Although Three Day
Road is a novel about World War I and native Canadians, the role of women
during this period of time (1914 to 1917) is still very much so apparent. It’s
clear that feminism in the modern world inspired the author to include these
aspects of the novel because it was written after a lot of the feminist
movements in the 1960’s. During the time of the war, native Canadians were discriminated
against and women were not treated as equals to men. The protagonists, Niska
and Xavier, were much aware of this discrimination. It’s important to keep in
mind that Niska was both a female and a native Canadian because she was discriminated
for being both a woman and a Cree (a group of native Canadians).
To start off, I want to talk about how Niska was treated by
the European Canadians. As she walked through the European-ruled town, Moose
Factory, the townspeople pointed at her and parents drew their children closer
to them as if Niska was a threat to them. Niska narrates, “Parents called their
children to them when I came close… Young men pointed at me and stared when
they thought I was not looking” (Boyden 145). It’s clear that because Niska was
Cree the European parents saw her as a threat, but it’s important to notice
that only the men pointed at her and gossiped about her appearance because she
is a woman. During the timeframe, women would only be accepted into society if
they met the society’s expected standards of a woman. These standards include
specific clothing and facial appearance, as well as obedience to men. Since
Niska refused to succumb to these ignorant rules, she was ‘cast out’ of the
European society and made fun of.
During that same chapter, I noticed an important point about
women during the 1910’s that the author was trying to make. As Niska walked
through the town, an old lady motioned for her to come inside her house. This
lady was Cree and she knew Niska’s father (who was killed in this town by the Europeans)
which is the reason why she helped Niska. Since this lady lived in this place,
she knew how a woman is expected to dress in this town and offered Niska ‘camouflage’
from Europeans by giving her, “…the clothes of wemistikoshiw [white European] women, a long cotton skirt, a white
cotton shirt, a brightly colored bandana to tie about my head” (Boyden 146). After
Niska puts these clothes on, nobody in the town points at nor says anything about
her. This signifies that women have to succumb into these strict guidelines in
order to be accepted by society.
The purpose of Niska’s journey to the town was to find her
partner at-the-time, a Frenchman. The Frenchman, being a man, took advantage of
Niska’s feelings towards him and betrayed her by violating her in a church.
Since Niska was her father’s daughter, she holds her father’s powers within
her. The reason the Frenchman brought her into the church was to destroy her
spirit by defiling her under the European’s god. After doing this, the man
says, “’I took your ahcahk’” (Boyden
149) (ahcahk means spirit in Cree)
and “’You are nothing special, just another squaw whore’” (Boyden 149). The
Frenchman had taken on the common man’s (during that time period) disrespect
towards woman and even goes as far as to call Niska a whore because she loved
him. Also, since Niska is a woman, she is expected to not have any powers. This
is what drives the Frenchman to betray her and attempt to take her powers from
her.
An important piece that the author includes in the novel is that
not all men treat women like the majority. For example, Xavier is a man that
treats men and women as equals. After a long battle, Xavier and his squad go to
a brothel to rest and celebrate a victory. Xavier does not know that this is a
brothel and assumes that this is just a bar. Women are being passed and bought
like drinks, but Xavier sees one woman that he immediately falls in love with. Xavier
is shocked when he hears Elijah say, “’I knew that a woman would be good for
you but that you would never visit a whore” (Boyden 216). Xavier had no idea that
Lisette (the woman Xavier fell in love with) was one of the workers in the
brothel and was shocked when he found out that Elijah paid her for her time
with Xavier. Xavier became upset with Elijah because he was ashamed that
Lisette was being treated like this.
In conclusion, the novel Three
Day Road has many aspects that show how women were poorly treated during
the time period of the first world war. Niska experiences this discrimination personally
through abuse and dismay. It’s important to realize that not all men
disrespected women like the majority.
Works Cited:
Boyden, Joseph. Three
Day Road. Toronto: Penguin Canada, 2005. Print.
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