Guaman Poma: Writing and Resistance in Colonial Peru

by 25 b/w illus (Illustrator)

In the midst of native people's discontent following Spanish conquest, a native Andean born after the fall of the Incas took up the pen to protest Spanish rule. Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala wrote his Nueva corónica y buen gobierno to inform Philip III of Spain about the evils of colonialism and the need for governmental and societal reform. By examining Guaman Poma's verbal and visual engagement with the institutions of Western art and culture, Rolena Adorno shows how he performed a comprehensive critique of the colonialist discourse of religion, political theory, and history. She argues that Guaman Poma's work chronicles the emergence of a uniquely Latin American voice, characterized by the articulation of literary art and politics. Following the initial appearance of Guaman Writing and Resistance in Colonial Peru, the 1990s witnessed the creation of a range of new studies that underscore the key role of the Nueva corónica y buen gobierno in facilitating our understanding of the Andean and Spanish colonial pasts. At the same time, the documentary record testifying to Guaman Poma's life and work has expanded dramatically, thanks to the publication of long-known but previously inaccessible drawings and documents. In a new, lengthy introduction to this second edition, Adorno shows how recent scholarship from a variety of disciplinary perspectives sheds new light on Guaman Poma and his work, and she offers an important new assessment of his biography in relation to the creation of the Nueva corónica y buen gobierno.

Genres: History

189 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1986

Reviews

[Random Anonymous Pseudonym* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rolena Adorno's "Guaman Poma: Writing and Resistance in Colonial Peru" is a perfectly fine book, like so many others. It is not very ambitious in its arguments, and some points are quite straight-forward and unsurprising, but overall it does its job quite well. As a resource for thinking about Guaman Poma's massive chronicle, it is a useful book with some good observations along the way. Its short and concise structure as well as its clear and jargon-free prose ensure it does not overstay its welcome. The revised introduction to the second edition provides interesting information on Guaman Poma's life and context. However, as another user already mentioned in this platform, the book's titular emphasis on resistance oversells the argument. Adorno does make a few points on resistance and colonization here and there, but she is not super interested in these issues. Perhaps a focus on racialization could have strengthened these ideas. She does make some fascinating points on the genre of the text. Two claims stand out in this regard: that the "Nueva Corónica" can be read as a great epic tale, and that Guaman Poma himself emerges as the hero. Though promising, these ideas are underdeveloped (they only take up a few pages). I'm sure she could have said more about them. Broadly speaking I am glad I read this work, even if the discussion in the last two chapters felt a bit meandering and superficial. It is a relatively modest but interesting read. I would recommend this study to a niche group of people-scholars and students interested in learning about 17th century Peruvian chronicles.

Grade: 3.1 / 5

[Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superfluous literary criticism at best. I found this very tedious and to be frank, not very illuminating. There were also a few grammatical errors.

[Janice]

Didn't talk much about resistance but a good read.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned that history is grayer and more interesting than I ever imagined. This book is a great companion to anyone studying the hybridization of the Inca culture.