Malinche

Malinche

Ultimately, how do you view Malinalli? As a traitor, a martyr, or as a heroine? Are there other ways to understand her place in Mexican and/or Chicano/a consciousness?

The character Malinalli in Laura Esquivel’s Malinche becomes known as first Dona Marina, then as the historical Malinche. She is seen by many Mexicans as a traitor who betrayed her people. This woman is known as one of the most controversial figures in history. On account of her intentions which are not known, it is difficult to say whether she is a traitor, a martyr, or as a heroine. The early years of Malinalli’s life were spent as her being a slave. Later on her life changed when she was given to Hernan Cortes; at this time Cortes was about to commence the conquest of Mexico. When Malinalli was baptized, she took on the name of Dona Marina. She became loyal to Cortes and lived as his translator throughout his plan. She translated for Cortes to different tribes so he could make an allegiance with them to overthrow the Aztecs. She was also a mistress to Cortes and gave birth to his first son. I had spoken to my friend Andres Mora, a couple of days after I conducted the interview about Malinche, and he painted me a broader picture of how she is viewed by different people. She is a historical figure and since so little is known about her, her being a traitor, martyr, or a heroine ultimately falls to a matter of opinion.

In Malinalli’s homeland of Mexico, the term Malinche is used to describe someone who has betrayed their heritage. She has been viewed as a traitor by some due to her being Cortes’ alter-ego as he conquered Mexico. While she stopped the slaughter of millions of indigenous peoples, the fact of the matter is that if those peoples would have known the true intent of the Spaniards, I think that they would have not gone along with the treaty. What she did was betray her culture and way of life. She turned to Christianity and God but I’m n sure how her turning to the one god is...