#AP Spanish Literature Study Guide: Segunda carta de relación 📝

Welcome! This guide is designed to help you ace your AP Spanish Literature exam, focusing on Hernán Cortés' Segunda carta de relación. Let's dive in! This is your go-to resource for a confident test day.

#🧭 Overview & Context

#📜 Historical Context

• Author: Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador.
• Time: 1520, during the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
• Event: Part of the Age of Discovery, driven by European nations seeking wealth, glory, and to spread Christianity.
• Goal: To report to King Carlos V about the conquest and the wonders of the new land.

#🗺️ Geographic Context

• Setting: The Aztec Empire, particularly Tenochtitlán.
• Description: Varied landscapes (mountains, valleys, plains, rivers), rich agriculture (maize, beans), and abundant natural resources (gold, silver).

#👑 Societal Context

• Political: Power struggle between Spanish conquistadors and the Aztec Empire. Cortés aimed to establish Spanish dominance.
• Socio-economic: Clash between the structured Aztec society and the wealth-seeking Spanish. Aztecs had complex systems, skilled artisans, and abundant resources.
• Cultural: Meeting of two distinct civilizations. Cortés highlights Aztec temples, art, and rituals (including human sacrifice), contrasting them with European customs.

#🎭 Key Elements

#👤 Characters

Note: The letter is from Cortés' perspective, so characters are seen through his eyes.

• Hernán Cortés: The author and main character, leader of the Spanish expedition.
• Montezuma II: The Aztec emperor, initially welcoming but later facing conflict with the Spanish.
• Indigenous Leaders: Various leaders and allies from different native groups, some supporting and others opposing the Spanish.
• Spanish Conquistadors: Cortés' companions in the expedition, though not individually named.

#✍️ Literary Terms & Devices

• Narrador testigo (Witness Narrator): Cortés narrates from his own experience as a participant in the events. 💡
• Narratorio: Combines a letter format with a historical account.
• Enumeración (Enumeration): Detailed lists of resources, places, and events to create a thorough picture.
• Polisíndeton: Repetition of conjunctions (like "y") to emphasize the accumulation of details.
• Asíndeton: Omission of conjunctions to create a sense of urgency or quick succession of events.

#📖 Summary of the Text

Image Courtesy of TimeToast

#📝 Key Sections (Line Numbers from Azulejo)

• Lineas 33-44: Cortés reflects on the Aztecs' perception of him and his men as foreigners. He describes the arrival of vassals and their interactions with the native women.
• Lineas 45-60: Moctezuma welcomes Cortés, offering gifts and expressing honor at meeting him, believing the Spanish to be gods.
• Lineas 61-77: Cortés presents himself as human, not a god, and claims that any gold he possesses belongs to the people. He describes the city of Temixtitan, built on a lagoon with four entrances.
• Lineas 78-99: Description of the city's canals, bridges, and large markets with a variety of merchandise.
• Lineas 100-116: Details about the Aztec society, including houses for medicine, barbers, food, and drink. Mentions of porters and the market's organization.
• Lineas 117-142: Description of Moctezuma's gold and silver, and the craftsmanship of the Aztec people, using tools for stone lifting and feather work.
• Lineas 143-159: Description of the aviary, with various birds and elaborate structures, where Moctezuma would relax.
• Lineas 160-172: Details about the care of animals and the presence of "monstrous" individuals, each with their own quarters and caretakers.
• Lineas 173-192: Description of the elaborate meals served to Moctezuma and other high-ranking figures, with careful preparation and service.
• Lineas 193-212: More details on the luxurious lifestyle of the Aztec elite, including the tasting of food, the constant attention of servants, and the many changes of clothing.

#💡 Themes

Image Courtesy of Timetoast

• Las sociedades en contacto (Societies in Contact): Explores the interactions between the Spanish and indigenous peoples, highlighting both alliances and conflicts.
• La naturaleza y el ambiente (Nature and the Environment): Describes the geography and natural resources of the newly discovered lands, emphasizing their abundance and potential wealth.
• La construcción de la realidad (Construction of Reality): Cortés' narrative is shaped by his own perspective and motives, aiming to justify the conquest and portray the Aztecs as needing "saving."
• La creación literaria (Literary Creation): Use of vivid language and literary devices to bring the events and settings to life, influencing the reader's perception.

Pay close attention to how Cortés uses language to portray both the Aztecs and the Spanish. This is a crucial point for analysis in essays.

#🧐 Literary Analysis

• Cultural Contrasts: Highlights the differences between Aztec and Spanish civilizations, from architecture and markets to religious practices.
• Exploration and Discovery: Captures the spirit of the Age of Exploration, showing the awe and wonder experienced by the Spanish upon encountering new lands and cultures.
• Power Dynamics: Illustrates the Spanish ambition for domination and control, showing how Cortés presents the Spanish as superior to the Aztecs.

Key takeaway: "La Segunda Carta de Relación" is essential for understanding the Spanish conquest of Mexico, the perspectives of the colonizers, and the cultural exchange that occurred.

#🎯 Final Exam Focus

#🔑 High-Priority Topics

• Author's Purpose: Why did Cortés write this letter? What did he hope to achieve? 💡
• Cultural Perspective: How does Cortés portray both the Spanish and the Aztecs? What biases are present?
• Literary Devices: Be able to identify and analyze the use of enumeration, polisíndeton, and asíndeton.
• Themes: Focus on societies in contact, the environment, construction of reality, and literary creation.

#📝 Common Question Types

• Multiple Choice: Questions about specific details from the text, literary devices, and historical context.
• Short Answer: Analysis of specific passages, character motivations, and thematic elements.
• Free Response: Essays that require you to synthesize multiple aspects of the text, often comparing it to other works or themes.

#⏰ Last-Minute Tips

• Time Management: Read questions carefully and plan your answers before writing.
• Common Pitfalls: Avoid summarizing the text instead of analyzing it. Focus on the "how" and "why," not just the "what."
• Strategies: Use specific examples from the text to support your claims. Connect the text to broader themes and historical context.

#📝 Practice Questions

Practice Question

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In the Segunda carta de relación, Cortés describes the city of Tenochtitlan primarily as: (A) A chaotic and disorganized settlement (B) A primitive and underdeveloped village (C) A sophisticated and well-structured city (D) A desolate and abandoned ruin

2. Which literary device is most evident when Cortés lists the various goods found in the Aztec markets? (A) Metaphor (B) Simile (C) Enumeration (D) Personification

3. Cortés' portrayal of Moctezuma in the letter can best be described as: (A) A weak and indecisive leader (B) A cruel and tyrannical ruler (C) A powerful and respected emperor (D) A simple and uneducated man

Free Response Question

Analyze how Hernán Cortés uses literary devices and rhetorical strategies in his Segunda carta de relación to construct a particular image of both the Spanish and the Aztec civilizations. In your response, consider the author's purpose and intended audience.

Scoring Breakdown:

• Thesis (1 point): A clear and focused thesis that addresses the prompt.
• Analysis of Literary Devices (4 points): Identification and analysis of specific devices (e.g., enumeration, polisíndeton, asyndeton) and their effect on the reader.
• Analysis of Rhetorical Strategies (4 points): Examination of how Cortés uses language to present the Spanish and Aztecs, considering his purpose and audience.
• Use of Evidence (4 points): Specific textual evidence to support claims.
• Synthesis (2 points): Connection of the analysis to broader themes, such as cultural contact and the construction of reality.

Good luck! You've got this! 💪