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Fleur

Female power

A consistent increase in the discussion circulation around the topic of female power has been going on. There has been a portrayal of female power as women leave the cocoons of weakness to assume senior leadership positions. Louise El-drich in his novel Fleur painted the picture of the female power associated with one character Fleur Pillager and the narrator Pauline. Just like in the modern world where roles of women face evolution as a result of the power assumed by women, in the novel, the aspect of female power by challenging male chauvinism results in the transformation of both butchers’ and Pauline’s attitude to Fleur.

There were experienced changes at Kozka’s Meats, a joint owned by Pete Kozka. The men working at this butchery never took notice of the ladies that were around them. Pauline is one of a typical example. She swept floor, did everything as a woman does, while, the men still ignored her. They never viewed Pauline from her physical angle as women. Because they viewed women as the weaker gender, and whose place is only in the kitchen. However, things took a turn on the arrival of Fleur Pillager. Fleur became the subject of the men’s discussion. One of the external reason of the changes is the physical appearance of Fleur. The author highlights the aspect of Fleur “dressing up like a man” (El-drich 177) a sort of a surprise to the community. Such is a clear indication of courage and power to stand out and even dress as men do.

Moreover, the power that Fleur had, and especially in her hands, resulted in her acquiring a job at Kozka’s Meats (El-drich 178). The author informs that Pete, the owner of Kozka’s Meats employed Fleur due to her displayed prowess. It was unlikely for a woman of her age to do things that she was doing, which might be the internal reason for the transformation. Traditionally, and especially to the men working at the Kozka’s Meats, it was unusual for them to be playing cards with women. The game was a reservation for the men only. Nevertheless, Fleur’s prowess was not only manifested in how she maneuvered around the job, but also played with the other butchers at cards. The first time she did play the game, the author observes that the butchers were surprised by how she gained momentum in the game. Fleur won most of the games that they played. The money Pauline offered her “attracted dimes until there was a small pile in front of her” (El-drich 182).

While, these transformations get to a dangerous level when Fleur didn’t manifest her female power. The behavior of Fleur’s always wining a dollar, creating a sense of suspicion among the other butchers, which resulted the rape. El-drich notes that the men chase Fleur into a smokehouse, caught her and then raped her. Even though Fleur cried out Pauline’s name for help, Pauline was unable to stand up for herself or for Fleur at the crucial time. What depicts is that a sense of defiance encircled both. Fleur left peacefully later which the author seemed to communicate that the society often fails to enjoy the full potential of a woman due to looking at women through their physical attributes.

Most literature works often have a message that they try to communicate whether directly or indirectly, and Fleur by Louise El-drich is no exception. Barnett on her Telegraph post noted that women were slowly leaving the shadows of their husband to stand firm in their capacity. Barnett used the example of Hillary Clinton who was pursuing a political position after being an ardent supporter of her husband. Similarly, just like Barnett, El-drich seemed to send the message that women were getting out of their comfort zones like Fleur.

Another interesting thing in this novel is the binary of Pauline and Fleur. Pauline had been working at the Kozka’s Meats, and the men never noticed her and her abilities. It seems she was an invisible, forgotten character. The author also notes that “the men would not have seen me no matter what I did” (El-drich 180). Her efforts, therefore, went unnoticed despite how dedicated she remained. The binary of Fleur’s full character and Pauline’s flat character is obvious.

Pauline used to fear Fleur. The reason for this maybe because the men took notice of Fleur, which was different when it came to Pauline; or because she seemed to have lots of strength and was appealing due to her physical outlook. However, within a period, there was a change of the narrative, implying Pauline’s slaming down the meat locker at the end of the story; in other words, implying her awakening of challenging male chauvinism. One fateful night, Pauline, out of tiring due to the nature of her work dozed off on a heap of sawdust. Gently, Fleur picked her up and laid her off to sleep on a bunch of files that acted like a mattress to Pauline (El-drich 198). The author highlights that Pauline was; “no longer afraid of her, but followed her close, stayed with her, became her moving shadow that the men never noticed” (El-drich 181).

The message that the author seemed to communicate is that women always have an overlooked extraordinary power. When a woman applies for a senior position, the first thing that clouds the judgment of people is that she is incapable of performing. The reason they offer to this explanation is the fact that she is a woman. The men at the Kozka’s Meats took notice of Fleur Pillager because of her physical features and not her ability to perform. To these men, Fleur was more ornamental than functional. However, they were proved wrong. Fleur would perform exemplary in the duties assigned to her along with the men. In fact, the author observes that during the period that a heat tide engulfed Argus, only Fleur remained active as the others were weak due to the heat (El-drich 181), illustrating another kind of female power.

Works Cited

El-drich, Louise. “Fleur” 1988

Barnett, Emma. “What does Female Power Look Like?” The Telegraph 27th June 2015.

Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11702489/What-does-Female-Power-look-like.html