In the society that this novel takes place women were viewed as objects owned by men, they were often taken advantage of and treated as if they were worthless. This was especially true for first nation women. In this story Niska is a very strong first nations woman with very strong beliefs. A woman with power was often looked down upon during these times; Niska had power, and to some men this was threatening. In this story a Frenchman discovered Niska in the forest, he discovered she had power and seduced her in order to make her fall in love with him. When she did, she became vulnerable and now he could take away her power. He did this by seducing her in a church and convincing her that it was "holy" to do so. By doing this the Frenchman had "[taken] her power away"(Boyden 174) This man obviously felt the need to stand higher than Niska and so he did something unforgivable to her and for a while he did take away her power. (To find out more about women's rights during WW1 click HERE.)
Defying the Norm
Niska is a strong and independent woman throughout the novel, these are very unusual qualities for women in the society in which this novel is based. Niska does not care what she is seen as in the eyes of others. For example, when Niska went to a store to find out if there was any news on Xavier when he went to war, she was treated very poorly as aboriginal women often were at the time. The men in the store told her that she is "a dirty bush Indian and a sorceress to boot and that he will not have [her] in his store even if [she] had a hundred relatives in their army"(Boyden 296). This quote shows how as a woman she was treated very poorly and seen as nothing more than dirt in the eyes of others. However instead of leaving like a normal woman she talked back to these men and negotiated so she could get the information she wanted. If a normal woman of this time was to talk back like Niska did, they would be beaten and punished. However Niska is known to be such a strong woman that the men are afraid of her and in a unique way, respect her. This doesn't seem like a very big deal, but for a woman to be able to do what Niska did and get what they needed was very rare in a society such as the one in this novel.
Final Thoughts
In my opinion the insight gathered from the feminist perspective is very valuable. Without analyzing the story through this theory the reader would miss the defining qualities of Niska, one of the main characters. Therefore I feel that for a true understanding of the novel, a feminist look on things is completely necessary.
Answers
Will Xavier live?
Yes, Xavier does live.
Is Elijah a Wendigo?
Elijah does symbolize the Wendigo.
Is Elijah the monster that Xavier must battle?
Theoretically, yes. Elijah turns into a Wendigo and Xavier must kill him in order to become a Wendigo killer like his descendants.
(Overall this book was amazing I would happily recommend it for anyone looking for a good read!)
Works Cited
Boyden, Joseph. Three-day Road: A Novel. Toronto: Viking Canada, 2005. Print.
"Women's Rights during WW1 in Canada." Ontario Human Rights Commission.Web. 25 July 2016.
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