Information about the author:
Lenora C. Murphy
Lenora C. Murphy, PhD in Philology, Assistant Teaching Professor, Bucknell University, 1 Dent Drive, 17837 Lewisburg, PA, USA.
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8040-6798
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Abstract: The article considers Platonov’s depiction of the United States, starting with his early works in the 1920s and 1930s, which betray a fairly positive attitude towards that country. In those early texts, Platonov acknowledges the US’s scientific power and understands that that power can also help the Soviet Union. The article then turns to “Noah’s Ark,” a play that Platonov wrote in his final full year of life. This play centers on an American expedition on Mount Ararat; as a result, many of the principal characters are American. Here we see a dramatically different approach to the United States: in 1950, at the beginning of the Cold War, Platonov depicts Americans as, almost without exception, evil and selfish. In contrast, the image of Stalin presented in the play is almost god-like, capable of saving even his enemies. This contrast reinforces the impression that this play truly takes the Soviet side of the Cold War.