Cabeza de Vaca

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Cabeza de Vaca

• Conquering With Kindness

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Discussion Questions

• For what purposes does CDV write the Relación?

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Questions, contd.

• Compare CDVs treatment of the natives to that of
  the protagonists in the other texts weve read.

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Metaphors For the New World

• Eden (pastoral)
• A place apartseparate from the corrupting
  influences of the metropolis
• Myth of Atlantis (city of divine plenitude
  created by industry)
• American Dream If you work hard, you will be
  rewarded.
• Eldorado city of gold (7 cities of Cibola)
• Paradise becomes material
• Notice CDVs constant

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Slavery

• debunks the images of the New World created by
  the European imagination.
• Life is not idyllic for slaves
• Slaves (Friday) do not profit from their
  labortheir masters do
• Prosperity is built on the backs of slaves
• Slavery is not moral