Art of Contact Zones Response Paper PDF

Preview

Summary

Professor Jason Schilling
Response essay ...

Description

Solano Rosas 1

Evangelina Solano Rosas Professor Jason Schilling English 20 25 September 2018 “Arts of the Contact Zones” Response Paper Arts of the Contact Zone  by Mary Louise Pratt (New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999) discusses contact zones, specifically in regard to the complexity of language and community. Pratt opens by discussing how her son, Sam, was able to thrive throughout his education by the practical application of his curriculum to his hobby. Baseball cards became a fun way for Sam to practice his arithmetic to calculate batting averages, and practiced phonics by attempting to pronounce the names of baseball players. The hobby of baseball, allowed Sam to learn about other topics and skills such as american racism, the depression, commodified labor, architecture, meteorology & how to have an intelligent conversations with adults. Pratt redirects to discuss a manuscript discovered by Pietschmann in the Danish Royal Archives that dates back to 1619 in Cuzco, Peru. The manuscript was addressed to King Philip III of Spain, written by a native of the Andes, Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala. The New Chronicle and Good Government ( the manuscript) was written in a mixture of Quechua and informal Spanish, and was 1200 pages. Quechua was not previously known to possess written communication and was perceived as an illiterate culture. Guaman Poma was believed to be a descendent of noble Inca blood, a self identified christian, a scribe or translator to a Spanish tax collector, and was taught how to write by his half brother, a mestizo, Being a mestizo, half spanish and half native, allowed his brother to receive

Solano Rosas 2

formal religious education. The “New Chronicle” portion of the title was an intentional attempt to react to the Spaniards “chronicle”, the story Spain was attempting to paint as life in the spanish colonies. The “New Chronicle” narrates the world from the perspective of Andeans, and goes as far to claim that Andeans were one of the offsprings of Noah, from the bible. This “new Chronicle” also includes history of Incas customs and public institutions. Pratt defines “contact zones” as social clashes that are most identifiable during times of war, conquest and slavery. It’s a grapple of power that transforms the subordinate culture into an adaptation of the imposing culture of the authority. This text is considered by Pratt to be an autoethnographic text, which would be a response to the imposed sociocultural influences of the conquerors. However to write an autoethnographic, it would need to contain “concrete collaborations between people … between Guaman Poma and the Inca elders who were his informants” (Pratt, 1999). The manuscript ends with addressing the Spanish Conquistadors arrival, and how matters would have been peaceful if the conquistadors had not been greedy and foolish. Guaman rewrites the story as if the Spaniards had been peaceful, for a parody. Also, the “Good Government” portion of the title is directly referring to the unjust, abusive and exploitative ways the Spanish were behaving, while also making note to mention the good spanish men he had come across. Guaman goes further to say that the Spanish elite should have collaborated with the Inca elite. The Incas did not have a written form of communication, so Guaman adapted Spanish in order to advocate for other Andeans. This is an example of selective adaptation in regards to an invading country, which is a common happening with contact zones. “Autoethnography, transculturation, critique, collaboration, bilingualism, mediation, parody,

Solano Rosas 3

denunciation, imaginary dialogue, vernacular expression -- these are some of the literate arts of the contact zone. Miscomprehension, incomprehension, dead letters, unread masterpieces, absolute heterogeneity of meaning -- these are some of the perils of writing in the contact zone” (Pratt, 1999). Community is a misunderstood concept by many, however the only active sense of community happens in the contact zones. Who determines what is community or language is done by someone in authority, and is seen from their point of view. Pratt continues to discuss a course she taught called “Cultures, ideas and Values”. In a traditional setting, a lecturers purpose is to give a speech that everyone can agree with, in order to create a false sense of community. Its impossible to ever achieve that, so embracing the differences and making clear that every story can either be one of pride or shame, dependent on whos point of view is being reflected. Everyone needs a community based in shared values and morals to grow in one's culture. Once those are solidified, its time to enter the contact zone, a collaborative and intersectional space. I found it interesting how the manuscript written my Guaman Poma was lost and not really researched for such a long time. Even at the Danish Archives it seemed they couldn't even pin point how long it had been in Danish possession or where it came from. The content the manuscript touched on, would have been vital information for King Philip III of Spain to have recieved. I believe it would've shaped what happened during the Spanish colonial era in an entirely different way. The idea of adapting specific portions of another culture that you come in contact with, is something that I truly believe should be celebrated. However, it’s not ever appropriate to force your own personal culture over another culture. It diminishes the valuable beauty that each of our individual cultures have. As a social work major, I have adopted the

Solano Rosas 4

celebration of intersectionality, which is celebrating all of what makes every individual what they are. For example, I am a woman who is Spanish and Mexican. That doesn’t capture who I am as a person though. I’m so much more! I’m a Fiance, cat lover, big sister, little sister, behavioral technician, and much more. The intricate diversities in everyone is worthy of celebrating. Those contact zones are places in which we all can grow and learn together.

Solano Rosas 5

Work Cited Pratt, Mary Louise. Arts of the Contact Zone.  Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999...