of the self, including culture, language, physiognomy, religion, and knowledge furthermore, the other is valued, distanced, and understood in relation to the presumed advantage of the self. In this way, the other can only be seen as an imperfect state of oneself and never as a hard-hitting entity judged according to its own set and defined on its own terms (Todorov 4 2). Todorov explores Columbuss letters and journals, various first-hand accounts of the discovery, and the writings of Las Casas in order to understand the ways in which the different self of the native population was transformed into an other, whose identity depended on European value to define it.Todorov argues that Columbuss self (and, consequently, the other, which he created in the compute of that self) is defined by three spheres the divine, nature, and humans. Each of these spheres is integral to Columbuss worldview and colors his perception of that which is outside his world. Within these spheres of perspective, Columbuss identity is shaped by Catholicism, a reverence for nature, and European society and culture particularly that of Portu... ...her and reveals the complex process of suppression and projection, which attempted to impose the Old World view on the New World in the sixteenth century Caribbean.Bibliography1. Columbus, Christopher. The Journal of Chri stopher Columbus. New York Burt Franklin, 1968.2. Knight, Franklin W. The Caribbean The Genesis of a Fragmented Nationalism, 2nd edition. New York Oxford University Pres, 1990.3. Sider, Gerald. When Parrots Learn to Talk, and why They Cant Domination, Deception, and Self-Deception in Indian-White Relations. Comparative Studies in Society and History 29, no.1 (1987), 3-23.4. Steward, Julian H. and Louis C. Faron. Native Peoples of South America. New York McGraw Hill, 1959.5. Todorov, Tzvetan. The Conquest of America The motility of the Other. New York Harper and Row Publishers, 1984. Inventing the Caribbean Columbuss Creation of the Other EssayInventing the Caribbean Columbuss Creation of the Other Columbuss impact of the Caribbean in 1492 brought Native American and European cultures together for the first time in a startling encounter that reshaped the worldviews of both groups. In The Conquest of America The Question of the Other, Tzvetan Todorov seeks to understand the ways in which the Spanish worldview shaped Columbuss perception of the natives of Hispaniola, as he fashioned an other from his own ace of self. In Todorovs model, the other is defined in terms of its correspondence, or lack thereof, to different facets of the self, including culture, language, physiognomy, religion, and knowledge furthermore, the other is valued, distanced, and understood in relation to the presumed advantage of the self. In this way, the other can only be seen as an imperfect state of oneself and never as a distinct entity judged according to its own values and defined on its own terms (Todorov 42). Todorov explores Columbuss letters and journals, various first-hand accounts of the discovery, and the writings of Las Casas in order to understand the ways in which the distinct self of the native population was transformed into an other, whose identity depended on European values to define it.Todorov argues that Columbuss self (and, consequently, the other, which he created in the characterization of that self) is defined by three spheres the divine, nature, and humans. Each of these spheres is integral to Columbuss worldview and colors his perception of that which is outside his world. Within these spheres of perspective, Columbuss identity is shaped by Catholicism, a reverence for nature, and European society and culture particularly that of Portu... ...her and reveals the complex process of suppression and projection, which attempted to impose the Old World view on the New World in the sixteenth century Caribbean.Bibliography1. Columbus, Christopher. The Journal of Christopher Columbus. New York Burt Franklin, 1968.2. Knight, Franklin W. The Caribbean The Genesis of a Fragmented Nationalism, 2nd edition. New York Oxford University Pres, 1990.3. Sider, Gerald. When Parrots Learn to Talk, and wherefore They Cant Domination, Deception, and Self-Deception in Indian-White Relation s. Comparative Studies in Society and History 29, no.1 (1987), 3-23.4. Steward, Julian H. and Louis C. Faron. Native Peoples of South America. New York McGraw Hill, 1959.5. Todorov, Tzvetan. The Conquest of America The Question of the Other. New York Harper and Row Publishers, 1984.