Wicked Woman Jack London Analysis

Wicked Woman by Jack London that has been published in 1906 is a typical short story for its time. Different kind of social obligations were part of people’s everyday lives, life was very formal, and social roles were strict – there was given a certain model how to behave, women and men had their own rules. In the short story, these rules can easily be seen and that makes a clear gender bias between women and men.
The typical layout between gender’s power relationships are the ones that are highlighted in the short story. Especially the fragility and weakness of women is exaggerated – women would not be capable enough to live their own lives, choose their husband, make their own decisions, or even express themselves properly. The most exaggerated

Even in the propose he wants things and wants Loretta to himself. In the end, Ned states a line: ““You can’t marry both of us,” he almost shouted”. The word “shouted” just exaggerates and highlights the stupidity of Loretta – how someone can be so stupid to think marrying two people?
The narrator has a big part in the dialog. The descriptive words “pettingly” and “paternally” in the part where Ned is calming Loretta, just add the impression of the situation and power relationships. The narrator describes Ned’s laugh “incredulous” when Loretta states being ashamed is inferior in my opinion. Always women are the ones that speak false. “A passionate storm of sobs” is a description stated by the narrator when Loretta is crying. It is exaggerated and almost ironic in a way and can be linked to the weakness of women.
I would say that this short story is very gender biased, especially what comes to the power relationships. The features are very typical for chauvinistic ideology and they relay the thoughts and ideas of the writer to the audience – the short story and writing itself is a way of bringing up opinions and thoughts even in very editorialized