A biblical and dantean Carpentier: la Malinche and Rahab in La aprendiz de bruja.

Abstract

In the play La aprendiz de bruja the figure of its protagonist, la Malinche, is projected on to the little-known biblical story of Rahab and her role in the conquest of Jericho. In this paper I show that, with its rewriting of previous texts, the play includes an instance, not previously noticed, of Carpentier reading Dante. It also demonstrates how the overall design of the work entails not only an unorthodox use of literary sources, but also a questioning of the way in which both the Commedia and the book of Joshua pres-ent the figure of Rahab. By studying the parallels that Carpentier establishes between Rahab and la Malinche, the paper contributes to discussions about history, literature, and contemporary critical thought.