Wednesday, September 18, 2019
State and Church Essay -- essays research papers fc
Christopher Columbus and Cabeza de Vaca were two known adventurers, one being an explorer and the other as a treasurer. Both men had great reputations, which led to positions of high status. Cabeza de Vaca became the treasurer on an expedition to explore the Gulf coast as a young nobleman and Christopher Columbus went on many expeditions to explore lands of treasure and jewels of all sorts. Both men explored in a time in which the lands were controlled by church and state and because of this, pressure of enormous amounts were placed on the shoulders of these men. The misfortunes these men encountered on their expeditions led them to choose a side in which they tried to disguise their true outcomes. Cabeza de Vaca and Christopher Columbus used the power the church possessed and embellished in the writings as a means to escape ridicule and or conviction from the state.      One can get a sense from the works of Cabeza de Vaca that he went through hardship when captured by the Indians. In addition you can a sense that he uses much imagery of his men being killed and picked off one by one because he knew that the state and church would read his writings. My opinion of chapter seven is very skeptical because I feel that Cabeza de Vaca wanted to show the state and church that life over in the New World was very troubling and full of challenges so great no man can bare. He embellishes his writings in purpose of being forgiven for the money and manpower spent on the expedition. In chapter seven Cabeza de Vaca shows in his writings how he was attacked numerous times, â€Å"The day following, others came against us from a town on the opposite side of the lake, and attacked us as the first had done, escaping in the same way,                                                        pg. 1 except one who was also slain†(pg. 130). He keeps showing the reader that he was attacked numerous times but yet the Indians escaped the same way as the first did. These accounts could show the church that Cabeza de Vaca was strong in his encounters with harsh conditions and that these experie... ...ed this statement with the hoping he will return to explore because he feels that the third voyage did not find riches and other valuable items.      Both men used the church to somewhat cover up the unsuccessful expeditions and voyages that occurred. I feel that the writings were intentional in the fact they were not only made to keep accounts but also to show the church that they are still skilled as before they left. They also write with a manner in which they want to be rewarded somehow for their findings or misfortunes they encountered in such harsh conditions.                                                        Pg. 4 Works Cited Columbus, Christopher. The Four Voyages of Columbus. Trans. J.M. Cohen      1969. Cabeza de Vaca, Alvar Nunez. Relation of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca. Trans.      Buckingham Smith. 1871.
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