In this article we will talk about the famous work of Henry R. Haggard, "The Daughter of Montezuma." Summary will be the focus of our attention.
About the work
The historical novel "The Montezuma's Daughter" was written in 1893. Its description can be made in a few sentences - it highlights the events that took place during the conquest of Mexico by Cortes in the 16th century.
The narrator is an Englishman named Thomas Wingfield, who was part of the expedition that went to New Spain. Here they discover the world of the Aztec tribes.
Montezuma's Daughter: A Summary of the Book
The narrator’s father, a nobleman by birth, married the Spanish noblewoman Luis de Garcia, who, after the wedding, took him to England, although the girl’s family was against it. 20 years pass, and the former bridegroom and cousin of Luis comes to England. Juan meets with her lover near her husband’s estate and offers to flee with him. When a woman refuses, he kills her. Dying, Luis promises that her son will avenge her Juan.
Later, Juan accidentally meets with Thomas Wingfield, the youngest son of Luis, and, remembering the prediction of the dying, decides to kill him. Thomas defeats the Spaniard, ties him to a tree and leaves, because he still does not know about the death of his mother. The young man goes on a date with Lily Bozard.
Juan manages to escape. And when it turns out who killed Luis, his father accuses Thomas of letting the killer escape. The son swears to his father that he will find the Spaniard and kill him. Thomas goes to Spain.
Seville
We continue to describe the events of the novel "Montezuma's Daughter." Summary describes how Thomas comes to Seville. Here he manages to get a job with Andres de Fonseca, who is engaged in solving various delicate problems and is aware of all the secrets of the city. By chance, Thomas meets on the street of Juan. But their fight is interrupted when the city guard appears.
Soon, Fonseca dies, bequeathing his entire fortune to Thomas. The young man sends money to England to his beloved Lily, and he goes to America, where Juan fled.
Swimming and meeting with the Aztecs
The ship of Thomas crashes, and a Spanish ship picks up the heroes with several survivors. By a strange coincidence, in one of the officers of the ship, Thomas recognizes Juan de Garcia. According to the slayer of the killer, the hero is locked in the hold, and when the epidemic begins, he is thrown overboard. Thomas manages to climb into the barrel and swim to the shore in it, where the Indians found him. First they decide to sacrifice a white man. But Prince Quautemock, the nephew of Montezuma, the Aztec king, insisted that the captive should appear before the king.
During a trip to the city of Tenochtitlan, the hero manages to learn the Aztec language and make friendship with the prince. In the palace, Thomas meets the daughter of Montezuma Otomi. The fate of the hero is decided by the priests - he must portray the god Teskatlipoki for a year, and then he will be sacrificed. According to the ritual, Otomi becomes his wife.
At this time, Cortes invades the Aztec possessions. The sacrifice begins. Otomi decides to share the fate of her husband. At the last moment, the ritual is interrupted by the conquistadors bursting into the sanctuary. Thomas goes to the Aztecs, now they take him as an equal, since you can’t sacrifice again.
The fall of Tenochtitlan
Follows Thomas daughter of Montezuma. The summary describes how, after the death of the Aztec emperor , Kuautemoku becomes ruler . Cortes is forced to stupefy. Thomas and the Indians manage to remove the gold of Montezuma and hide it from the Spaniards.
But soon, a tribe of Indians hostile to the Aztecs joins the conquistadors, and they besiege Tenochtitlan. In the end, the city surrenders. Cortes orders Juan to torture Quautemock and Thomas until they tell you where Montezuma’s treasures are hidden. But nothing can be learned. Cortes' lover Indian Marina helps the hero and Otomi escape from captivity.
Denouement
Very successfully, the author manages to write the events of the novel “Montezuma's Daughter” into the story. The summary confirms how important it was for Haggard to demonstrate the historicity of the events described.
Otomi and Thomas take refuge in the town of Pines of the Otomi people. For 20 years, the hero is the ruler of this tribe with his wife. But the invasion of the Spaniards led by Bkrnal Diaz changes everything. Enemies besiege the city, among them Thomas recognizes Juan.
Thomas announces that he is ready to surrender the city if his family and people are saved. Juan kills his son Thomas, after which old enemies again start a duel on the top of the volcano. Thomas triumphs. Otomi, having lost his son, falls into grief and takes poison.
Thomas returns to England, where he is still waiting for Lily. Beloved ones get married. Years of calm life pass, and already in old age Thomas decides to describe his life on paper.
Thus ends the work “The Daughter of Montezuma” (a brief summary of the chapters described above).