Bartolome de Las Casas
At first glance, this vivid portrayal of the "Columbian Encounter" as seen through the eyes of Bartolome de Las Casas, is a ruthless realization to the brutality and callous behaviors exhibited by the Spanish conquerors in the New World. After further reading and continued analysis, it can be found that the audience is the populous that are unbiased to the cruel devastations Las Casas has personally witnessed. The officer of the King and later a Dominican friar, he uses written word to condemn and denounce his fellow Spanish Christians for their exploitation of the Native Americans. Although he as well does not regard the natives as equals, he considers them as human beings and believes they should not be the subject of these mistreatments. Therefore, he writes these essays to sway the public in Spain, even if he had to over exaggerate the circumstances in Hispaniola and other islands, so that his message is fully received and contemplated by the masses. When explaining a situation as ghastly and horrifying as the maltreatment of the natives, one must understand the view. As a Dominican friar, Las Casas viewed the natives as children in the eyes of God, ripe for converting to Christianity. He views them as simplistic pe
He calls the natives "very poor" and have "neither pride, nor ambitious, nor avaricious" (p. Las Casas also fails to mention the frequency of events, so that it would be assumed events such as these atrocities happens on a near daily basis. Why is it that he over exemplifies the cruelties, rather then showing also the good his fellow countrymen were doing? Also why does Las Casas present the natives to be completely harmless, when there is historical evidence that they as well were capable of violence and malice? Las Casas does not lie about anything he has witnessed, however he more than likely refrains from the entire truth. Throughout Las Casas' writings, it is quite evident whom he is trying to convince of the immense brutality administered by the Spaniards in the New World. Las Casas understands that no one in mother Spain can even comprehend the atrocities occurring in Hispaniola. ople, incredibly humble and peaceful. Is Las Casas writing all this with only the well being of the natives in mind? Or is it possible that he is writing this to act against the state of Spain? Las Casas did say the natives were "faithful to their natural Lords and to the Christians, whom they served". He says they are without malice or hatred, and that the natives are weak, feeble, and they easily die at the very sight of sickness. There would quite possibly be major discretions between the friars and officers of the state, as it is well known the discrepancies between church and state. He is in a way comparing the natives' Natural lords and the Spaniards on equal terms. Another question possibly aroused from these readings would be the logic behind Las Casas' writings. The audience of these writings plays a huge roll as to how he writes those words.
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Acceptance Essays
