Montezuma's Daughter
Encyclopedia
Montezuma's Daughter, first published in 1893, was a novel
written by the Victorian
adventure writer H. Rider Haggard
.
Narrated in the first person by Thomas Wingfield, an Englishman whose adventures include having his mother murdered, a brush with the Spanish Inquisition
, shipwreck, and slavery. Eventually, Thomas unwillingly joins a Spanish expedition to New Spain
, and the novel tells the fictionalized story of the first interactions between the natives and Europe
an explorers. This includes a number of misunderstandings, prejudice on the part of the Spaniards, and ultimately open war.
During the course of the story, Thomas meets and marries the daughter of the native king (from whom the novel takes its title) and settles into life in Mexico. The war destroys his native family, and eventually Thomas gets revenge on the antagonist and returns to England.
Like many Victorian adventure novels, this one sometimes treats the natives as naïve and barbaric. However, Haggard understands his own prejudice and explicitly points out this flaw
in his main character.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by the Victorian
Victorian literature
Victorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria . It forms a link and transition between the writers of the romantic period and the very different literature of the 20th century....
adventure writer H. Rider Haggard
H. Rider Haggard
Sir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a founder of the Lost World literary genre. He was also involved in agricultural reform around the British Empire...
.
Narrated in the first person by Thomas Wingfield, an Englishman whose adventures include having his mother murdered, a brush with the Spanish Inquisition
Spanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...
, shipwreck, and slavery. Eventually, Thomas unwillingly joins a Spanish expedition to New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
, and the novel tells the fictionalized story of the first interactions between the natives and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an explorers. This includes a number of misunderstandings, prejudice on the part of the Spaniards, and ultimately open war.
During the course of the story, Thomas meets and marries the daughter of the native king (from whom the novel takes its title) and settles into life in Mexico. The war destroys his native family, and eventually Thomas gets revenge on the antagonist and returns to England.
Like many Victorian adventure novels, this one sometimes treats the natives as naïve and barbaric. However, Haggard understands his own prejudice and explicitly points out this flaw
Flaw
Flaw is a rock band from Louisville, Kentucky. The band was formed by ex-guitarist Jason Daunt in 1995.-Independent Albums :Flaw was formed in 1995 when vocalist Chris Volz answered an ad in a local paper placed by guitarist Jason Daunt, looking for a singer for an alternative/industrial band...
in his main character.