The Novel Song of the Hummingbird by Graciela Limon

Table of Contents

Introduction
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Conclusion
Reference

Introduction

This essay will discuss the novel Song of the Hummingbird by Graciela Limon, which tells the tale of the Aztecs downfall from the viewpoint of a Huitzitzilin, a hummingbird. The books main objective is to emphasize the parallels and discrepancies between Christian and pagan civilizations, recounting the story of the Mexican people before the Spanish invasion. The author reveals several vital subjects, the first of which is religion and its function in society, and makes historical perspective apparent by describing Mexican life before the Spanish invasion. The author highlights a viewpoint on the Spanish invasion of Mexico absent from prior writings. The feelings of the native people at the time, the consequences of the colonization, and their impact on women are all discussed. The author appears to empathize with the Mexican women and to have written those events from a female point of view, which adds heart to the work. The impact of change on humankind is the books secondary theme, which also explores the idea of morality from opposing perspectives. The main focus will be on the novels main ideas and themes, which include white supremacy, justice, gender discrimination and stereotypes in many cultures, individuality, and forgiveness, whether righteous or individual. The book, in my opinion, portrays the differences between cultures and their world views, illustrating how similar the narrative and the circumstances in real life are, although people have little in common.

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The collision of the two seemingly incompatible worlds is illustrated in the Song of the Hummingbird. They lack comprehension and appear unaware of the clear parallels they share. The fact that Hummingbird attempts to avoid discussing her pagan belief systems out of concern for the Catholic priest further suggests that religion is the main factor dividing these people. Benito fears learning about these customs because he thinks they are a way to praise the devil (Limón 23). Benitos convictions date back to his early years when he was taught that pagan people were cultureless animals who could not comprehend Christian ideas of good and evil. In addition, he is perplexed when Hummingbird explains that she believed making out with Zintle was terrible but still did it. Benitos initial skepticism and conflict of interests with Christian morality and logic can be shown in his question, How did she understand that it was evil at a time when she was not yet a Christian? (Limón 22). However, the system propagates the notion that anything foreign is terrible, not the priest is to blame.

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In my opinion, the ideas of religion and morality are the ones closest to actual life. The lesson is helpful because it illustrates how different people can have different perspectives on the same incident. For instance, Hummingbird is composed and explains that she had to have her first abortion to secure her survival when she dismissively tells the priest about it. Benito shrugs astonished that a lady would dare to murder an unborn child (Limón, 1996). He was less concerned about her safety than he was about the future of an unborn fetus.

Additionally, he seemed uninterested when he inquired about her Christian name. However, the Hummingbird perceived that question as an insult to her honor because it implied that the conquerors had taken everything from her, including her name. Benito asserts that traditions go beyond his expectations of morality, while the older woman calmly explains some ceremonies, including human sacrifices. It would be unethical to evaluate someones behavior because one cannot know their moral beliefs. Instead, each person has a sense of morality based on the values they were raised with. Such behaviors can be easily seen in real life nowadays, as well. It is not unknown how ignorant most people get when it comes not only to different cultures and opinions but also when someones needs are ignored because of their differences. I can think of multiple examples of differentiating morals from my own life that are especially evident in hierarchical structures as simple as schools, where people choose to abuse their power, abandoning their morality or disguising their actions as moral.

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The lesson I found most valuable was that every person deserves the freedom, mercy, compassion, and understanding the book teaches its readers. The storys storyline is laced with references to both heavenly and personal forgiveness. In particular, the young priest affirmed that when Hummingbird consulted about the abortion, she had to have it to ensure her life. However, when his answer was affirmative, she said that only then could she be sure that God had pardoned her. The elderly lady, therefore, made a connection between the divine and individual forgiveness. The older woman wished to know that God had forgiven her. Hummingbird was clearly in pain, and when Benito questioned the old lady if she had forgiven her husband, she responded, I cannot forgive him because it happened to the Hummingbird, she should forgive him (Limón, 1996). The reader can see how the older woman distinguished between a personal act of forgiveness and a heavenly one in this phrase, and she would never pardon her husband for the harm he inflicted. When I make a mistake in life, and someone forgives me, I naturally think God has done the same.

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As a student, I can see how Song of the Hummingbird can educate other students about discrimination and gender conventions. Students might draw comparisons between traditional and contemporary views of women. The reader can see through the priests comments that gender restrictions existed in the Catholic Christian community since he argued against womens sexual freedom and their right to indulge in anything they want with their bodies. Similar to gender norms, sexism is still a prevalent phenomenon nowadays. This work is quite outstanding, particularly the way it portrays the culture of the native Indians that lived in Mexico. It explains their marriages, their worldviews, and the suffering they endured due to the invasion. I believe anyone who wants to learn more about Latin America and Mexican history should read this book.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the fundamental theme of Song of the Hummingbird is the contrast between two distinct cultures and their world views. The two significant characters seem disdainful of one another cultures and abhor certain facets of the other society. For stealing everything from her and her people, including her name, Hummingbird seems to despise white people. On the other hand, Benito loathes paganism and primitive rituals and views them as evil. They both overlook the fact that they are similar in any case. People dont comprehend one anothers cultures, so they often loathe and dislike them. This is a universal problem. In my opinion, adults and high schoolers should read this book as they are more likely to get its genuine significance. What I will remember the most from this book is the idea of uncertainty.