Song of the Hummingbird

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1996

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-8

Chapters 9-14

Chapters 15-19

Chapters 20-23

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Background

Historical Context: The Spanish Colonization of Mexico

By the 15th century, the Aztecs, also known as the Mexica or the Tenochca, ruled an expansive empire in modern-day central and southern Mexico, reaching as far south as Guatemala. Their capital city, Tenochtitlán (currently Mexico City), impressed Spanish conquistadors with its size and grandeur. Built on an artificial island, the city featured advanced infrastructure, boasting elaborate gardens, palaces, and temples. Its central position made it a hub for trade and politics in the region. The empire thrived on an alliance between three main city-states, fortifying its political and military power. A complex network of trade and tribute from neighboring conquered regions enriched and empowered the empire but also bred resentment among the subjected peoples.

When Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived in the area that is today Mexico with a force of around 500 soldiers, he capitalized on this internal dissatisfaction to fight against the empire, forming alliances with local communities that were hostile to the Mexica. Their aid, alongside the Spaniards’ superior weaponry and the introduction of deadly diseases to which the Mexica population had no immunity, significantly weakened the Mexica. Despite fierce resistance, the capital fell to the Spanish in 1521 after a brutal two-year campaign. This marked the end of the Mexica empire and paved the way for the continued colonization of Mexico and neighboring nations.

In Song of the Hummingbird, Graciela Limón fictionalizes these historical events, providing a critical perspective through the voice of Huitzitzilin, a Mexica woman who recounts her experiences to a young Spanish priest, Father Benito. By giving voice to Huitzitzilin, Limón challenges the dominant Eurocentric accounts of Spanish colonization, highlighting the resilience, agency, and suffering of the Mexica population. This narrative opposes the often simplistic and biased stories found in traditional historical accounts and their common justifications for the conquest. This approach not only reclaims Indigenous perspectives but also critiques the enduring impact of colonial narratives that have historically marginalized and misrepresented Indigenous voices.

Literary Context: Indigenous Voices and Historical Memory

In the literary landscape, Eurocentrism dominates historical records of colonization, often resulting in biased accounts that glorify colonizers while marginalizing the voices and experiences of the colonized. Eurocentric narratives portray colonizers as heroic agents of civilization and progress, relegating Indigenous cultures to an inferior and barbaric status to rationalize their subjugation and exploitation. However, fiction and nonfiction works challenge this hegemony by recentering the communities that are directly affected by colonization. Titles that prioritize the narratives and perspectives of Indigenous peoples expose the omissions and biases inherent in Eurocentric accounts, raising questions concerning common myths and tropes associated with the colonizer and the colonized. Such works provide an alternative viewpoint of historical events by revealing the true human and cultural cost of colonization. They also foster empathy and understanding of the continued marginalization of those silenced by history.

Song of the Hummingbird stands out for its engagement with the broader discourse on colonial histories and their impact on the collective understanding of Indigenous cultures. By centering the story on Huitzitzilin, a Mexica woman, the novel offers a firsthand account of the Spanish conquest that challenges the official Eurocentric versions. By engaging with Father Benito, Huitzitzilin confronts the very heart of the Spanish colonial project, challenging its assumptions and ideologies. The novel stands in opposition to the historical silencing of Indigenous voices and empowers readers to see history from a perspective that is often excluded from mainstream discourse, illuminating the complexities of colonial history and its ongoing impact on contemporary society.