Jumping off from Vanessa's post, I love that we're reading Conquest of the Americas right after The Sparrow. The parallels and contrasts between the Spaniards/Native Americans and the Jesuits/aliens are fascinating!
In The Sparrow, the Jesuit expedition went to Rakhat with a total respect for whatever alien culture they might find. When they arrived, they asked questions, learned the language, and tried to integrate themselves as best they could into the society they found. In short, the expedition treated the Rana and Jana'ata as, if not humans, at least as people.
As a contrast, the American "discoverers" - especially Columbus (who was HILARIOUS, in that I can't believe he actually acted like that kinda way) - went to the Americas ignorant and uncaring of the culture, motivations and desires of the Native Americans. Though Columbus took cultural notes, he imposed his own desires upon his interpretation of the indigenous people. When he didn't understand the natives he met (or, when he admitted he didn't understand them) or when they acted contrary to his expectations, he interpreted them as animals, as non-human - in short, as aliens.
Why would the (fictional) Jesuits treat aliens as people, and Columbus and the Spaniards treat humans as alien? Moral relativism! (What, is there a theme in this week's blogging or something?) Emilio and the other members of the expedition to Rakhat are meeting the aliens with the intent of meeting and understanding people radically different from themselves. They recognize that their ways will be different and are ready to accept the difference. Columbus and the other explorers, however, don't really have a concept of an other that is also moral. Thus, when they encounter the Native Americans, they see the difference as not just immoral, but unhuman.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment