The New World Body is one that European colonists found rather peculiar and unlike any group of individuals they had ever encountered. The “New World Body” was seen differently through each pair of eyes, but most of the observations made had a negative connotation.
In the beginning of the Travel Writings, the Native Americans were seen as lazy and disrespectful of their own bodies. The women were offering their bodies, something seen as pure and innocent by the Europeans, to the settlers as a mode of exchange. This was something new and unusual to the colonist that wasn’t seen as acceptable and therefore rejected.
Later on in Shelvoke’s writings, the “New World Body” was described as threatening, overwhelming, and almost presented as savages. “they even appeared so terrible to our Negroes, who had been born in Guienea (where they are not very polite) that one of them who was sent with the officer on shore, was afraid to stir from the boat, and all the while kept and axe in his hand to defend himself from any that might attack him” (Shelvocke 339-340). In the eyes of the settlers slaves were seen as the lowest level of the hierarchal pyramid, so for even the slaves to feel threatened of these new bodies goes to show that they were truly seen as wild creatures. The European bodies were seen as the powerful and superior race. To further support the idea of Native Americans being savage like, they are later compared to alligators by William Bartram.
The images on the map somewhat correspond to my translation of the “New World Body”.
I don’t feel that the images on the map accurately reflect my definition of the “New World Body”. In these images the Native Americans appear civilized. In my translation of the body from the Travel Writings, they seemed wild and barbaric. The explanation of this could simply be because of the eyes they were seen through. The map could have been designed by a more neutral party, opposed to the skewed vision of the settlers.
2 comments:
Your definition very similar to mine, but I don’t think that all of pictures are completely different from your definition. You talked about the women giving themselves sexually. You also describe “normal” women as pure and innocent. The pictures show the native women exposing more skin that the norm. That could be seen as not pure and innocent to the travelers. I do agree that they do not look like savages because they are happily carrying on conversations. There doesn’t seem to be any negative tensions in any of the pictures. Overall, I like your definition how you explained the negative view expressed about the “new world body.”
Sorry! I didn’t check for errors until after I posted. I would delete the other, but I don’t know if I can do that. If you can, please delete it!
Your definition is very similar to mine, but I don’t think that all of pictures are completely different from your definition. You talk about the women giving themselves sexually. You also describe “normal” women as pure and innocent. The pictures show the native women exposing more skin that the norm. That could be seen as not pure and innocent to the travelers. I do agree that they do not look like savages because they are happily carrying on conversations. There doesn’t seem to be any negative tensions in any of the pictures. Overall, I like your definition and how you explained the negative views expressed about the “new world body.”
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