Objectiveness of Tone (Columbus & Harriot)-Jazmin Kittleson

Jazmin Kittleson

Assignment 2.3 Online Activity

1) Christopher Columbus uses an objectiveness of tone when talking about the formation of the land and the beauty it brings. He uses a bit of exaggeration in the tone of his writing especially in his letter to Ferdinand and Isabella, he uses this tone of exaggeration to emphasize the importance of his exploration and to instill confidence in what they are supporting by telling them about the formation of the land and of his discoveries. Christopher tells of how beautiful the land is and emphasizes that it is the greatest sight in the world and how gracious it is that he gets to view it himself and tell about it.

2) In Christopher Columbus’s first letter to Ferdinand and Isabella he also uses an objectiveness of tone in telling about the people and how gracious they have been while on his conquest and how great everything was going for him. “I passed from the Canary Islands from the Indies with the fleet which the most illustrious king and queen our sovereigns gave to me” (25). Christopher Columbus’s whole journey/experience was not as great as he perceived it to Ferdinand and Isabella, many events were to be true but with the way he tells it he is good at manipulating the truth in how it is perceived.

3) In the writings of Harriot his objectiveness of tone is very optimistic especially when talking about how easy it was for the conversion of the Indians. He talked about how they would rub their bodies against the bibles and kiss for consideration of credibility. It is hard to believe that the Natives are so quickly to turn from their gods. Harriot also uses a lot of exaggeration in how the Natives started to become diseased once the Christians started to leave their lands, and he implies that might be the affect.

4) One of the main reason Harriot uses an objectiveness in his tone of writing would be because Harriot was forced by his employer Sir Walter Ralegh to be propagandistic. He had to give the land glorious reviews and also had to review the Native Americans as wonderful to Christianity. He wanted to make sure that the viewers and audiences were pleased with what they heard and how things were, because to them Christianity is the only light and it should be like that everywhere and it is good to know that Harriot is doing a good job of spreading that because no one wants to be considered a failure.