Inequity between both men and women has been quietly acknowledged as commonplace within our society; with the patriarchy and various stereotypical gender roles creating rifts between the two genders. However, for as long as the patriarchy has existed, so have the individuals who choose to stand against it. These people protest this inequity by defying the gender roles of society, and instead deciding to follow their own standards for living. Louise Erdrich’s novel: Tracks, is a story of a Native American Reservation in the 1900s that suffers from the forced presence of white culture in the community. In this story, two narrators named Nanapush and Pauline share their perspectives of the changes within their society; mainly focusing around
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During the time period of this novel, it was noticeably unusual for a woman to play cards; especially if she was skilled at the game. This is apparent, as no other character except Fleur is willing to even attempt gambling against the men in Argus. However, despite such an activity being uncommon for a woman, Fleur relentlessly plays against the three men throughout the second chapter. In addition to this, Fleur easily bests them at what was thought to be a, “man’s game.” This is shown when Pauline observes that, “Lily looked once, looked again, then he squeezed the dog like a fist of dough and slammed it on the table. Fleur threw out her arms and swept the money close, grinning that same wolf grin that she’d used on me, the grin that had them. She jammed the bills inside her dress, scooped the coins in waxed white paper that she tied with string,” (Erdrich 23). This “wolf grin” that Fleur has is a symbol of both stealth and dominance over the male players. She may not be actively protesting against the “white patriarchy” yet through this small game we can see that she defies the standards commonly set for women during the 1900’s. This also showcases the idea that intelligence and skill are common inequities between men and women. As the men are baffled that Fleur was …show more content…
A common inequity between men and women, is that women tend to be shy and passive; while men, on the other hand, are stereotyped to be more dominant and erratic. Yet in Tracks, elder Margaret is not afraid to share her thoughts with others. Such an example of Margaret’s adamant nature can be seen when Nanapush recalls, “My house was close, with no one between us and it, but Margaret wanted to go fetch Nector at her place, and so she kept walking as if she hadn’t heard. I took her arm, caught you and started to turn, but Margaret would have none of this and called me a coward. She grabbed you back to herself,” (Erdrich 111). Unlike other female characters in this novel, such as Sophie and Bernadette, Margaret actively speaks out in protest against the opinions of others. In this case refusing to follow Nanapush, and retaliating by calling him a coward. This reveals that another inequity between men and women is decision-making, as well as aggression. As Margaret acts considerably more feisty than a couple of the men in this novel. Not only this, but Margaret has contributed to making huge decisions throughout the chapter, showing that she is a strong-willed spirit that isn’t fearful of stepping outside the social
During the time period of this novel, it was noticeably unusual for a woman to play cards; especially if she was skilled at the game. This is apparent, as no other character except Fleur is willing to even attempt gambling against the men in Argus. However, despite such an activity being uncommon for a woman, Fleur relentlessly plays against the three men throughout the second chapter. In addition to this, Fleur easily bests them at what was thought to be a, “man’s game.” This is shown when Pauline observes that, “Lily looked once, looked again, then he squeezed the dog like a fist of dough and slammed it on the table. Fleur threw out her arms and swept the money close, grinning that same wolf grin that she’d used on me, the grin that had them. She jammed the bills inside her dress, scooped the coins in waxed white paper that she tied with string,” (Erdrich 23). This “wolf grin” that Fleur has is a symbol of both stealth and dominance over the male players. She may not be actively protesting against the “white patriarchy” yet through this small game we can see that she defies the standards commonly set for women during the 1900’s. This also showcases the idea that intelligence and skill are common inequities between men and women. As the men are baffled that Fleur was …show more content…
A common inequity between men and women, is that women tend to be shy and passive; while men, on the other hand, are stereotyped to be more dominant and erratic. Yet in Tracks, elder Margaret is not afraid to share her thoughts with others. Such an example of Margaret’s adamant nature can be seen when Nanapush recalls, “My house was close, with no one between us and it, but Margaret wanted to go fetch Nector at her place, and so she kept walking as if she hadn’t heard. I took her arm, caught you and started to turn, but Margaret would have none of this and called me a coward. She grabbed you back to herself,” (Erdrich 111). Unlike other female characters in this novel, such as Sophie and Bernadette, Margaret actively speaks out in protest against the opinions of others. In this case refusing to follow Nanapush, and retaliating by calling him a coward. This reveals that another inequity between men and women is decision-making, as well as aggression. As Margaret acts considerably more feisty than a couple of the men in this novel. Not only this, but Margaret has contributed to making huge decisions throughout the chapter, showing that she is a strong-willed spirit that isn’t fearful of stepping outside the social