It is interesting to take note of Cabeza de Vaca’s description of the Appalachian landscape and life. In his meticulous portrayal of this area, many figures of speech arise. For example, there is anaphora of the preposition “y” which helps to emphasize the author’s astonishment of this new land. In addition, there is a personification of the female animals on pages 97-98 when he is explaining how the mother takes care of her offspring. The fact that he uses the word “mother” gives the animal a personality and it also draws a link between the animals and them. However, as he starts talking about the indigenous people, he dehumanizes them. When the settlers killed the two men, he does not mention how it happened. The author never mentioned the killing of any animal.
Moreover, the fighting sequence with the indigenous people and the lagoon makes the text seem like an epic novel. His description of the indigenous men pictures them as warriors. Their artillery is highly regarded by the author. There is also a dichotomy between the indigenous people and the settlers. He never speaks of the groups simultaneously; he has to speak about them at different times.
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