Posted by Isabel C. Vallejo on March 03, 192003 at 13:34:28:
I feel that this play writen by sor juana is very significant to pinpointing a time when now Latinamerican culture and reality begins to flourish as opposed to just indeginous or hispanic culture within the americas. in her play she personifies America and the West putting into context with one name bothe the people and the land being conquered. she takes care to explain and mention the religous beliefs of the indeginous people through these two characters as well.
The play demonstrates the reality of the latin american people after Spanish conquest. the indegeonus communities are not alliwed to manifest their owm cultural beliefs in the new conquered society, yet they don't compltetly submit to the religion and culture of the conquerers. Here America explains it best:
America
If your petition for my life
and show of Christian charity
are motivated by the hope
that you, at last, will conquer me,
defeating my integrity 230
with verbal steel where bullets failed,
then you are sadly self-deceived.
A weeping captive, I may mourn
for liberty, yet my will grows
beyond these bonds; my heart is free,
and I will worship my own gods!
The indian people give in to the violence and words of persuasion to save their own lives and keep their heart free. They may obey christian and spanish law, but in their heart they will always worship their own gods.
it is a phenomena that began to occur in latin america where two different cultures join to form one, instead of one being overpowered by the other. n cuzco the same thing happens when religous paintings of the Virgen Mary are superimposed with that of the mountain representation of the pachamama. In one painting both religions are represented as one.