In The Birchbark House, by Louise Erdrich, we learn about a young Anishinabe girl named Omakaya. While this story addresses several important issues, such as sovereignty, spirituality, and disease, the story also touches upon the significance of gender roles and how they can be altered or bent.
The most significant example of the altering of gender within this story occurs with the tragedy of the small pox epidemic. During the deep winter, Omakaya’s family and much of the tribe are taken ill by the introduction of small pox into their village. During this time, much of the corn, rice, and scavenged foods that were gathered in the fall are running low. It is up to Omakaya’s father, Deydey, to supply the family with additional food through hunting. However, Deydey, who is supposed to be a primary care taker of the family, becomes severely stricken with small pox. He weakens and must move into the sick hut with the other ill members of the family. The only ones that remain healthy are Omakaya and her grandmother. So, the healthy ones take full responsibility for the ill, including her father. The roles here become reversed as the typical care taker is cared for by the dependent. Omakaya helps to protect her father from the disease’s side effects, including insanity. One night, while her father is suffering from an extremely high fever, he loses his mind and attempts to walk outside into the freezing cold, where he would surely freeze to death. Omakaya takes it upon herself to save him and hits him upon the head, knocking him out. While the act itself stuns Omakaya, she knows that it was the right thing to do. Since Deydey is unconscious, he can no longer do himself harm. Omakaya puts him to bed and watches over him through the night.
Omakaya takes over the care of the man who is typically caring for her. By stepping into this role, Omakaya is bending the rules of her gender. She does this in particular when she uses her strength to care for and protect her father. Another example of a gender issue includes the strength and masculine activities of Omakaya’s cousin, Two Strike Girl. Noted for being stronger than many of the boys in the village, Two Strike Girl steps out of the boundaries of typical feminine behavior. She abhors female activities, such as beading, and excels in the more masculine activities, such as dancing on the rice.
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gender roles have always fascinated me. we are socialized from birth and begin succumbing to those roles almost immediately. in birchbark house, it is clear the males and females are intended to play certain roles. however, it seems that those roles can be altered depending on the circumstance without too much argument. Two Strike Girl is a good example of that. in her case, it wasn't the notion of survival that forced her to take on a male role. It was her desire, and with a little bit of arguing, she was able to attain her goals. Same with Old Tallow. She was an independent lady who clearly did not need a man to rely on. In Omakayas's case, yes, the small pox epidemic forced her to take on a number of roles she otherwise might not have. It makes me think of WWII, when the women went to work in factories while the men were away at war. In a sense it was a mode of survival. Especially back then, when a woman's place was far more defined as being in the home, being a mother, being a caretaker. Going out to work, much less in factories to take on what was normally a man's work, took strength. It proves that women and men can do just about anything if the circumstances call for it. And even now, the idea of a house husband instead of a house wife sounds great to me. I would love to be able to go out into the workforce instead of staying at home with kids just because I decide to have them. Why not find a guy who's completely content with chilling at home, cooking dinner, and looking after the kids instead of being the breadwinner. I bet there are more of those guys out there than we might think. it's not just survival. it's preference, and thank god we live in a time where gender roles aren't as distinct as they once were.
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