Memory, Myth, and Time in Mexico
294 pages, 6 x 9
Paperback
Release Date:01 Aug 1994
ISBN:9780292724860
Memory, Myth, and Time in Mexico
From the Aztecs to Independence
University of Texas Press
In Memory, Myth, and Time in Mexico, noted Mexican scholar Enrique Florescano’s Memoria mexicana becomes available for the first time in English. A collection of essays tracing the many memories of the past created by different individuals and groups in Mexico, the book addresses the problem of memory and changing ideas of time in the way Mexicans conceive of their history. Original in perspective and broad in scope, ranging from the Aztec concept of the world and history to the ideas of independence, this book should appeal to a wide readership.
Florescano has a unique ability to . . . present a sophisticated analysis clearly and concisely—making it accessible to nonspecialists, yet still challenging other scholars. . . . [The book] raises important questions not only about history—but about why we write and study history.
The idea of looking at identity as myth and the problem of time and memory in the complicated formation of historical consciousness is freshly interpreted. . . . This is a major study in the history of Mexican ideas.
Enrique Florescano is a noted Mexican historian and has served as the Director of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia).
- Preface
- 1. The Nahua Concept of Time and Space
- 2. Representation and Uses of the Past
- 3. The Conquest: A New Historical Protagonist and a New Historical Discourse
- 4. Transformation of Indigenous Memory and Resurgence of Mythic Memory
- 5. Creole Patriotism, Independence, and the Appearance of a National History
- Conclusion
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
