In Kristina Down’s essay “Mirrored Archetypes,” she depicts two indigenous women. One is Malinche, who is depicted as a traitor and someone who helped conquer her own people, as opposed to Pocahontas, who was a symbol of peace or truce. Both women were unable to self-document as they were illiterate, but conquistador or colonialist men wrote about them, exposing their idealist views on women. Malinche was depicted as a sexualized woman, albeit falsely, while Pocahontas was seen as a princess. Pocahontas is used to symbolize a new identity of nationalism for America. Another difference is that the Spanish and English had different intentions when coming to the Americas, as seen in Orozco’s painting of the cross with a Spanish soldier figure in the background, depicting the conquest for Christianity.
Additionally, Malinche was offered, along with other women, as a sacrifice to prevent the conquest of their land by the Chontal Maya. Cortez found Malinche useful because she could speak both languages. Furthermore, Pocahontas is idealized as unexplored, like the Americas themselves – new, exotic, and young. Malinche is perceived as someone who seeks to reject and destroy her cultural heritage, unlike Pocahontas, whose story is romanticized as one of redemption.
Malinche’s archetype has evolved over generations, initially portrayed as a sexualized female traitor and later as saint-like, akin to the Virgin Mary in Christianity. Mexican and Chicana feminist writers sought to reimagine her presence, recognizing that her image was constructed by men. In Castellanos’ work, Malinche is depicted as a military advisor aiding in conquest and assisting other groups in resisting Aztec dominance.
In the article “The History of Mexico: Diego Rivera’s Murals at the National Palace” by Megan Flattley, Diego Rivera is portrayed as having a vision of creating grandiose murals in Mexico to depict the country’s chaotic past. For instance, the murals illustrate a continuous timeline from the start of the conquest up until the present day. Furthermore, scenes of the Spanish conquest, the fight for independence from Spain, the American war, and the Mexican revolution are depicted. Diego also painted a mural envisioning the future being dictated by class conflict, with the next Marxist revolution being a natural response to the greedy capitalist elite. Additionally, these murals were created to give Mexicans a new national identity in response to easel painting, as only the elite had access to expensive art materials, aiming to make a significant impact on the public. The murals consisted of the North Wall, West Wall, South Wall, and East Wall. The West Wall depicted the timeline, while the North Wall depicted Mesoamerica before the Spanish invasion, including cultural artifacts like Maize, Cacao, Ahuacatl, Tortilla. The South Wall depicted class conflict by showcasing the greedy elite and the response to capitalism with Marxist ideas, such as workers being oppressed by the police, and how the workers deserved more than being treated like dollar sign. Additionally, this is where Diego reclaimed his idea and wall by painting it, as a similar painting in New York was destroyed by the Rockefellers. Finally, the architecture of the building allows the viewer to be fully immersed in the murals because of the grandiose stairs that lets one traverse up and down to see the murals, and the murals could read in any directions.
Mexico lost its identity due to European colonization, with Mexican presidents making deals with U.S. elites, ceding land, and adopting influences that portrayed the indigenous population as problematic for Mexico. People were abused on sugar plantations, prompting their involvement in the revolution. They were treated like slaves, and economic interests led to displacement. Howard Taft, an ignorant U.S. president, took advice from advisors interested in profiting from Mexico. Miners and farmers went broke, leading to violent strikes, such as the ones in Cananea. Mexicans demanded equal wages compared to their American counterparts, leading to widespread strikes and the end of Diaz’s rule. President Madero faced uprisings and political opposition from those who despised their indigenous heritage but sought to maintain colonial dominance, resulting in his assassination. Women played a vital role in the revolution. Legends like Villa and Zapata were assassinated. Subsequent Mexican presidents were assassinated as they fought to retain power, with U.S. intervention in Mexican politics. During WWII, President Cárdenas allowed people to seek asylum in Mexico. A renaissance of painting emerged, reflecting Mexican lifestyle and culture, instilling a sense of identity. Then emerged the “tres grandes”: Jose Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. The “tres grandes” created murals depicting Mexican people, fostering nationalist sentiment and promoting cross-cultural exchange with the United States during the Great Depression. Jose, Diego, and David returned to Mexico to create more impactful art, influencing many people. Also, their mural painting techniques were innovated, inspiring artists like Jackson Pollock, who created massive paintings reminiscent of Mexican murals. The explosion of colors and expressive lines with tremendous energy filled the composition and even took on the form of abstraction. Therefore, the Mexican mural art movement had a tremendous impact on the art community in the United States and Mexico. Therefore, Mexico had lost its identity due to the destruction of their indigenous past. For other indigenous Indians, who were the only ones to talk about the other tribes, as opposed to the Spanish, who started the destruction of the artifacts of the indigenous people of Mexico and began incorporating Christian influence, where it started to change the story of the Mexican people, leading to their loss of identity.