Short story " The Heathen "

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☆ Introduction about  Jack London: 

click here   London's "strength of utterance" is at its height in his stories, and they are painstakingly well-constructed.

☆ about the  short story " The Heathen ":

This short story  is  written by  Jack London. The narrative pattern of this story is very complicated. The narrator named Charley has directly dedicated this story to his mate cum friend Otoo. Who is a negro man. The story presents the voyages of these two characters. They have been living together for seventeen years. Their relationship is based on their emotion.

           The very meaning of heathen is the person, who does not belong to a particular class or community. And the story reveals that Otoo is considered to be the heathen as he does not belong to the suppressed class though he is from the African American class. The African people are suppressed by the whites and they are dragged to their own class but they are considered to be slaves. This story also demonstrates the idea of a Master-Slave relationship. The whites believe that the blacks are born to be merely slaves and that is why they are forced to be African Christion in which Otoo remains different from them and thus, he becomes the heathen of that community.

         Jack London gave his views over how society creates injustice to the people. If Otoo does not belong to his christian community when society does not belong to the religion named ''HUMANITY''  And it does not lose the human beings live their life the way they want to.

☆ Main idea of  " The Heathen " :

The story of ‘Heathen’ deals with the relationship between two coloured men. So we can say that it’s about the relationship between Black & White people. it’s a sea voyage between the two coloured Man. The story was narrated by Charley, he dedicated this story to his friend otoo. The narrator meets with him in a hurricane, it means that hurricane otoo shares his hatch cover with him. So narrator was grateful towards otoo.‘Otoo made me’

Through this word we can clearly understand that otoo gives him a new life. If he does not share hatch cover with him then he cannot survive. They have been living together since seventeen years. Their relation is different from the Master-slave mentality. There is a deep intimacy between & their relationship is genuine.

           

        ‘Master & Slave Become Friends’

           In this story Otoo & Chrley both are important characters but otoo is the protagonist of the story because the title “The Heathen” belongs to him.

The Meaning of Heathen:    

            

            ‘Heathen’ means A person who does not belong to any fix or particular class or community.

             So let’s have a look upon how the title applies to the otoo’s character.

                    Otoo belongs to the island called ‘Borabora’, he belongs to African American class. They are suppressed by whites & dragged to their class. Though they become part of whites, they are considered as ‘Black Christen’. Whites believe that Blacks are born to be merely ‘slaves’. So they are forced to be African culture. Otoo does not want to follow this custom and remains different from that community. So he becomes

       ‘Heathen of that community’

So, this is how the title belongs to otoo.

         On the other hand we can also say that

        ‘society itself is Heathen’

      Society is a villain in human life. If otoo does not belong the ‘Christine community than society also does not belong to the religion called 

                       ‘Humanity’

If a person belongs to black community or he or she is not able to fit in their society. Society discriminates against them. One question raise in my mind that

Who is the problem?

Society  or  Black

                 Society never tries to understand human beings. Because of their so called rules and customs, people have to suffer a lot.

             Here otoo belongs to the religion called ‘Humanity’. First he shares his hatch cover with the narrator. He dedicates his whole life, even his death, to his master charley.

So, he is a man of honesty and which is superior to colour, religion and custom.

           Thus at last we can say that this story showcases the real side of the Black person. They are real human beings and society is the Heathen.

Thank you...