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.
Nueva Revista de Filología Hispánica (1947-), volume 66, 2, July-December 2018, is a semi-annual publication edited by El Colegio de México, Carretera Picacho Ajusco 20, Ampliación Fuentes del Pedregal, Tlalpan, C.P. 14110, Mexico City, Mexico, Tel. (55) 5449-3000, http://nrfh.colmex.mx/index.php/NRFH, nrfh@colmex.mx. Editor: Pedro Martín Butragueño. Assistant editors: Alejandro Rivas and Jesus Jorge Valenzuela. All Rights Reserved: 04-2015-070112341900-203, ISSN (print): 0185-0121, ISSN (electronic): 2448-6558, as registered with the National Copyright Institute. Typographical composition: El Atril Tipográfico. Person in charge of updating this issue: Perla Reyna Muñoz; date of last update: June 26, 2018.
The content of the articles published is the responsibility of the author, and does not represent the point of view of Nueva Revista de Filología Hispánica. The partial or total reproduction of the contents or images of the publication is authorized, including electronic storage, provided it is strictly for academic purposes and not for profit, and that the source is cited without altering the content, and authorial credits are given.