Northern stories

1.3. A truly heroic female image was created by London in the story
London managed to create a truly heroic female image in the story "The Courage of a Woman". The selfless love of Passuk is shown here with such force, with such pathos, that this story is rightfully one of the writer's best. Its meaning is revealed in the name. For the sake of saving a loved one, the courageous Passuk goes to any lengths. She sacrifices her brother's life, sacrifices herself. Passuk dies, but Sitka Charlie lives.
Very similar to Passuk Labiskwee from "Secrets of the Woman's Soul": she saves her share of food for her lover and helps him escape, but she herself dies. Loving, selfless women like Passuk and Labiskwee are often the heroines of Northern stories. These include Jis-Uk in the story of the same name, Ruth from "White Silence", the heroine of the story " Sivashka ". The romance of adventure is fanned by the image of the heroic Unga from the "Northern Odyssey", whose name and fame spread throughout the North along with the name and fame of her husband.
Although Axel Gunderson was an exceptional person, Unga is not inferior to him either in courage or in endurance. She, as an equal, accompanies him in all his perilous wanderings.
Establishing bravery and courage as a principle, London heroines admire brave people and do not like cowards. Cowardice they despise and consider one of the greatest vices.
So, the daughter of the leader of the Tana-nau tribe, Su-Su, refuses to become the wife of the leader of the Tlunget tribe . Kish only because he considers him a coward (" Kish , son of Kish"). For the same reason, Una does not recognize Negora as her husband . She tells him that she saw how he was beaten with a dog whip, "saw it - and found out that you are a coward" ("Coward Negor ", XIX, 202).
London 's heroines are very active, they are always on the move, in struggle, organically cannot stand idleness and laziness, considering them serious shortcomings.
“You... how do you say... lazybones! You lazybones want to be my husband? In vain efforts. Never, oh no, never be my sluggard husband !” Joy Molino declares to Jack Harrington (“Daughter of the Northern Lights,” I, 246).
London heroines hate greedy, greedy people. The beautiful El-Su, a worthy daughter of her father Klaki-Na , rejects the rich Porportuk , who wants to take her as his wife; she despises him for making hoarding his life's goal ("The Wit of Porportuk ").
An interesting image of Edith Nelson from the story "The Unexpected". Having witnessed a brutal murder, she does her best to bring the killer to justice. And here the strong will of a woman triumphs over all obstacles.
In northern stories, there are also negative female types: unfaithful wives, frivolous girls, mercenary adventurers.
Such is Messner 's wife from One Day Parking, who cheats on her husband and hides from him. She looks like Maria Chauvet , the heroine of the story "The Golden Ray". This frivolous woman, becoming the bride of the Deva Walsh , breaks his word and marries another.
We will not see direct censure of these women, and yet their behavior is objectively condemned. It is not the very fact of treason that is condemned. London is not at all in favor of husband and wife continuing to live without love. But they must disperse honestly, all frankly. saying to each other. In such cases, lies and deceit, betrayal and pretense are unacceptable. Honor and human dignity must be preserved under any conditions. Otherwise people will be punished. A brutal retribution awaits Messner 's wife when she meets her ex-husband. Messner takes revenge for the insult inflicted on him. And in the story "The Golden Ray" the role of the avenger is handed over to fate itself. Marie Chauvet 's bad conscience ca n't stand the "appearance" of a dead Dev Walsh and she goes crazy . , London did not tolerate the carriers of the hypocritical morality of bourgeois society. They are portrayed with sarcasm and irony that is not usually characteristic of him. The priest's wife, Mrs. McPhee, is just one of the priestesses of the official sanctimonious morality ("The Contempt of Woman"). She is rude, unceremonious and at the same time ready to make a caustic speech on the topic of ethics at any moment with her "thin, trembling voice with gloating". For her, outward decency is more important than anything else. Therefore, she is so outraged by the behavior of Mrs. Eppingwell , who asked for forgiveness from Freda Moluf . "In front of everyone, mind you ... without showing any attention ... and respect for the moral foundations of society" [I, 289].
Another negative female image appears in the same story. This is the adventurer Lauren. Lisnai , who came to the North to find a rich husband. Selfish women arouse as little sympathy in the writer as selfish men. Sitka Charlie calls Lauren Lisnai "bad woman."
We also meet with negative female types in the story “Light-skinned Li Wan”. Although Evelyn Van Wyck and Miss Giddings make cameo appearances, they are portrayed in a highly unappealing light. Sincere direct Li Wan, instead of support and sympathy, meets indifference and contempt on their part.
However, it should be noted that negative female characters are relatively rare in northern stories. The North is not the right place for them. The stories are dominated by images of heroic, strong-willed women whom the writer loves and who are close to him with their humanity, sincerity, and spontaneity. He sees in them the personification of grace, beauty, the embodiment of "eternal femininity." His attitude towards them is pure, sublime. A woman with him always rises somewhat, romanticizes. London is restrained in describing the relationship between the sexes. Love in his works is described as a high moral feeling. It has an ennobling effect on a person, contributes to the emergence of noble impulses in him, the development of humanity. Alien to the writer and the attitude towards a woman as a being of a lower order. A woman for him is a comrade, a friend who shares dangers and hardships with a man, who is able to help with advice or action in difficult times.
All this determines the great artistic, moral, cognitive and educational significance of female images in northern stories.