Dos cuentos del siglo xix sobre indígenas

Abstract

In this article two short stories from the 1830s are explored, both of which deal with Mexican Indians at the time of the conquest: “Netzula,” by Jose Maria Lacunza, and “La batalla de Otumba,” by Eulalio Ortega. They appeared in the first volume of El Ano Nuevo (1837), an unofficial publication from the Academy of Letran. Both writers turned their eyes toward the prehispanic past, making it their own within the process of formation of a brand-new Mexican identity. A decision is perceived to put forth an idealized and romantic image regarding the beginning of New Spain. If at that time the ancient Mexicans had fallen before the Spanish, the implication for contemporary readers is that at the dawn of the 19th century, that historic age had ended, with the triumph of Independence.