Summary

In this chapter, we learn of Claudia’s experience as a historical adviser for a film about Herman Cortez’s conquest of Mexico. Claudia, who has written a book about Cortez, is asked to be an adviser for a film that turns out to be rather inaccurate despite her advice to the contrary. Jasper later chastises her for the poor historiography of the film and in this chapter Claudia admits to herself she has profited financially from a painful story told inaccurately. Nonetheless, she believes she is connected to the events in Mexico in the time of Cortez. Though a history of the world seems far removed from the details of Claudia’s life, this moment in history about which Claudia wrote a book is a moment that enlarges her and frees her from the prison of her own experience. The latter half of the chapter...