Men and women have been conformed to gender roles from the beginning of time. Traditional men are physical, masculine, and aggressive and traditional women are gentle, sensitive and caring. Most women follow these stereotypes but not Niska. Niska is not traditional, she resist the roles of a traditional woman by making her own decisions and taking on leadership roles.
In Joseph Boyden’s Three Day Road, Niska shows that she is not a traditional woman by making her own decisions. First, Niska made her own decision when she chooses to shave off her hair. In the residential school, the nuns cut Niska’s hair shorter than all of the others, so “ I crept down to the basement to the room where they sheared us like sheep and found the clippers used …show more content…
Niska takes on a leadership role when she decided to become the windigo killer when she come of age. After Niska finished helping a small tribe with their windigo problem she wonders “Had I rid these people of the windigo in the proper way?” (264). Niska taking on the responsibility of being the windigo killer for her people shows that she is not like most women. Most traditional woman would stay in the background and listen while the men takes on the leadership role, but not Niska. Niska is a strong woman who does not let gender roles stop her in anyway. Secondly, Niska takes Xavier out of the residential school without permission and raises him. Niska went to the residential school and said, ”I came to ask if you would prefer leaving here and going into the forest to live with me” (218). Niska takes on a leadership role when she takes Xavier from the residential school and became his guardian. She is not a traditional woman because she does not follow the rules. Traditional women would have been upset at the fact that a family member is being treated unfairly, but they would not try and break them free of their tormentors, but as usual Niska does not sit and watch, she is all about action. Thirdly, Niska took on the responsibility of teaching Xavier how to be resourceful which shows the type of leader she is. Niska and Xavier were in the woods tracking a moose when Niska left him to track the moose himself and when he came back,“I asked you to tell a story of your first hunt. Your face blushed, but it was from pride” (362). Niska is not a traditional woman because she left her nephew when he was only 3-4 winters old in the woods alone. No women would intentionally leave a helpless child in the woods to fend for themselves, but Niska wants to teach Xavier a lesson. Niska shows the type of leader she is, she is the type who teaches the lesson first and then allow you
In Joseph Boyden’s Three Day Road, Niska shows that she is not a traditional woman by making her own decisions. First, Niska made her own decision when she chooses to shave off her hair. In the residential school, the nuns cut Niska’s hair shorter than all of the others, so “ I crept down to the basement to the room where they sheared us like sheep and found the clippers used …show more content…
Niska takes on a leadership role when she decided to become the windigo killer when she come of age. After Niska finished helping a small tribe with their windigo problem she wonders “Had I rid these people of the windigo in the proper way?” (264). Niska taking on the responsibility of being the windigo killer for her people shows that she is not like most women. Most traditional woman would stay in the background and listen while the men takes on the leadership role, but not Niska. Niska is a strong woman who does not let gender roles stop her in anyway. Secondly, Niska takes Xavier out of the residential school without permission and raises him. Niska went to the residential school and said, ”I came to ask if you would prefer leaving here and going into the forest to live with me” (218). Niska takes on a leadership role when she takes Xavier from the residential school and became his guardian. She is not a traditional woman because she does not follow the rules. Traditional women would have been upset at the fact that a family member is being treated unfairly, but they would not try and break them free of their tormentors, but as usual Niska does not sit and watch, she is all about action. Thirdly, Niska took on the responsibility of teaching Xavier how to be resourceful which shows the type of leader she is. Niska and Xavier were in the woods tracking a moose when Niska left him to track the moose himself and when he came back,“I asked you to tell a story of your first hunt. Your face blushed, but it was from pride” (362). Niska is not a traditional woman because she left her nephew when he was only 3-4 winters old in the woods alone. No women would intentionally leave a helpless child in the woods to fend for themselves, but Niska wants to teach Xavier a lesson. Niska shows the type of leader she is, she is the type who teaches the lesson first and then allow you