1) The document discusses Aztec symbols like the Coatl snake and Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god. Snakes represented unseen forces like sound waves and the interaction of natural phenomena. 2) Anzaldua's quotes discuss embracing her identity as "Snake Woman" and entering the "body of the Earth Serpent" after years of assimilation. She refers to the Aztec view of humankind being devoured by the serpent. 3) Anzaldua critiques Catholic and Protestant religions for encouraging fear of life and the body by splitting the body and spirit. She asserts the body is intelligent and reacts to both external and imagined stimuli.

1. ENTERING INTO THE
SERPENT
Remote Assignment 4-21-17
By: Lizet Gonzalez

2. AZTEC SYMBOLS
• Coatl- snake
• Snakes were viewed by the
Aztecs as being powerful
creatures.
• Quetzalcoatl refers to a male
feathered serpent and was often
seen as a god to the Aztecs
• Coatlique is the female version

3. SNAKES
 Snakes were meant to represent waves, such as sound waves.
• Aztecs wanted to show the waves that we cannot see through the
snakes.
It also symbolizes interaction between natural forces.
The feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl, is supposed to represent
wisdom, strength, and knowledge.

4. ANZALDUA’S QUOTES
 “She- that’s how I think of la Vibora, Snake Woman. Like the ancient
Olmecs, I know Earth is a coiled serpent. Forty years it’s taken me to
enter into the Serpent, to acknowledge that I have a body, that I am a
body and to assimilate the animal body, the animal soul” (page 26).
 “Snake people had holes, entrances to the body of the Earth Serpent;
they followed the Serpent’s way, identified with the Serpent deity, with the
mouth, both the eater and the eaten. The destiny of humankind is to be
devoured by the Serpent” (page 34).

5. QUOTES CONTINUED..
 “The Catholic and Protestant religions encourage fear and distrust of
life and of the body; they encourage a split between the body and the
spirit and totally ignore the soul; they encourage us to kill off parts of
ourselves. We are taught that the body is an ignorant animal; intelligence
dwells only in the head. But the body is smart. It does not discern
between external stimuli and stimuli from the imagination. It reacts
equally viscerally to events from the imagination as it does to ‘real’ events”
(page 37).

6. ANZALDUA’S THOUGHTS
 In order for Anzaldua to get a better understanding of who she
really was, she had to go against the Aztec culture.
 She embraced all three mothers mentioned in her book, La
Chingada, La Llorona, and Guadalupe.