Exploring Quotes Related to Environment in “A Land So Strange”

In chapter 8 of A Land So Strange, Andres Resendez narrates the journey of Cabeza de Vaca and his companions across vast landscapes, in which Cabeza de Vaca is frequently left in awe. Each sight is a new experience to these men, and such environments are reminiscent of nothing they have seen back home in Spain. Such evidence of Cabeza de Vaca’s interest of what the Americas have to offer is displayed when he gratifies “pine nuts that were better than those of Castile,” describing them as “small pine trees with cones ‘like small eggs,’” (Resendez 188). In this passage, Cabeza de Vaca emphasizes the grandeur of the pine nuts by comparing them to what is presumably Spain’s greatest  pine nuts, noting that they are trumped by what this new land has to offer. Although seemingly minute, this quote exemplifies Cabeza de Vaca’s language as lackluster and impressed in regards to the portions of Mexico he observes. He no longer speaks with an uncomfortable tone, conversely, he admires the beauty of his surroundings, without the bias induced by fear. Moreover, it is clear through Resendez’s speech that Cabeza de Vaca has undergone a distinct change of heart. Besides a determination to exploit untouched resources the region has to offer, Cabeza de Vaca marvels in those that simply stand to be admired, although this admiration is still surpassed by his greed for riches.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *