Salish Women versus Women in the New Testament

Through a series of short stories, Lee Maracle presents women as strong, empowered, resilient, sexual, and at times, mischievous creatures. The positive representations of Canadian Indigenous women in First Wives Club contrast the mostly negative or violent depictions of women in the New Testament. Though the New Testament contains some examples of active, well-respected women who are strong and faithful, more often, the New Testament ignores the presence of women and their perspectives and frequently suggests that women are inferior and subordinate to men. In this paper, I will argue that in her short stories, Maracle’s representations of women as strong, powerful, and necessary beings is directly opposed to the depiction of women in the New Testament. Unlike the message of the New Testament, Maracle's representation of female characters in First Wives Club: Coast Salish Style serves to show the reader that female empowerment is not only acceptable, but necessary in society.