Description:

In her feminist-socialist retelling of Genesis, Uruguayan-born writer, Josefina Marpóns (1910-1979), plays with historical time periods in innovative ways. Her set recalls the work of Quinquela Martin, a celebrated early-twentieth century painter from Buenos Aires known for his colorful harbor scenes. Marpóns also creates a series of juxtapositions; she presents union activism alongside the Gospel, she displays twentieth-century fashions next to biblical robes, and she mixes the language of prophets with the informal speech of wealthy newlyweds on vacation.

Marpóns presents Noah as a power-hungry boss, a difficult husband, and an imposing father. Everyone who complains of mistreatment is doomed to die in the Flood, according to Noah, who is unwilling to consider alternatives to God's plan. Marpóns's social critique incorporates the voices of unionized workers, feminists campaigners, advocates of the free press, and critics of the Church in Peron's Argentina.

Excerpt:

MARGOT: Noah, If God is powerful enough to wipe out the entire planet on his own, as a punishment for bad behavior, why didn’t he simplify things by inspiring noble feelings in those who depend on his grace?

MAMA: Poor little God must lack imagination. I don’t have to… but I will still defend him, even though I don't know him. He’s Noah’s friend and that’s enough for me.

MARGOT: Tell me, Noah, couldn’t we have skipped the flood all together?

NOAH: Such blindness! It’s not as if I am hiding important information. It’s just that the current situation surpasses the understanding of everyday life and is too much for the common man. Listen my children, God is an innovator!

MARGOT: Then why does it surprise him that people are not ready?

NOAH: He wants the best for humanity!

HAM: Even more reason not to trust him. When have you ever seen a philanthropic plan come to fruition without any misgivings?

MAMA: Without having ever been a prophet on land he managed to bring about a flood and became a prophet on the water. The poor man.

NOAH: My dear, for God’s sake, don’t insist on trying to explain it to them. Where’d that Pomeranian come from?

Translators' Note:

Josefina Marpóns’s play draws language from many places: the Bible; labor struggles, feminist campaigns, and bourgeois society. As we set out to render the text in English, we had to constantly shift registers and move between different time periods and discourses.

The names Marpóns chose for women characters emphasized the erasure of feminine by indicating their relationships with men: Mamá, Esposa, and Señora. Our translation retained the name “Señora” because it is universally recognizable as a wifely title in the Hispanic world. Other proper names correspond to standard English versions of the Bible: Noah, Japhet, Ham, and Shem. Beyond the Biblical termonology, a few other aspects of the text required extenstive conversation from our translation team. These included an abundance of specialized technical terms related the stage, to shipyards, and to the natural world.

The language for our translation was greatly improved after a dramatic reading of an early draft. We are very grateful to our volunteers: Tate Tower, Izzy Huelgas, Angie Hernández, and Fernando Rodríguez Mansilla. 

"Mama Noah" PDF:

Citation: 

May Farnsworth, Paulina Tejada Cabreja, and Abel Guzman, translators, "Mama Noah (Mama Noe, 1950) by Josefina Marpons,” galeriahispana.omeka.net, Feminist Revivals Spanish and Hispanic Studies Digital Gallery at HWS, 2023.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.