Adam Swift Post #1

In the three short stories we read and discussed in class there are a number of different ways that woman can be viewed and treated in society. In the short story “Fleur” the main character, Fleur is seen as intimidating, rude and most of all dangerous to the community. After Fleur’s drowning in the lake, she is saved by men who end up dying soon after. Many were afraid of her and thought she should be driven off the reservation. She was an outcast because she kept to herself and didn’t care how much the others talked about her. “She was haywire, out of control. She messed with evil, laughed at an old women’s advice, and dressed like a man.” I feel that this is a strong quote that explains Fleur’s role as an outcast. Since she messed with evil is referring to her near death experiences and her carelessness on the matter. This short story definitely suggests that women are inferior to men. She represents strength and power of women in society. When Fleur jumps into the card game going on among the three men she is fearless of losing and what they think of her.

“Mrs. Sen’s” faces issues in society in contrast to “Fleur.” Mrs. Sen is from India living in America and is having difficulty adapting to a new environment. “Mr. Sen teaches mathematics at the university.” She refers to her husband as “Mr. Sen” in this way because she their relationships is not what you expect out of a married couple. Mrs. Sen also cooks for him but also relies on him to drive her to get fish and other foods. These examples clearly show that Mrs. Sen is inferior to her husband and men as a whole. At the same time what makes her inferior to men also makes her an outcast like Fleur. She is having a hard time assimilating to American customs. I agree with Chelsea, when Mrs. Sen crashes into the pole she gives up driving all together. At this point we don’t know what happens to her but we can assume she will continue to follow her traditional ways of living and continue to be an “outcast.” Some people can never fully adapt to the changes in their lives.