Rivkele: A Feminist Translation and Analysis of Sholem Asch’s גאָט פון נקמה

Author

Molly McGowan

Date of Award

2017

First Advisor

Joan DelPlato

Second Advisor

Peter Filkins

Third Advisor

Jane Wanninger

Abstract

This thesis comprises two major projects: Rivkele, my translation of Sholem Asch’s 1907 play גאָט פון נקמה (God of Vengeance) fr om Yiddish to English and a discussion of four major themes in the play using a variety of external texts. Discussing domestic violence leading to r ejection of family, I put God of Vengeance in conversation with Why Does He Do That? (2002) by Lundy Bancr oft. Discussing sexuality, horror , and women’s coming-of-age stories, I put God of Vengeance in conversation with the 1976 film adaptation of Carrie by Stephen King. Discussing social climbing and per formative charity, I put God of Vengeance in conversation w ith House of Mir th (1905) by Edith Wharton. Discussing (loss of) virginity as (loss of) social capital, I put God of Vengeance in conversation with The Virgin Daughter s (2008), a documentary about contemporary purity culture, and The Purity Myth (2009) by Jessica Valenti, a feminist criticism thereof. I studied Yiddish for two year s with the goal of eventually translating and producing a play; God of Vengeance appealed to me because of its complex sexual politics and high-stakes conflict. Translating from a feminist perspective (for example, changing the title fr om God of Vengeance to Rivkele), I re-frame the moral of the play without altering the narrative and encourage my reader to be critical of Sholem Asch’s original. Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance is about a man’s thwarted attempts to socially advance, but my Rivkele is about a young woman’s hard-won freedom.

Recommended Citation

McGowan, Molly, "Rivkele: A Feminist Translation and Analysis of Sholem Asch’s גאָט פון נקמה" (2017). Senior Theses. 1156.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/sr-theses/1156