The Destruction of the Indies

Bartolome De las Casas is a Friar who witnessed the Spanish conquest of the Indies. He initially took part in the atrocities committed but later he conveys the henious acts in an account that he presents to King Charles in an effort to stop the cruel treatment of the Indians. Although saddening to say the least, the account is not hard to read as it follows a simple outline. Las Casas writes an introduction to the king expressing his greatness. He then goes on to discuss in great detail the wrongdoings commited by the Christian tyrants in the New World. He labels each location that is mentioned and goes on to describe what happens. The accounts are nearly identical in each location save for a few. The Indians would greet the Christians and bestow gifts and provisions upon them. They also had agreements/treaties that were to be honored. The Christians however would blatently ignore these agreements and proceed to massacre, torture, and enslave the indigineous people. Las Casas describes these horrible acts in such a excruciatingly detailed manner that I had trouble continuing to read.

One thing that was noticeable was Las Casa's clear use of exaggeration. He describes the indians as peaceful people who do not engage in any combat. However he never mentioned how the Aztecs were warlike people that practiced cannibilism and human sacrifice. He tries to pass off the idea that the Christians conquered them without any resistance whatsoever. He quickly points out that fifteen million Indians were killed as a result of the Spanish Conquest. However I feel that his exaggerations are warranted as it would be the only way of getting his point accros the King Charles. It would be hard for one to dismiss that fifteen million people were killed as a result of his missionaries actions. I have no doubt that the Spainards commited the most terrible acts possible to the Indians and deserve and equally terrible punishment, however I do realize that Las Casas heavily exaggerated his account although it was probably neccessary to.

The sheer repetition of these events is disturbing; it seemed as if Las Casas never ran out of things to say when it came to describing the crimes comitted. . He painted grotesque images, a few of which were people being burned slowly by the feet as if being cooked alive, women hanging themselves with their children to avoid being eaten by rabid dogs that helped the spanairds with their sins,and finally babies being thrown into rivers. Some of the things the Spanairds did did not make sense but were cruel for the sole purpose of being cruel. An example is how they would enslave people and fail to feed them so they would die of malnutrition therefore defeating the point of them being enslaved in the first place.

Upon reading Las Casas account, I felt remorse and pity for the Indians who suffered the fate they did because of the Christians. I felt the same for the Indians in the other parts of the Americas who probably suffered a similar fate at the hands of other European/American conquerers but were never documented the way the Indies were. I learned to appreciate the value of life and security. After trying to put myself in the shoes of the poor Indians who were invaded, forced to believe in a strange religion, and then deceived and slaughtered ruthlessly, I feel immensly grateful and that I do not have to suffer a similar fate.

The Power of the Gods

A recurring element in "The Epic of Gilgamesh" which I consider a theme is the power of the gods. The gods have seemingly infinite power and can use it for their own bidding. As a result of this power the gods play a crucial role in the events of the story.

Because the Gods have such power over what happens, the characters try to please the gods so they will act favorably to the humans. Typically, humans would try to please the gods while avoiding angering them at all costs. This was apparent when the gods created Enkidu in response the pleas of the old men of Uruk.  The gods have so much power that Gilgamesh, a proud demi god,  begs them to spare his friend Enkidu from certain death. Gilgamesh however prayed to the god Shamash in the days leading up to his violent encounter with the demon Humbaba. Because of his prayers, Shamash released storms on Humbaba, helping Gilgamesh and Enkidu in their quest to kill the demon. Unlike in modern day religions in which God(s) are seen as divine characters that resemble purity and perfection, the Gods of Uruk displayed human like deficiencies. For example, the goddess Ishtar showed excessive infatuation towards Gilgamesh when he returned to Uruk from his conflct with Humbaba. So excessive in fact that when Gilgamesh rejected her advances she grew bitter and begged her mother and father to unleash the Bull from Heaven on Uruk and Gilgamesh. Ishtar displayed through her jealousy and resentment that although th Gods are powerful, they are by no means symbols of goodness and perfection.

Because the gods  hold extreme power and abilities as well as the fact that they are somewhat human- like in that they are not perfect, they can do almost anything. Furthermore many of their actions lead to actions of other gods which causes a ripple effect and is what keeps the story going. For example Aruru creates Enkidu to counteract the creation of Gilgamesh. As Gilgamesh and Enkidu face Humbaba, Shamash helps the pair defeat the demon which infuriates Enlil. Because of the success Ishtar feels drawn to Gilgamesh who declines her. Because of this Ishtar releases the Bull from Heaven which Enkidu kills and taunts Ishstar with. Finally the gods counsel and bring about Enkidu's death from sickness which causes Gilgamesh (the demi god) to mourn and beg for Enkidu's well being. This chain of events is started, carried out, and ended by a god or gods.

There is no doubt that the gods hold immense power. It is also obvious that it is because of that power that the gods shape the events in "The Epic of Gilgamesh".

To start off I want to introduce myself. My name is Amar Sharma and I am a freshman Bio major. I'm from Landenberg, PA which is a town near Delaware. It's about an hour away from Philadelphia.
I must say that my transition into college has gone quite smoothley. I relish the independence as well as living in Philadelphia where the possiblities for discovering new people and opportunities are virtually endless. I eagerly look forward to next four years of my life unsure of what the expect but excited nonetheless. I have several different interests such as sports and music. However the things that I am truly passionate about are soccer and house music. In addition, I have recently taken a liking to fitness. I truly am fascinated by the practice of bettering one's physique through exercise and diet.

As for "The Body Ritual by the Nacirema" I must admit that initially I was thoroughly confused by Miner's purpose in writing the short story. However, while carefully reviewing again, I realized that Miner's intent was to draw parallels between the Nacirema and modern day Americans of his times.
Although his language is grotesque to say the least, I was able to highlight several similarties between the Nacirema tribe and the American people. The Nacirema having a market economy reminded me of America's belief in Capitilism. Also, the Nacirema's method of curing disease and sickness resembled our healthcare system closely. The medicine men "must be rewarded with substantial gifts" similar to how doctors are payed high salaries. Miner also states that the medicine men recorded the ingredients in an "ancient and secret language" that only they knew. I found this comical because doctors today are known for having awful handwriting which quite frankly is downright illegible. The herbalist are like pharmacists because the interpret the medicine men's instructions and deliver the proper treatment to the patients. Miner also does well to illustrate mundane activities done on a daily basis. When he says, "the ritual consists of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical powders, and then moving the bundles into a highly formalized series of gestures", he is describing the act of brushing one's teeth.

In conclusion, I believe that although extreme and far fetched during some portions, "The Body Ritual by the Nacirema" displays some aspects of american life in the 1950's quite accurately.