Dumb Martian: Difference between revisions
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'''Dumb Martian''' ([[1952]])<ref>http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/w/john-wyndham</ref>. is a short story by [[John Wyndham]] | '''Dumb Martian''' ([[1952]])<ref>http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/w/john-wyndham</ref>. is a short story by [[John Wyndham]], noteworthy for the relationship between its male and female characters. | ||
''Duncan'', an Earth man, buys ''Lellie'', a young [[Mars|Martian]] woman, from her family as a companion for his five-year job on a small uninhabited moon of [[Jupiter]]. Anti-slavery laws oblige him to marry her to get her a passport. Martians are a [[race]] of humans with an extinct civilization. They are illiterate, have big eyes and only speak a little, so they appear to have a dumb look of surprise. | |||
''Duncan'' behaves rudely and [[violence|violently]] to ''Lellie''; he asks her to paint her face and do her hair to look like Earth women, and orders her to "look like a 'real woman." | |||
A pedologist<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedology_(soil_study) Pedology on wikipedia]</ref> comes to the planet for a one-year mission. He treats ''Lellie'' well and teaches her how to read. This makes ''Duncan'' angry, especially when ''Lellie'' asks about the "[[Women's movement|Women's Freedom Movement]]" that they had on Earth, while reading a book. Duncan hates the new man more and finally kills him. | |||
At the end of the five-year mission, the | At the end of the five-year mission, the Martian woman demonstrates that, despite her reputation, she was not the dumb one: she kills Duncan and frees herself. | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
Latest revision as of 09:43, 10 April 2009
Dumb Martian (1952)[1]. is a short story by John Wyndham, noteworthy for the relationship between its male and female characters.
Duncan, an Earth man, buys Lellie, a young Martian woman, from her family as a companion for his five-year job on a small uninhabited moon of Jupiter. Anti-slavery laws oblige him to marry her to get her a passport. Martians are a race of humans with an extinct civilization. They are illiterate, have big eyes and only speak a little, so they appear to have a dumb look of surprise.
Duncan behaves rudely and violently to Lellie; he asks her to paint her face and do her hair to look like Earth women, and orders her to "look like a 'real woman."
A pedologist[2] comes to the planet for a one-year mission. He treats Lellie well and teaches her how to read. This makes Duncan angry, especially when Lellie asks about the "Women's Freedom Movement" that they had on Earth, while reading a book. Duncan hates the new man more and finally kills him.
At the end of the five-year mission, the Martian woman demonstrates that, despite her reputation, she was not the dumb one: she kills Duncan and frees herself.