Discourse and Duality
Peter Hulme's "Columbus and the Cannibals," focuses on the Journal, Columbus' own written record of his voyage to the Caribbean and the beginning of the Spanish Empire in the New World. The voice of the text, however, does not only belong to Columbus. It is made up of the words and thoughts of Bartolome de Las Casas (who reproduced the original), the natives (whose voice comes through gross misunderstanding) and the king and queen of Spain, to name a few. The Journal is essentially a "report of other's words." (17) The passage of time has also led to different interpretations of the Journal. As Hulme writes, the distinct discourses of the text must be made clear and then placed against the particular social and political framework relevant to the time. Hulme's assertion of the two discourses, "oriental gold" vs. "savage gold," allows the text to yield many more insights into the world of Columbus and the birth of the Spanish Empire.
The primary example Hulme uses when citing the Journal, is the adoption and use of the word 'Cannibal,' that originated from the word 'Carib,' and was ultimately used to describe the native population. From the reference to a few natives who were believed to eat human flesh, the word came to stand for the 'otherness' of the people in the New World. By establishing that the 'Cannibals' were on the "border of humanity," they were later able to justify the conquest and the destruction in the name of God (14). Hulme himself comments on the ease with which the term was accepted, noting that it was "adopted into the bosom of the European family of languages with a speed and readiness which suggests that there had always been an empty place warm for it." (19) Perhaps, there is not a definitive spot were this "place" could be traced to, but the social, economic and political world of Spain at the time allowed an entry point for such thought.
The duality of the term itself, as applied to the natives and the land which Columbus believed he was in, worked in such a way that the evolution of the term could become all inclusive. Columbus believed he was in the kingdom of the Khan while at the same time, surrounded by the Can natives. Both Khan and Can fall under the 'oriental gold' and 'savage gold' discourse Hulme focuses on. Following the misinterpretation that plagued the voyage, Columbus headed for Cubanacan, all the while believing that he was approaching El Gran Can (the Khan). At a later point Columbus decided to head NW to the island of gold and Caribs which he believed to be the Island of Cippangu (Japan) and the Khan. Finally, by placing his position at 42° latitude, Columbus was able to convince himself that he was taking the right route. To turn SW he had to convince himself of this or admit "that the whole discursive structure of the Columbian enterprise had been in vain." (31)
At the time, Spain's main concern was with finding a new route for trade. In this sense, it can be said that Spain was guided by fortune or gold that began as 'oriental gold' and then, when it was not found, by 'savage gold.' Secondary to her own economic interests, the discovery of the native pagan religion allowed for further justification to conquer and convert in the name of God. The ambiguity and the duality of the words Columbus uses in his Journal allow for various interpretations that can fall into the necessary social, economic or political thoughts of the time. Thus, Columbus' Journal has the unique ability to fit into many contexts. However, below the surface and when the particular discourses are found and mapped out, it becomes evident that one of Columbus' main concerns may have only been to save his voyage from being regarded as completely disastrous.
"Ideologies," writes Hulme, "work by passing off partial accounts as the whole story...[this] involves the covering of tracks." The voyage and its record, the Journal, can be seen as the necessary "historical alibi" or the "beginning text." (17) Seen as such a text, the Journal's ambiguity provides the greatest evidence that this world of 'others' needed to be explored and changed. The religious population could stand behind it because they would support the conversion of the pagans. Businessmen would stand behind it because it opened up a new frontier of exploitable land and the crown could treasure the land as a welcome expansion. It is interesting to note the role of the natives, who went from being feared to being celebrated in some way. By the end of the voyage, the "savages" become fruits of the voyage in Columbus' letter to Ferdinand and Isabella. They are offered as a new group of potential converts, offering more reason to expand into the new land.
Columbus' writings offer many clues into his actions, but never actually state the ideas behind them. Hulme uses the text and the popular social, political and economic institutions of the time to try to get within the mind of Columbus, to the core of his actions. Beginning with the largely "European monologue" on through the explanation for changing direction, Columbus' main concern must have been to mask the misfortune of his voyage (20). At the same time, the initial encounter and the misguided conclusions it drew about the natives, allowed for the necessary mask to provide the justification for the start of the Spanish Empire in the Americas.
The new voice created throughout the writing and re-writing of Columbus' Journal, together with the interpretation of the reader all have a history. Hulme's mission is to find this history, place the text within the proper framework (which is dictated by history) and from there find the core of where Columbus' actions came from. The many thoughts running through Columbus' mind may never be known especially since what he chose to write down may be far or close to the truth. Hulme does make clear, however, that everything Columbus wrote down had a purpose and fit into the larger framework working within Spain at the time. What remains the most tragic part of Columbus' voyage to the Americas, may lie within the fact that his voyage may never be fully understood, leaving only a history composed mainly of devastation and loss of indigenous culture.
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