Una Marson
Una Marson was a pivotal figure in Jamaica's literary and feminist movements, born in 1905 in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth. Orphaned during her teenage years, she began her career as a newspaper reporter in Kingston and later established her own magazine, which aimed to foster literary talent and promote women's engagement in intellectual pursuits. Marson's literary contributions include poetry collections such as "Tropic Reveries" and "The Moth and the Star," the latter addressing themes of black heritage and identity.
In addition to her poetry, Marson made significant strides in drama with plays like "At What a Price," which critiques societal stereotypes faced by ambitious women, and "Pocomania," which showcases Jamaican culture through its narrative and performances. After moving to London in 1932, her work increasingly focused on ethnic identity and women's voices. Upon returning to Jamaica in 1936, she actively supported Jamaican writers and contributed to the establishment of various literary organizations. Her legacy is marked by her innovative artistic expressions and her commitment to enhancing awareness of Caribbean literature until her death in 1965.
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Subject Terms
Una Marson
Jamaican playwright, poet, feminist, and advocate of the advancement of Jamaican literature.
- Born: 1905
- Birthplace: Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica
- Died: May 5, 1965
- Place of death: Jamaica
Biography
Una Marson was a significant force in the promotion of both feminism and the recognition of ethnic writers in her native Jamaica. Marson was born in 1905 at Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, to Reverend Solomon Marson, a Baptist minister, and Ada Mullings Marson. She was forced to curtail her formal education while still in high school after the untimely loss of her parents.
She immediately began working as a reporter for a popular newspaper in Kingston, beginning a rise in the literary and journalistic world that included owning and producing her own magazine. Her magazine’s overt goals were the encouragement of literary talent and the creation of a forum for freedom of expression; it quickly became a sounding board for Marson’s own progressive feminist ideas, which gently exhorted women to step into various roles and engage in intellectual pursuits.
In 1930 Marson published Tropic Reveries, a collection of poems exploring the concomitant pain that love engenders. In 1932 she moved to London, where her work began to specifically focus on the issues of ethnic identity and women’s voice. Marson’s collection of poems, Moth and the Star, dwells on her black heritage, its pride, and its uniqueness.
Gender issues permeated Marson’s first play, At What a Price, a work she wrote, produced, and directed and in which she played the leading role. The play examines the stereotypes foisted on ambitious women, who attempt to define themselves in a man’s metropolitan world but “at what a price.” The drama tells the story of the young heroine’s eventual return to her rural home after her failure to truly succeed in the city. At What a Price also explores class distinctions, racism, and feminist ideals.
In 1936, Marson returned to Jamaica, where she sought to promote Jamaican literature and to form support structures for struggling writers. She aided in the formation of Jamaican publishing companies and founded the Kingston Readers and Writers Club, the Kingston Drama Club, and other organizations. The creation and advancement of a national Jamaican literature were two of her most fervent goals, and Marson was an active political force and worker for these causes.
Another of her plays, London Calling, has been lost but it also centered on a young, ambitious, and assertive heroine. Marson’s third play, Pocomania, not only presented an unconventional female as its heroine but also incorporated Jamaican culture as an inherent dramatic force through its use of ethnic songs, dances, and island drums.
In 1960, Marson married an American dentist, Peter Staples, but the marriage was short-lived. In her last days, she spent her time living in England, Israel, and Jamaica, where she died of a heart attack in 1965. Marson has been acknowledged for the artistic innovations in her poetry and plays, for the tangible influence she had in creating an awareness of Caribbean writing, and for her indefatigable efforts to promote Jamaican literature.
Author Works
Drama:
At What a Price, pr. 1933
Pocomania, pr. 1938
London Calling, pr. 1938
Poetry:
Tropic Reveries, 1930
Heights and Depths, 1932
The Moth and the Star, 1937
Towards the Stars: Poems, 1945
Bibliography
Brathwaite, Kamau. History of the Voice: The Development of Nation Language in Anglophone Caribbean Poetry. New Beacon Books, 2011. A critical study of the history of Anglophone Caribbean poetry.
Donnell, Alison. “Una Marson: Feminism, Anti-Colonialism, and a Forgotten Fight for Freedom.” West Indian Intellectuals in Britain, edited by Bill Schwarz, Manchester UP, 2003, pp. 114–30. eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost), search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xww&AN=133648&site=eds-live. Accessed 30 June 2017. Essay discusses Marson’s contributions and connections to the West Indian British intellectual tradition.
Jarrett-Macauley, Delia. The Life of Una Marson, 1905–65. Manchester UP, 1998. A biography of Marson.
Murray, Peter. “Sweet Child O’ Mine: Una Marson’s Cute Black Girls.” Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 65–87. Academic Search Complete, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=120155356&site=eds-live. Accessed 30 June 2017. Essay presents a critical analysis of Marson’s images of black Jamaican girls in her poetry of the 1930s.
Procter, James. “Una Marson at the BBC.” Small Axe, vol. 19, no. 3, 2015, pp. 1–28. Essay examines Marson’s professional relationships at the BBC during the 1940s.