Week 4: Independence Narratives, Past and Present

The main text that I was drawn into was Simon Bolivar’s letter to Jamaica. Before reading through, I would have expected Bolivar’s letter to have the same tone as the other letters of revolution; filled with excitement and passion. This, however, was not the case. Compared to the authors of other letters, Bolivar was comparatively calm and composed and conveyed his point without the language being overwhelming to the reader. In his letter, Bolivar continuously makes statements of how the Spanish had been extremely unjust and empowered the Latin American population to break free.

Looking at the actions of Bolivar, I can understand the rationale of the people who celebrated him as a hero, but I can also see him as a rebellious figure that threatens aspects of society. Bolivar deliberately acted against the rules that were previously laid out for everyone, but that’s expected from someone who wanted to alter the core of society.

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