An Ecocolonial study of the Spanish Imperial project in Eugene Lee Hamilton’s The Fountain of Youth

Eco-imperialism as a relatively new field of study restructured colonial research methodologies. The growing discipline stands at the intersection of different areas of research to offer a wider perspective on the effects of post-colonial issues that mainly resulted in irreversible ecological and economical damages. The Spanish empire was one of the biggest imperial powers in the early modern era with a very controversial history at the same time. This paper aims at studying the representation of the Spanish Imperial project in Eugene Lee- Hamilton’s The Fountain of Youth from and eco-imperial perspective. The present study will analyze Ponce de Leon’s journey to reach immortality through his failed trials to reach the fountain of youth. Ponce de Leon’s Ideology and actions in pursuing immortality stand as a metaphor for Spain’s imperial ambitions to be an immortal empire. The Spanish empire was different in the sense that the colonial ideology they adopted was not only projected on the indigenous people of the colonies, but also some of the Spanish citizens of the different faiths during the inquisition after the fall of Granada. The paper will also discuss Spain’s imperial ambitions within the framework of Robert Lifton’s concept of symbolic immortality. The paper will examine the dynamics between the indigenous people and the colonizer and the rights for historical agency, as represented in the play to offer a wider understanding of early modern Spanish imperial arguments.