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The Meeting of Two Worlds


I found the lecture for this week, titled, "The Meeting of Two Worlds", very enlightening. I’ve known for a long time now that the morality of Christopher Columbus’ journey is been controversial, but I hadn’t known that people were thinking the same thing as early as the sixteenth century. I also learned lots about Columbus' personality that I hadn't known before. This week’s lecture provided me with a better insight to what he was really feeling during his trip. For instance, I didn't know that Columbus had been so insecure and full of anxiety regarding his journey. Up until this point, the narrative that I was told about Columbus is that he was a hero, he made the world we live in today, and that he was always sure of himself. I think that this lecture really humanizes him. Learning that he wasn’t as confident as we thought, or that he had no idea he was discovering anything of value makes him more realistic. I believe that it’s important for the average person to remember that big historical figures aren’t always what they seem to be, and narratives can be deceiving. The reading captured this sentiment by citing Michael-Rolph Trouillot, who says “History is not what happened, but what is said about what happened”.

 

While doing the reading, I found the contrast of the two cities to be very striking. In the reading, the author talks about the contrast between Polcano (one of the nicest neighbourhoods in Mexico City), and Ecatepac (a very poor neighbourhood just a few miles away) The author describes how easy it is as a tourist, to become out of touch with the world around you when strolling through Polcano. The author then goes on to describe how when living in Ecatepac, it’s easier to just ignore Polcano, and the rest of the world. I noticed that it would be eye-opening to walk through either neighbourhood. I would probably leave both of them, thinking “Wow, I can’t believe people live like this”. I found this passage to be very thought-provoking. It’s so easy to just take life for granted, forgetting that there are millions of people living a very different life.

 

Overall, this week was very thought provoking, and made me reflect on my living situation, and how other people experience This week’s lecture and reading taught me to be skeptical when learning about historical events, because when we look more in depth, we start to see how a false narrative has been pushed for so long. Now I’m wondering, how many other false narratives have I been subjected to?

  

Comments

  1. nitya ramirez16 September 2020 at 19:01

    Hi Jenniah!
    I definitely can relate in terms of being surprised of the way we have been taught to view certain historical events, in terms of how dislocated from reality we may view these past situations. Particularly referring to Columbus, I wonder if they're still building him up to be the confident explorer that seems he was not?

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  2. Unknown16 September 2020 at 20:05

    Hi!
    I also didn't realize how anxious or nervous Columbus must have felt during his journey. Since we're only taught about what a person did in history, I think it's really easy to forget that even historical figures were people with complex emotions.

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  3. Clandestino17 September 2020 at 13:52

    Hi there!

    I agree with your observation that historical figures cannot be measured by their first impressions or by what they achieved. There has to be a balance, like in all things, where a thorough investigation is attempted and reading the diary of Columbus is a great start. History and more specifically, the juvenile educational system often portrays historical figures as almost two dimensional. I found the reading very interesting and necessary especially for us young adults.

    In addition, you talk about the neighbourhoods of Polanco and Ecatepac in Mexico city and it makes me think about our own local class juxtaposition in Vancouver with Gastown and East Hastings being site for comparison. It is interesting to read that reading then think of the intersubjectivity and cultural polyrhythm that existence in downtown Vancouver. We can draw more insight and empathy from our own lived experience and that broadens my perspective a bit more.

    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jon Beasley-Murray17 September 2020 at 13:55

    "we start to see how a false narrative has been pushed for so long."

    Perhaps so, but I suggest we should be suspicious about any narrative... none tells us the entire truth. And on the other hand, we can learn something (as here, with Columbus) even from narratives that may be "false." In other words, every narrative can also tell us something, and shouldn't be entirely discarded.

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