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The Hungry Woman

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The Hungry Woman: A Mexican Medea is a play by Cherríe Moraga. The play, published by West End Press,[1] was first written in 1995. It includes aspects of Coatlicue, an Aztec goddess, the play Medea by Euripedes, and La Llorona.[2]

A revolution in what was the United States had created separate territories for different racial groups. One territory is now African-American, one territory is now Native American, and another is now Latino and Hispanic. Patriarchies were established and homosexuals were forced to leave many of the areas because of politically conservative counter-revolutions.[1] The setting is a post-apocalyptic future on the border of the current United States and Aztlán, the separate nation carved out for Latinos and Hispanics as well as Native Americans. Aztlán combined elements of both cultures. Medea was exiled because of the patriarchical, anti-homosexual revolution in Aztlán.[2]

Medea, her son Chac-Mool, and her girlfriend live in the border area,[2] around Phoenix, Arizona.[1] Medea's husband Jasón wants to divorce Medea and take her Chac-Mool with him back to Aztlán, where he holds an important place in society.[2]

Characters

  • Medea - The main character, a former revolutionary who was forced into exile. She is bisexual and feminine.[1]
  • Jasón - Medea's husband, a biracial man who now lives in Aztlán,[1] where he holds an important position[2] He wants to marry an Apache virgin girl and thus is divorcing Medea.[1]
  • Chac-Mool - Medea's son, a teenager.[1] Chac-Mool is named after a Toltec messenger, Chacmool.[3] Melissa Pareles of the Lambda Book Report describes him as "rebellious but trusting".[1] At one point Medea kills Chac-Mool to prevent him from going into Aztlán. Nicole Eschen of the Theatre Journal wrote that at the end, "Chac-Mool reappears, possibly as a ghost or hallucination, to absolve and cradle Medea as she kills herself."[4]
  • Luna - Medea's girlfriend, a sculptor.[1] She had taught Chac-Mool about history and heritage, including how to plant corn. Eschen states that Luna is not apologetic about her sexuality, and while Media is in despair, Luna gives "the voice of reason".[4] She is not willing to leave Medea.[1] Eschen and Pareles both describe her as "butch".[1][4] Pareles states that in the play Luna is "perhaps the most sympathetic character".[1]
  • Mama Sal - A grandmother who is a lesbian. Pareles describes Mama Sal as "the kind cynic who, despite her love for Chac-Mool and Medea, helps Luna leave Medea and Medea carry out her insane plan".[1]
  • Chihuateo - Four women who had died in childbirth. They provide a chorus.[4]

Production

Since when the play was first written, by 2006 it had received several full productions.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Pareles, p. 43.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Eschen, p. 103
  3. ^ Eschen, p. 106
  4. ^ a b c d Eschen, p. 104

References

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