Explain the relationship of the illustrations in Dorothy Tranck de Estrada’s article, “Indian Children in Early Mexico” to her thesis.
In Dorothy Tranck de Estrada’s article “Indian Children in Early Mexico” she argues the ideas about childhood which reflected the development of a new culture. This new culture melded Indian and European cultures together and used education towards the emotion of love not fear. Teachers were seen as symbolic which many of the illustrations have shown. The illustrations in this article relate to the thesis because they show the constant change in culture and the influence teachers had on their students. Early practices that evolved and affected later practices of childhood show how “it is necessary to learn in order for historians to understand later developments” [p.11].
The Calmecac School is where the sons of the nobles studied and lived. This is where they learned sacred rites of the priestly class and legal and military studies and could enter at age 5 or early adolescence [p.16]. The illustration of the Calmecac School on pages 16 and 17 shows a drawing of Aztec boys sitting together while their teacher is speaking to them. This relates to her thesis because this is where we get the concept of having an educational background today. Schooling has developed greatly over the years and we have adapted to the idea of living away from home to learn rituals that help us later on in life. The primitive Aztecs started schooling at an early age just as we in the 21st century do so. Teachers in today’s society have developed from the Aztec culture and centuries after that.
Early missionaries wanted to isolate the Indians from the Spaniards because of their immoral acts [p. 18]. The illustration on page 19 provides us with a page from Pedro de Gantes Catechism. “It contains symbolic paintings representing Christian doctrine and prayers