The Native American woman Malinche as first mediator between native and foreign cultures

Yvette Denner

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Essay from the year 2009 in the subject Didactics - English - Applied Geography, grade: 78%, University of New South Wales, Sydne...

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Essay from the year 2009 in the subject Didactics - English - Applied Geography, grade: 78%, University of New South Wales, Sydney (School of History and Philosophy), course: Introduction to Americas Studies, language: English, abstract: It is often argued whether Malinche was either a traitor or a heroine to her country. After her function as a translator between the Aztecs and the Spanish and the resulting downfall of the Aztec Empire it is easy to say that she actually betrayed Mexico. Helping Cortés to communicate with Montezuma and the Indians in general, ensured the Spanish a great advantage towards their Mexican enemies. Malinche provided Cortés with the ability to understand not only the Aztec's language, but also their way of thinking (Eakin 2007: 67). She translated the Nahuatl language into Mayan, so that Gerónimo de Aguilar could then translate the matter into Spanish for Cortés (Kidwell 1992: 99). In addition, she was able to listen and pass on the Aztec's intentions and dissensions (Eakin 2007: 67). In The Conquest of New Spain Bernal Diáz de Castillo described the significance of Malinche for the Spanish. He wrote, "without the help of Doña Marina we could not have understood the language of New Spain and Mexico" (Carrasco 2008: 51). It is therefore undeniable that Malinche contributed to the conquest of her mother country Mexico. Immediately the question arises: What made her help Cortés?